The 75^th General Convention (2006) of The Episcopal Church, Columbus Ohio

You can learn much about the design of General Convention at our Diocesan Website -- www.episcopal-dso.org; and of course the Interchange, our Diocesan newspaper is mailed to many of you, available always in the parish hall at church, and online as well.  Recent issues have given plenty of attention to General       Convention and how it works.       +     I was privileged to serve you and our Diocese as 1^st Clergy Alternate to the House of Deputies.  I attended every Legislative Session of the House of Deputies, sometimes as      a Deputy “on the floor,” many committee meetings, and all the Convention Eucharists as well as other inspiring gatherings.     +      No doubt what you will hear most in the news is about the election of our new Presiding Bishop the Rt. Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori, and about the responses of the General     Convention to the Windsor Report recommendations.  But there’s so much more you should know!     +     The first section of this page will focus on the Windsor resolutions.  Following sections, added each          week, will include important actions on these topics:

--Eradication of Poverty: the Millenium Development Goals

--Dismantling the Legacy of Slavery and Racism

--Peace and Justice in Society

--Evangelism, Worship, and Spiritual Life

--The Church beyond the Anglican Communion

Resolutions Relating to the Windsor Report

You can learn informally about the Windsor Report and its resolutions from our Diocesan weblog at http://gc06-southernohio.blogspot.com/ When you go to the blog, you'll see a wide column on the left with a prayer; a narrower column on the right with some titles. Click on or just below the title that says "Previous Posts". This will take you to a new page which has, on the left side, a long column with various signed comments. Lay Deputy Don Collins Reed attended all the open meetings of the Special Committee and has provided helpful information on the blog.

For several legislative days, there were no Windsor resolutions considered in the House of Deputies, as the Special Committee was still recrafting its resolutions on the basis of numerous hearings from Deputies and guests at their open meetings. They embodied a careful and respectful listening process.

On our 5th Legislative Day, the House of Deputies took up Resolution A163 on “Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight” or DEPO. In light of the necessity for appropriate pastoral care, and the strain caused by current controversies in many dioceses, our resolution was to “recognize the agonizing position of those who do not feel able to receive appropriate pastoral care from their own bishops” and urged bishops “to seek the highest degree of communion and reconciliation within their own dioceses….” with delegated pastoral care in consultation with other bishops where necessary. We also urged “continued maintenance of historic diocesan boundaries….and respect for the historical relationships of the separate and autonomous Provinces of the Anglican Communion.” This last sentence was to address the recent examples of some parishes appealing to an overseas bishop for oversight because they don’t like their bishop’s views, and some overseas or domestic bishops who take it upon themselves to claim a pastoral role in another diocese without the approval of that diocese’s own bishop. The reason for addressing this matter (Alternative Pastoral Oversight) first was to make it clear that whoever is truly alienated by subsequent decisions will have a recourse which keeps them in communion but working towards reconciliation of their differences.

Our next action on Day 5 was Resolution A160, “Expression of Regret.” This resolution was amended on the floor in debate, replacing original wording – “breaching the proper constraints”—with “straining.” Objections were raised to the first words such as “Who defines the proper constraints and who was responsible to notify us?” Also, there was strong objection to the implication that by our actions The Episcopal Church has actually broken or “breached” bonds. The motion was helped by the Special Committee’s reminder that the Windsor Report is not an ultimatum; it’s the beginning of a process in which all of us listen to each other. Here’s the approved text:

Resolved…that the 75th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of “the repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ,” express its regret for straining the bonds of affection in the events surrounding the General Convention of 2003 and the consequences which followed; offer its sincerest apology to those within our Anglican Communion who are offended by our failure to accord sufficient importance to the impact of our actions on our church and other parts of the Communion; and ask forgiveness as we seek to live into deeper levels of communion one with another.

There were some deputations who were not happy at all with this wording as they wanted us to say that we were wrong to elect and consecrate Gene Robinson as a bishop. Clearly, this is not the mind of our General Convention. Others were unhappy with any expression of regret lest it imply that we are apologizing for the election and consecration. Since the Windsor Report specifically recommended an expression of regret on our part, as essential to a process of real conversation, this was a form that most deputies could live with. The amended motion passed, 563 to 267.

On Sunday June 19th, the great news came to us from the House of Bishops, of the election on 5th ballot of the Rt. Rev. Katherine Jefferts-Schori. With few exceptions, this event energized and transformed the rest of Convention for our Church. It seemed to put everything into a new light.

