The Episcopal Church (USA): Compromise and Firewalls
By Sharon Dewey Hetke
“THE JESUS MOVEMENT: Loving, Liberating and Life-Giving,” was the theme of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church (USA), which met July 5-13 in Austin, Texas. Delegates debated motions related to gender equality, evangelism, Israel and Palestine and providing a salary for the President of the House of Deputies. They also welcomed back into The Episcopal Church the Diocese of Cuba, which separated from the U.S. body in 1967.
But watched most closely by orthodox Anglicans in Canada were motions related to Prayer Book revision and providing for access to same-sex marriage rites in every diocese, including those in which the bishop is opposed.
Following on the approval at the 2015 General Convention of trial-use liturgies for same-sex marriages, General Convention 2018 considered a call to expand access to those liturgies to all same-sex couples in the Church.
In the lead-up to General Convention 2018, Resolution A-085 was proposed, which would have mandated a revision of the Prayer Book to include same-sex rites and would have obligated bishops to provide “reasonable and convenient access” to these rites.
Faced with Resolution A-085, a number of Communion Partner bishops and others worked towards a new compromise Resolution (B-012) that would not require Prayer Book revision, and which would allow opposed bishops to refrain from endorsing or overseeing these rites, while still finding a way for same-sex couples to receive these rites in their home congregations.
Originally referred to as Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight, what emerged in the back and forth between Houses was an arrangement in which a diocesan bishop will “as necessary” call upon another bishop to oversee these rites. As for the rites themselves, they continue in their trial-use status (along with other experimental liturgies).
One of the amendments insisted upon by the Communion Partners stipulates that: “nothing in this Resolve narrows the authority of the Rector or Priest-in-Charge.” For this reason, all mission congregations under Communion Partners bishops can be excepted from the possibility of same-sex marriages as the bishop functions as Rector of those communities.
An amended B-012 passed easily in the House of Deputies and in the House of Bishops’ voice vote, with a majority of Communion Partner bishops also voting in favour. B-012 will come into effect on the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2.
But while the amended Resolution may provide some measure of conscience protection, many, whether or not they voted in favour of B-012, continue to have concerns that the Resolution, by obliging a diocesan bishop to give way to another bishop upon the request of a congregation (and the support of its Rector), diminishes the episcopal authority and structure of the Church.
And despite these amendments, a handful of bishops continued in their opposition and voted against B-012.
One such bishop is Bp. Bill Love of the Diocese of Albany. In a July 18 letter to his parishes, Bp. Love expressed his concerns about the Resolution severely limiting the
“bishop’s role and ministry as chief pastor, priest and teacher of all the people and parishes entrusted to his or her care regarding the sacrament of marriage.” He also said “More importantly, it goes against my understanding of what God has revealed through Holy Scripture and over 2000 years of Church teaching about marriage.”
On the other side, those in favour of same-sex marriage were also somewhat mixed in their affirmation of the compromise Resolution. However, the Rev. Susan Russell, a deputy from Los Angeles and a long-time advocate for same-sex blessings and marriages, said she supported B012 “recognizing that this is a hard-won compromise but one which I believe will lead us forward into that work as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement” (Episcopal News Service).
It remains unclear how B-012 will be lived out in various dioceses, with some seeing an incidence of delegated oversight as creating a significant division between the parish in question and its bishop, with others framing it as more of a provisional measure to deal specifically with particular occasions of same-sex marriage.
Two Communion Partners bishops that see a need for a significant degree of separation are Bp. George Sumner (Dallas) and Bp. Dan Martins (Springfield). In a July 15 letter to his diocese, Martins explained that this would not be due to “anger, rancor, or anything but sincere love between such a congregation and the diocese.” He continued by calling for a “robust firewall” in these situations, and said that “The need for differentiation is not driven by emotion. But the rupture is real…”
The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church will be held in Baltimore, Maryland in July, 2021. TAP
