|
To be presented to the Convention
of the Diocese of New York,
meeting in Tarrytown, November 10-11, 2006
(presented in the official form required by the Diocese of New York):
Resolutions Affirming Diocesan
Commitment that Candidates for Bishop
be chosen without regard for
Sexual Orientation
Current list of Presenters and Endorsers:
The Rev. Dr.
Frank Alagna
The Rev. Dr. Luis Barrios
The Rev. William A. F. Blasingame
The Rev. Jerry Brooks
The Rev. Peter R. Carey
The Rev. David Lee Carlson
The Rev.
Barbara Crafton
Mr. Michael Cudney
The Rev. Dr. Mark B. Cyr
The Rev. John E. Denaro
The Rev.
Randolph Lloyd Frew
Mr. Robert J. Frisby
Nell Braxton Gibson
The Rev. Dr. William
A. Greenlaw
The Rev. Tobias Haller
The Rev. E. Perren Hayes
The Rev. Dr. Raynor Hesse
The Rev. M. Therese Heyduck
The Rev. Geo. Anthony Hoeltzel
The Rev. Betty Hudson
The Rev. James B. Jeffrey
Mr. David Juhren
The Rev. Theodore Kanellakis
The Rev. Dr. Richard S. Kemmler |
The Rev. Dr. Earl Kooperkamp
The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell
The Rev. Richard McKeon, Jr.
Canon Michael J. McPherson
The Rev. Frank Morales
The Rev. Timothy L. Morehouse
Phil Nicholson
The Rev. Martha
Overall
The Rev. K. Jeanne Person
The Rev. Brad Pfaff
Ms. Diane Pollard
Mr. Chad S. Rancourt
The Rev. Michael J. Relyea
The
Rev. Barry M. Signorelli
The Rev. Floyd Monroe Stallings
The Rev. Susanna E. Williams
The Rev. K. Dennis Winslow
The
Rev. Richard C. Witt
The Rev. Stephen Jay Yagerman
The Social
Concerns Commission of the Diocese
of New York
The Vestry of the
Church of the Good Shepherd
The Vestry of the Church of the Holy
Apostles
WAKE UP click here for
website |
[1] RESOLVED, that the Diocese
of New York reaffirms its earlier positions that “all baptized,
believing, and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation,
are full members of the Body of Christ,” [1999] and that “the
Standing Committee and Commission on Ministry ought not raise the
issue [of the sexual preference of a candidate for ordination] in
their consideration of a candidate’s fitness,” [1978]; and be it
further
[2] RESOLVED, that,
notwithstanding Resolution B-033 of the 75th General Convention of
the Episcopal Church that calls upon Bishops with jurisdiction and
Standing Committees "...to exercise restraint by not consenting to
the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner
of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to
further strains on communion," this 230th Convention of the
Diocese of New York calls upon the Bishop of New York and the
Standing Committee of this Diocese nevertheless to uphold the
canons of our church and the resolutions of this Diocese in both
letter and spirit and to consider irrelevant the sexual
orientation of candidates when considering consents to the
ordination and consecration of Bishops-elect.
Explanation of the Resolutions
Disassociating the Diocese of New York
from 2006 General Convention Resolution B-033
Simple justice and fidelity to our
own resolutions and canons are what drive these resolutions. It is
time to stand and say clearly and directly that we must be
faithful to our understanding of the Gospel in the Episcopal
Church.
The last day of General
Convention, 2006, saw Resolution B-033 pass under most unusual
circumstances. We were told it was to preserve our “place at the
table” and to enable the “listening process” to continue in the
Anglican Communion. Yet, within minutes of its passage and in
countless ways since, it has become ever clearer that our place at
the table is not secure and the “listening process” is only for us
to “repent” if unity is to be remotely possible. Gay and lesbian
faithful are once again being asked to “wait” open-endedly.
To paraphrase Jeremiah, we hear “unity, unity, when there is no
unity.” Ever-larger numbers of people who believe in an inclusive
church are saying no more appeasement, no more incessant waiting
on what seems a process without end.
While B-033 has no status as a canon, it is already being
misinterpreted and treated as if it did. This is a clear and
present danger we must address. |