There were no backroom deals going on to create this election, as some less reputable commentators want to suggest. The Bishops followed their customary process of determining the number of votes needed for one candidate to declare an election. They proceeded by secret ballot to cast votes among 7 nominees. While ballots were being counted, they sang hymns in Trinity Church where they were sequestered away from email, phones, and reporters.

As soon as a ballot yields the needed number of votes for one candidate, an election is declared. The vote is certified by proper authorities chosen by the House of Bishops. A message is taken to the House of Deputies, from which the Committee on Consecration of Bishops is dismissed to read the report and then vote on their recommendation. They return to the House to present their report with recommendation.

In this case, the Committee (with one dissenting vote out of 20) recommended that the House of Deputies concur with the election. Immediately, there were literally dozens of people lined up at the microphones, waiting to speak to the motion in favor of consent. One Deputy who rose in favor spoke in Spanish. She was jubilant, identifying herself as the spouse of one of the nominees, yet overjoyed at this election. The President of the House had a hard time finding anyone speaking to the other side, but finally there was one priest who stated that we have a knack for “roiling the waters” of the Anglican Communion and that this election could only be perceived as “imperious” on our part. He was heard as respectfully as all the others, ...but there was rejoicing none the less. We overwhelmingly did concur!

On Monday before we began the agenda of Legislative Day 7 with an unusual action by the Diocese of Ft. Worth . They announced an appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury, for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight. Obviously, as their bishop the Rt. Rev. Jack Iker does not ordain women or license to officiate any who are already ordained and come to his diocese, he will not allow pastoral oversight by a Presiding Bishop who is female, for his Diocese. It will be interesting to see how the Archbishop handles this. Perhaps it will be a growing experience.

Among Windsor related resolutions on Day 8, we considered A159 on Interdependence. Clearly there is great anxiety in The Episcopal Church about any trend towards imposing uniformity. It was hard not to address this concern in each resolution; and time was spent debating whether affirmations of autonomy are also needed each time we speak about our community. In the end, A159 resolves to “reaffirm the abiding commitment of The Episcopal Church to the fellowship of churches that constitute the Anglican Communion….reaffirm that The Episcopal Church is in communion with the See of Canterbury….join…in making a commitment to the vision of interdependent life in Christ, characterized by forbearance, trust, and respect,…and…explore ways by which there might be inter-Anglican consultation and participation on Standing Commissions of …The Episcopal Church.”

Next we considered A166 on the development of a process of international conversation to lead to an Anglican Covenant. We were reminded by Special Committee Chair Frank Wade that the suggested process is proposed to take nine years for its first stage of development. This is not intended to be a quick fix to disagreements with an imposed conformity. It is a long-term conversation looking for ways to find common language. The Rev. Dr. Wade noted that there are three different concepts of the nature of a Covenant: canonical, doctrinal, or relational. There is no prior decision going into the conversation as to what will be acceptable to all. Also, the verbs in the resolution are “support, follow (as in observe and track), report” --we are not committed to any of the notions of Covenant or to any outcome. These verbs, however, can express “a demonstration of our commitment to mutual responsibility and interdependence in the Anglican Communion.” With considerable time for debate, this resolution was supported; and I believe by then that many were feeling less anxious about what we were promising.

This assurance was not available to the House, however, in its deliberations on Resolution A 161 concerning the Windsor recommendation of moratoria on consecration of partnered gay bishops and on blessing of gay couples who vow lifelong commitment. Accordingly, the resolution stated “we are obliged to urge [designated authorities] to refrain from…consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church….” and that we “not proceed to develop or authorize Rites for the Blessing of same-sex unions at this time….” The resolution also asked us to “affirm the need to maintain a breadth of responses to situations of pastoral care for gay and lesbian Christians…” and resolved to “apologize to those gay and lesbian Episcopalians and their supporters hurt by these decisions.”

A161 strangely brought together many GLBT members of the church, with their most strident opponents in the church. People in one camp could not accept the level of sacrifice being asked by certain members; the other group was outraged that the resolution did not single out gay and lesbian bishops as the issue and did not commit us to a permanent stance in line with their convictions. Debate became quite intense –still characterized by respectful listening as the chair recognized alternating views. The most poignant moment of all the legislative sessions to that time was brought by Deputy Snow from Alaska . She is a seasoned member of the House of Deputies, respected for her thorough knowledge of our Constitution and Canons, our legislative process, and our liturgy. She serves capably on many committees and is devoted to The Episcopal Church. Deputy Snow rose and said words to this effect: “This is the most painful resolution I have ever had to support. My partner of 23 years and I would hope to be able to stand and receive the blessing of this Church we love so much. But I urge support of this resolution because in postponing something we dearly want, it creates space and time for those who do not understand, to learn. It is for the greater good that we are willing to make this sacrifice.” There were others who were just as sorrowful urging defeat of the resolution. Numerous amendments were proposed, debated, and rejected.

