Father Steve's original pastoral letter concerning the votes taken at the General Convention in August 2003.
Not much has changed since then ...
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Most of you have heard that, on August 5, 2003, the House of Bishops, joining the House of Deputies, voted 62 to 45 to give their consent to the election of The Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Bishop-Coadjutor for the Diocese of New Hampshire. This unprecedented action confirming the election of a person sexually active outside of holy matrimony is a departure from the Biblical witness, the historic Christian faith and order of the Church of Jesus Christ. As one Biblically centered rector put it, "The effective consequence of this action both shatters the Anglican Communion and creates a profound pastoral crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion."
Many of you have contacted me expressing concern, confusion, shock and outrage at this action by those who are called "to guard the faith, unity, and discipline of the Church and to act in Christ’s name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the Church…" (BCP, p. 855). Since I must be away from you on this day as Spiritual Director for Cursillo #201, I wanted to let you know where your Rector and leadership stand on this matter and offer .
First, I direct you to a statement issued by our own Bishop Wimberly following the consent vote in the House of Bishops:
"Tuesday evening, I voted against consenting to consecrate the Rev. Canon Gene Robinson a bishop in the Episcopal Church. As I have said repeatedly, seeking political resolutions on issues of disagreement in the church only serves to draw attention away from the mission of the Church.
The Bishops of Texas have consistently opposed the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals and we, along with our clergy and lay deputies, opposed the confirmation of the election in the Diocese of New Hampshire. We did this with an enormous amount of prayerful consideration and recognition that any vote would be hurtful to some of our members. We were deeply disappointed that the issue could not be resolved in a more pastoral setting.
In the Diocese of Texas, we will continue to focus on the health of our congregations in order that they may reach out to the unchurched public with the Good News of Jesus Christ."
Joining the Diocese of Texas in opposition, mainstream Bishops of the Episcopal Church have appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as the Primates of the Anglican Communion seeking "godly direction and emergency intervention." The majority of the Primates have already said that they "anticipate convening an extraordinary meeting at which they too will respond to the actions of General Convention."
Secondly, you need to know that your rector, staff and vestry stand opposed to this action by the national church. As I said in my article in the August Dove, my first and primary authority as a Christian comes from Scripture (Contrary to what some argue, this is consistent with Anglican ethos and tradition). The Two Great Commandments, the Summary of the Law, if you will, emphasized by Jesus are to 1) love God, and 2) love one another. Loving one another does not permit fear or hatred of any group or individual. After all, as the Apostle Paul points out, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23) However, loving one another does not mean that we must (or may) condone, support or endorse behavior that is not in keeping with Scripture and God’s law. My study of the Scripture and the received tradition of the Church affirms my understanding that sexual intimacy is only permissible between one man and one woman within the sanctity of marriage. I have never and will never support the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals; nor will I, as a priest, sanction or participate in the blessing of same-sex "marriages,"
So, where does this leave us, the people of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church? I am sure that many of you have felt embarrassed and ashamed, as I have, at this action by our Church leaders and the media’s exploitation of it. Though not a "cradle Episcopalian" like many of you, the Episcopal Church is where I have chosen to worship and where God has called me to minister. Until He says otherwise, this is where I will stay.
Nevertheless, many of you seek answers as to how or why something like this could happen in our Church. Some of you have feelings and opinions you would like to share with others. To that end, I am scheduling a forum on Wednesday, August 13 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss these issues. Also, I will be happy to meet with any of you individually, or you may e-mail me any time.
Finally, I would remind you that Jesus Himself spoke of this sort of thing happening as a sign of the Last Days. And from the Book of Jude,
Dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, "in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
But you dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Unfortunately, some have already decided to give up and have abandoned their church homes and spiritual families in protest. Many have chosen to withhold their gifts for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. It is my hope that none of you will chose these paths. It is more important than ever that we, the people of Holy Comforter, stand together in support of Biblical authority and Christian orthodoxy. As your rector, I am asking you to continue to support God’s work at Holy Comforter with your prayers, your present and your gifts (Please note that none of the offerings given by parishioners at Holy Comforter goes to the national church).
As the people of God, we must continue to seek God’s vision and direction for Holy Comforter and be faithful in our efforts to know Christ and to make Christ known. I ask your prayers for one another and for the Church, remembering that, throughout history, when the Church has been at its best, God reigns. When the Church has been at its worst, God reigns. My friends, we’ve read the Book, and we know how it ends—God wins!
May God’s blessings and peace be with you all.
Steve +
For further information, check the links at the bottom of the About HCEC web page.