All this was complicated by the presentation during debate of a Substitute Resolution by several clergy. This resolution called Convention to “effect a moratorium” on the elections, to “effect a moratorium on the authorizing of…blessing,” and to “call on those bishops who have authorized….to express regret….” A special conference of heads of the Committee on Constitution and Committee on Canons had to meet over a recess, and came back with the ruling that this resolution was in violation of our Constitution (because of the word “effect”), in inserting General Convention improperly into a process governed by Constitution and in abrogating the authority of Bishops to authorize rites in their jurisdictions. Like the US Constitution, ours is designed to protect rights and to prevent sudden disenfranchisement by various movements which may come and go.

Back to the original resolution: There was a call for a vote by orders. If four deputations make this call, it is not debatable. A vote by orders means that all the clergy votes of each deputation are counted; all the lay votes are counted. To have a “yes” vote, 3 of 4 deputies must vote yes in each order. If the vote is split 2 and 2, the vote is “divided” and counts as a “no.” In the final tally, Lay deputations voted 38 Yes, 53 No and 18 Divided to this resolution; Clergy deputations voted 44 Yes, 53 No, and 67 Divided. The resolution failed.

Day 9, our last Legislative Day, began on a somber note. The House of Bishops had requested a joint meeting with the House of Deputies. The Presiding Bishop appealed to us for humility, for the creation of some space and time in which those who do not understand our actions can come to trust us and learn from our experiences why we have chosen the actions that seemed right to us. A new resolution, B-033 was circulated among the House of Deputies. It was signed by five bishops representing a very broad spectrum of attitudes. The words were simple:

“Resolved …that the 75th General Convention receive and embrace The Windsor Report’s invitation to engage in a process of healing and reconciliation; and be it further

“Resolved , that this Convention therefore call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction 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.”

Having spoken, the Presiding Bishop and entire House of Bishops filed out to return to their legislative hall. The anti-gay constituents were immediately on the floor objecting to this resolution because it does not seem to make a permanent renunciation, it does not mention same-sex unions, and it does not call for bishops to apologize for their past or current actions in their own dioceses. Four of these deputations called for a vote by orders, and urged defeat of the resolution. It was quite clear by now that their strategy was to make sure they could accuse The Episcopal Church of apostasy. If they could get us to vote down the resolution, they would say we didn’t care about the rest of the Anglican Communion at all and therefore they are the only real Episcopalians. If we concurred with the bishops in the resolution, they would say that we had made an inadequate and disingenuous response to the Windsor Report, offending them and the rest of the Communion. This intent was demonstrated shortly by a few bishops of those dioceses, who left the House of Bishops together for a press conference they had called in advance, prepared to condemn The Episcopal Church whichever way the resolution went. One man from a Midwestern diocese urged moderates to refuse to be bullied by procedural attempts to stifle conversation and polarize the church. Deputies from progressive dioceses spoke for and against the resolution, often in heart-wrenching examples.

Then the President said, “I have a message with an unusual request. The Presiding Bishop elect has requested permission to address the House of Deputies on this question. It is my prerogative to extend the invitation, but I wish to hear the advice of the House.” The predictable handful shouted “NO!” but the vast majority were filled with relief and anticipation that we might learn something from the perspective of Bishop Jefferts-Schori. A response was sent to her and she was ushered in without fanfare. She spoke very quietly, slowly, as if each word were an effort yet somehow accompanied by grace.

I am sure that someone must have a transcript of the Bishop’s words and will be glad when I find one to share with you. She said something like this. “Yesterday it was said that the House of Bishops is of two minds on this issue. We are of two minds, yet we are one body. How can this be? An image arose for me…. It is the image of conjoined twins. Two beings, two minds, yet bodies which must remain together. When parents and doctors and ethicists consider whether they can be separated, the deciding criterion is whether they can both live full lives separately. Perhaps we are really two churches, but we are joined together in such a way that we do not know whether we can be separated and live fully afterwards. But for now we are dependent upon each other. “The words of this resolution are hard for me. I am committed to the full inclusion and participation of gay and lesbian members in this church and in the Anglican Communion. I do not want to call for restraint in this matter. But I am convinced that we must for a time wait for others to be able to understand. This resolution is the best we can do at this time, to create some space in which people in the Anglican Communion can hear our witness and learn from our experience. The centrifugal movement of this moment is pushing us away from a meaningful center, liberals and conservatives are looking more and more alike and no one is left guarding that place in the center which can be a home. I ask you to consider the possibility, even with words that are hard for us to say, to step back toward the center for a time, where love may be found.” Just as quietly as she had entered, Bishop Jefferts-Schori turned and left the House. The silence at her leaving was profound and prolonged.

Very shortly afterward, we proceeded to record the vote by orders in each deputation. The final tally was for Lay Deputies: Yes 72, No 21, Divided 11. For Clergy: Yes 75, No 24, Divided 10. The House concurred with the Bishops.

That was not the end of the story. In the last Legislative Session of the Convention, the afternoon of Day 9, among many other resolutions, all of these following were approved. --A095 “reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s historical support of gay and lesbian persons as children of God and entitled to full civil rights; …calling upon …legislatures to approve measures giving gay and lesbian couples protections….oppose any state or federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.” --A167 “reaffirm that gay and lesbian persons are by Baptism full members….reiterate apology on behalf of the Episcopal Church to its members who are gay or lesbian, and to lesbians and gay men outside the Church, for years of rejections and maltreatment by the Church, and recommit to seek amendment of our life together….pledge to include openly gay and lesbian persons on every committee, commission or task force designed for the specific purpose of discussing issues about sexuality and request the same of our sister churches in the Anglican Communion….commit ourselves to communion despite our diversity of opinion and, among dioceses, a diversity of pastoral practice with the gay men and lesbians among us.” --D005 “declares that efforts to criminalize homosexual behavior are incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ….declare our opposition to the imposition of civil or criminal penalties…upon gay and lesbian people and our opposition to laws anywhere in the world that specifically target and impose imprisonment for…gay and lesbian people and their supporters.” --A181 “commit the Episcopal Church to the ongoing Windsor Process, a process of discernment as to the nature and unity of the Church….commend the ‘listening process’ …so that greater common understanding might be obtained on the underlying issue of same gender relationships….” These resolutions were passed with compelling majorities and almost no debate. To my surprise, a deputy from South Carolina , a priest with whom I had worked many years ago who at that time was opposed to ordination of women, rose to speak to A095, stating, “I want it to be a matter of record that the Deputation of South Carolina fully supports this resolution.”

It was as if, having all done our best to find a center in which we could buy some time and make some space for people who don’t understand, we were suddenly finding new understanding and inclusiveness together. I pray that this will continue. One colleague said as we left, after the very emotional vote on B033, “I think we did the right thing.” I am not so sure as to call it “the right thing.” But I believe we did the best we could under the circumstances, with what we had. And I trust the grace of God to show us the way through to a better time and place for us all.

Resolutions Concerning Peace and Justice in Society, Part I

We considered many ways to witness our baptismal promise “to strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”   This overview, a mere sketch of the careful work that went into our various statements, is offered in two parts.

A111  Prison Ministry: Criminal Justice  Directs the Standing Commission on National Concerns to investigate issues relating to criminal justice in the US, and TEC’s ministry within the criminal justice system.

D012  Establishes and funds summer camps for children of persons in prison.   These two resolutions can’t convey by title the passion and power of testimonies from the House of Deputies about the need for intervention to create a more humane and justice-oriented system of corrections, as well as the imperative to reach out to persons who are incarcerated or re-entering, and their families.

C040 Support Biblical literacy particularly to provide  interpretations of scripture which do not lend support to oppressive systems.  This resolution acknowledges that all too often the Bible has been used or feared by the faithful as a weapon against persons who have less social power already. 

C012 Support Episcopal Network for Economic Justice training of congregations in economic justice.  This one is a triumph in part for our own Jeff & Mike.  Michael M is staff to the ENEJ; he and Jeff are the dynamic duo behind a new training curriculum for congregations (which, yes, we now have!).

D047  that we “actively support the right of workers to form a union, and increase the support in our cities and states for passage of ‘living wage’ legislation”; “commit the Church at all levels to contract solely with union hotels…or to obtain confirmation that local prevailing ‘living wages’ are paid”; and that we ourselves provide living wages for our employees.

C008  We affirm the right of workers to organize and  form unions as a means to securing adequate wages, benefits, and safety conditions.  We especially affirm these rights for seasonal and migrant workers; and “encourage all levels of the church to…act accordingly, when rights of workers” are jeopardized.  We commend Interfaith Worker Justice movement.

War and Peace   I have heard of some religious conventions in which the people divided into hard-nosed camps as either connected with military establishments or not.  Name-calling and suspicion can be right around the corner.  At our convention, however, there was a respectful sharing and common ground, wishing to commend the service of military personnel and our chaplains, provide support to them however possible, and also affirm traditional Christian teaching about war and peace-making.

D019 Pastoral Concern for Troops We pray for the people of Iraq & Afghanistan, offer concern for military personnel, and gratitude to chaplains, conveying our prayer and support to all.

B005 We commend the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, caring for the sick & poor regardless of affiliation.

A015 We urge “prayer for our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land,” and renew our commitment “to work for justice, peace and reconciliation” for all.

D020 End the War in Iraq  This lengthy resolution had seen a lot of conversation in committees and hearings by the time it reached the legislative floor.

“Resolved…That the 75^th General Convention…affirms the conclusion of the October 1, 2002 letter of the House of Bishops to members of Congress stating that the conditions of the ‘Just War’ tradition have not been met in the national government’s decision to attack the nation of Iraq….calls upon Congress and the President to immediately develop a plan for the stabilization of Iraq…withdrawal of US Armed Forces from Iraq…international peacekeeping force….reconstruction of Iraq’s civil and economic infrastructure…full restoration of Iraqi sovereignty; …confess that… participation in the war in Iraq has resulted in individual and global injustices….; request the Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer step up dialogue with the Iraqi Muslim and Christian community to work toward nonviolent resolutions to conflict….encourage wide use of Christian formation materials that stress nonviolent methods to conflict resolution and change….honor and support the armed service men and women who return home with injuries to body, mind, and spirit….honor the men and women who conscientiously served their country….oppose and resist…the continuation of the war in Iraq.”

C033  Condemn the Use of Torture   The 75^th General Convention…condemns the use of torture and the practice of extraordinary rendition,…call upon the US government to renounce its use …and to enact policies to prevent its use both domestically and abroad, and….provide just compensation for the victims…; commit themselves to supporting US military and civilian personnel who refuse to obey orders to practice torture…or who face discipline for exposing such illegal conduct.

Eradication of

Poverty: the Millenium Development Goals

& the Mission of the Church

The Millenium Development Goals

1. Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.

Spiritual preparation for a change of priorities was obvious at the “U2charist” on Tuesday night, June 13.  Planners from Episcopalians for Reconciliation (you’ve seen their offerings in occasional “Power of One” messages in the Mustard Seed) had no idea that this message had already caught hold of the entire convention.  A hotel ballroom was overpacked with standing room only, when 2-3 times as many people as expected came, many standing in the hallway, and an adjacent ballroom finally opened to accommodate the throngs.  Episcopalians of all cultures, generations, and persuasions were singing along with the projected lyrics of the rock band U2 and “amen-ing” their spokesperson Bono for the eradication of extreme poverty.  The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry (formerly rector of St. Simon of Cyrene in Lincoln Heights) preached an electrifying sermon, from which I will include a bit here.  You can find the full transcript at this website and others:  http://religiousleft.bmgbiz.net/u2charist.html

There were at least a dozen resolutions going into General Convention, addressing the MDGs and our call to take up this challenge as a living into our Baptismal Covenant.  The MDGs were posted as “Real Instruments of Unity.”   (Thanks to friend of COS Michael M, I have the T-shirt!)   Many of these resolutions were consolidated, some were discharged because they were duplications of resolutions already passed.  Following are the resolutions approved in legislative sessions, addressing these goals most directly.

D031 Mission Strategy: Budget Priorities for this Triennium  “as an expression of our commitment to Jesus Christ.  We are committed to the importance of our ministry or reconciliation and communion…. We embrace diversity and seek to promote inclusion and power sharing….”  1. Justice and Peace: …accelerating the leadership role and programs of The Episcopal Church which support the eight Millenium Development Goals….  2.  Young Adults, Youth & Children: … through intentional inclusion and full incorporation in the thinking, work, worship and structure of the Church.  3. Reconciliation and Evangelism: …by participating in God’s mission of reconciling all things to Christ….  4. Congregational Transformation: through leadership development, spiritual growth, lifelong learning, dynamic and inclusive worship, greater diversity, and mission.  5. Partnerships: … with provinces of the Anglican Communion and beyond, and …with ecumenical and interfaith partners.

A114  Young Adult Service Corps: increase number of placements from 10  to 15 per year.  [I encourage our own young adults to consider these placements as a post-graduate experience / learning / contribution.]

A010 Receive and Affirm Call to Partnership “…presented to the UN Summit on September 13, 2005, by Anglican, Evangelical, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Reform, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, and United Methodis participants in the Consultation of Religious Leaders on Global Poverty….acknowledge the leadership of persons in poverty…as equal partners and not simply recipients…; pursue the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals…; through:
1) significantly increased official development assistance to poor countries

2) debt cancellation…

3) fair and open trade polices…

4) policies designed to alleviate structural barriers and social injustices…

5) policies that promote full accountability and transparency…for the use of resources derived through foreign aid…

…The General Convention…calls for expansion of this work through:

1)…companion relationships…in the developing world

2) ...Episcopal Relief and Development and other(s) …operating successful partnerships….

3) a commitment to regular prayer from all dioceses, congregations and baptized members for an end to global poverty in all its forms.

 D022 MDGs and the ONE Episcopalian Campaign …support implementation of MDGs in fulfillment of our Baptismal Covenant; urge commitment to .7% giving toward these goals; include a Budget line item (in the Triennial budget of TEC); designate Christ the King Sunday for global reconciliation and MDGs; call for US government to spend additional 1% of its budget to combat global poverty…

Dismantling the Legacy

of Slavery and Racism

This Convention sent a strong message that The Episcopal Church is and intends to be a multicultural and multiethnic church.  We are not just hoping for that to evolve; we are putting forth effort to become what we are called to be.  There can be no unity, of course, without justice and there can be no justice without full acknowledgment of truth, even where that truth is hard to face.  

A092 Applaud Anti-Racism Work  We began with an affirmation of work already done, carrying a commitment to continue it.  Specifically we applauded the training implemented by the Anti-Racism Committee and Church Center staff, including “the committee’s encouragement of the leadership of the Episcopal Church at all levels to become totally inclusive of diverse groups in their midst by the 76^th General Convention.”     

A123 Slavery & Racial Reconciliation   It remains surprisingly difficult to gain official apology and admission of wrong from official bodies with a history of failure to act against slavery.  But we declared “that the institution of slavery in the United States and anywhere else in the world…was and is a sin and a fundamental betrayal of the humanity of all persons who were involved, a sin that continues to plague our common life in the Church and in our culture.”  We admitted with “profound regret” that “the Episcopal Church lent the institution of slavery its support and justification based on Scripture, and …continued for at least a century to support de jure and de facto segregation and discrimination.”   We resolved “to collect and document..detailed information…on (a) the complicity of the Episcopal Church in the institution of slavery and in the subsequent history of segregation and discrimination and (b) the economic benefits …derived from the institution of slavery.”  Out of a full and responsible report gathered from every diocese, the Executive Council of TEC “will report to the 76^th General Convention on how the Church can be ‘the repairer of the breach’ (Isaiah 58:12), both materially and relationally….”  This major project will begin with the naming of “a Day of Repentance” to be observed in the National Cathedral and in each Diocese.   

C011 Church Responsibility in Reparations   Resolved…, that the 75^th General Convention, affirming our commitments to become a transformed, anti-racist church and to work toward healing, reconciliation and restoration of wholeness to the family of God, urge the Church at every level to call upon Congress and the American people to support legislation initiating study and dialogue about the history and legacy of slavery in the United States and of proposals for monetary and non-monetary reparations to the descendants of the victims of slavery.  

A127 Reconciliation: Restorative Justice    “Restorative Justice” in this context speaks of something akin to the “Truth and Reconciliation” movement led by former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa…”as an important tool in implementing a neutral articulation of the self-examination and amendment of life that is required to fulfill our baptismal covenant.”  The resolution calls on the Anti-Racism Committee “to design a study and dialogue process...to engage the people of the Episcopal Church in storytelling about historical and present-day privilege and under-privilege as well as discernment towards restorative justice….”  This process is to be carried out in each Diocese as well as at the most central level of TEC.  Finally we “Resolved, That the Church hold before itself the vision of a Church without racism; a Church for all races.”  

D046 Jamestown Covenant    Recognizing that racism was expressed from the beginning of European settlement of the Americas, not only toward imported slaves but also toward the indigenous people of the Americas; and following on some recent historic events in our church, we resolved to “reaffirm the Jamestown Covenant and engagement of this Church with Indigenous Peoples, designating the decade of 2007 to 1017 as the Second Decade of Remembrance, Recognition and Reconciliation” fully to include “Native Peoples” as equal partners in ministry. 

More on the Jamestown Covenant [from Trinity Church news, NYC]  The first decade began on November 1, 1997, when, in Jamestown, Virginia, on the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America and the first Anglican Eucharist in the colony, the Episcopal Church apologized for centuries of abuse and signed the New Jamestown Covenant calling for reconciliation with Native Americans.   The 400th anniversary of the 1607 settlement and Eucharist will be commemorated next year in a series of Virginia events followed by October 21 rites in Washington National Cathedral.  

C045  Support of Historically Black Colleges  Resolved…, that the 75^th General Convention commends the leadership of the three Historically Black Colleges of the Episcopal Church, St. Augustine’s, St. Paul’s, and Voorhees, for making a significant contribution and providing an Episcopal Church presence for young African Americans…and… request the Joint Committee on Program, Budget, and Finance to restore …the current budget….”     This action was in fact taken in the revised budget approved by the Convention.

Resolutions Concerning

Peace and Justice in Society, Part II

A number of resolutions addressed injustice based on social or power inequities.

A086 Training to respond to abuse  “instruct the  Standing Commission on Ministry Development to create training …to recognize and respond to evidence of abuse…”

A156 Sexual misconduct, including harassment and exploitation…is an abuse of trust….  Guidelines for policies to protect against sexual exploitation…

B018  Comprehensive Children’s Policy   “…at every level work to ensure that governments provide adequate funding for programs that combat social and economic conditions that place children at risk….”  This resolution includes a detailed statement entitled The Church and Children: Vision and Goals for the 21^st Century.  The vision addresses faith communities, families, education, safety, arts recreation and culture, economic security, and health.  This ecumenical statement makes it clear that we are to use our voices and energies in every context to seek what is best for the lives and future of our children.

D024 Gender Equality for Women in The Episcopal Church  “equal participation of women and me on all decision-making bodies of the Anglican Consultative Council…” and of course begin this in our own Church deliberations as well. 

Rights of Gay & Lesbian Persons

A167 Full and Equal Claim for  All the Baptized   “…reaffirm that gay and lesbian persons are by Baptism full members of the Body of Christ…; …reiterate apology …to members who are gay or lesbian, and to lesbians and gay men outside the Church, for years of rejection and maltreatment by the Church, and recommit to seek amendment of our life together as we ask God’s help in sharing the Good News with all people; …pledge to include openly gay and lesbian persons on every committee, commission or task force developed for discussing issues about sexuality and request the same of our sister churches in the Anglican Communion….reiterate that our baptism is inseparable from our communion with one another, and we commit ourselves to that communion despite our diversity of opinion and…of pastoral practice with the gay men and lesbians among us.”

D005 Opposing Criminalization of Homosexuality    “…efforts to criminalize homosexual behavior are incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ….opposition to laws anywhere in the world that specifically target and impose imprisonment for homosexual behavior, speech, or assembly of gay and lesbian people and their supporters….commend the government of Brazil for its courageous efforts to extend the protections of the UN’s Declaration on Human Rights to include gay and lesbian people….”

--A095 “reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s historical support of gay and lesbian persons as children of God and entitled to full civil rights; …calling upon …legislatures to approve measures giving gay and lesbian couples protections….oppose any state of federal constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.”

A017 Fundamental Immigration Principles   1. Undocumented aliens should have reasonable opportunity to pursue permanent residency.    2. Legal workers should be allowed to enter the US to respond to recognized labor forced needs.    3. Close family members should be allowed to reunite without undue delay …  4.  …legal due process should be granted all persons.   5. Enforcement…policies should be proportional and humane.       GC deplores any action …which unduly emphasizes enforcement, including militarization of the border…as the primary response to immigrants,….educate Episcopalians as to the plight of refugees, immigrants, and migrants, which will include information about the root causes of migration, …commit to welcoming strangers as a matter of Christian responsibility, to advocate for their wellbeing and protection and..to resist legislation and actions which violate our fundamental beliefs as Christians, including the criminalization of persons providing humanitarian assistance…

Three resolutions specifically addressed the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis.   A134  calls for HIV/AIDS training to be shared throughout the church;  A131  Continues HIV/AIDS Standing Committee of the Executive Council and calls for greater collaboration between the various networks and Churches;  A132  Eliminate HIV/AIDS Stigma  calls for more consistent education respecting the dignity of every person and affirming “that the teaching of Jesus Christ clearly state that sickness and disease are not the result of sin in the human family”  and that we also advocate in the public arena for “knowledgeable, compassionate, and sensitive public policy in educational services, support services, and medical treatment institutions.”

D018 Active Nonviolence Training for personal and social change, to advance the mission priorities of Congregational Transformation and Justice & Peace.

A039 Reconciliation Training  --“faith-based reconciliation training appropriate for all ages” including a request that the House of Bishops engage in formal reconciliation training so as to share the skills and tools in each diocese.

One approved resolution addressed environmental concerns in a comprehensive way:  B002 Response to Global Warming  acknowledges that “the effects of Global Warming disproportionately hurt the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable.”  It calls on Episcopalians and The Episcopal Church to support efforts to reduce Global Warming, noting a variety of approaches.

Resolutions for Evangelism

Episcopalians are no longer afraid of Evangelism.  The more strident some religious expressions become in our society, perhaps the more we’re realizing that we really do have GOOD NEWS for all who are seeking life moved by faith, hope, and love.  We are not so reluctant to share what God has done for us, and to invite others into an inclusive, compassionate, and justice-working community of faith.

A126  An Anglican Consultative Council invitation which we were glad to accept. At its 13^th meeting, in Nottingham June 2005, the ACC called for all churches of the Communion to study and apply the document,  A Covenant for Communion in Mission.You can get the text from http://www.aco.org/mission/commissions/iascome/covenant/index.cfm

A041 College & University ministry.  This one will be of special importance to some of our parishioners, and no doubt COS will be looking for ways to help put it into action.

Resolved, That the 75th General Convention call upon the Executive Council and dioceses to affirm that college and university ministries are of vital importance to the mission of this church as they are strategically located communities of young adult leaders, able to identify and respond to opportunities for mission and evangelism; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention affirms the value of developing our young leaders of the church by providing opportunities for college and university students to participate fully in the councils of the church; and be it further
Resolved, That dioceses are encouraged to give campus ministries canonical status as mission congregations, when appropriate; and be it further
Resolved, That dioceses are urged to plant new campus ministries, where appropriate.... 

A066 Though this resolution came as addressing liturgy, we at the Church of Our Saviour can see its importance to sharing the Good News with more people.  We resolved to “Engage younger generations in the collection and development of liturgical resources appropriate to emergent church context to reflect  the Episcopal Church’s liturgical, cultural, racial, generational, gender and ethnic diversity….”

A042 The full text of this resolution builds on the first two aspects: 

“Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention establish a Church Planting Initiative to raise funds for new congregations in the dioceses of this Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention call every diocese of this church to identify and document with projected costs and demographics including racial, ethnic, generational, and socioeconomic makeup of the targeted areas, prime opportunities for the development of new congregations including new college campus missions….”  The resolution specifies ways in which best practices for outreach can be discovered and communicated, and funds raised for the new congregations we hope to plant.

B011 This unique resolution commits us to “develop a strategy for a model missionary initiative, including both evangelism and service, for the Lake Pontchatrain Basin Area (New Orleans, North and East Shore), to support overall church evangelism and the 20/20 goals, while providing a model and a test-bed for organization in areas of natural disaster or economic impoverishment…”

A037  Evangelism commitment begins with YOU!

Please read this resolution and take it to heart, if you read nothing else about General Convention!

Resolved, That the 75^th General Convention reaffirm our commitment to improve the health of our congregations and our church by faithfully living out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and by working toward the goals of 20/20 ; and be it further
Resolved, That each and every bishop deepen his/her commitment, intention, prayer, and action, individually and by working together through the House of Bishops, to cast a vision of mission for the church, and to lead us there; and be it further
Resolved, That every lay person, bishop, priest, and deacon of our church speak with passion about what God is doing in our lives in order to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ, and be it further
Resolved, That following the example of radical hospitality entrusted to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, every lay person, bishop, priest, and deacon of our church invite others to join us in praise and service; and be it further
Resolved, That General Convention direct the Church Center staff to engage diverse populations including among others, youth and young adults, ethnic and racial populations, persons of various sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, various socio-economic classes, new immigrants, and communities in Province IX, the Diocese of Haiti, the Virgin Islands and the Convocation of American Churches in Europe to identify and develop practical resources and training for personal and congregational evangelism….