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ECUSA was asked by
the Primates of the Anglican Communion to turn back from the
revisionist courst they have been steering by expressing their
regret at the consecration of an openly homosexual man as Bishop
and by agreeing not to take any more precipitate action along
this line.
It was argued that
the only body which could do this was the General Convention
which meets every 3 years. At the meeting in
June 2006 various motions were passed but these fell well short
of what was required of them.
A160
Expression of Regret
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, that the 75th General
Convention of The Episcopal Church, mindful of “the repentance,
forgiveness, and reconciliation enjoined on us by Christ” (Windsor
Report, paragraph 134), 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.
Comment: It will be seen that Resolution
A160 does not express regret for the consecration but only for straining the
bonds of affection. In other words there is nothing here to indicate that the
Convention thought the underlying action was wrong.
A161 Election of Bishops
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring, That the 75th General Convention of
the Episcopal Church regrets the extent to which we have, by action and inaction,
contributed to strains on communion and caused deep offense to many faithful
Anglican Christians as we consented to the consecration of a bishop living
openly in a same-gender union. Accordingly, we urge nominating committees,
electing conventions, Standing Committees, and bishops with jurisdiction
to exercise very considerable caution in the nomination, election, consent
to, and consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge
to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.
Comment : Again this stops well short
of the moratorium requested.
A167 "Full and Equal Claim" for
All the Baptized
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
of The Episcopal Church reaffirm that gay and lesbian persons are by Baptism
full members of the Body of Christ and of The Episcopal Church as “children
of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love,
acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church” (GC 1976-A069);
and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reiterate its 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 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” (GC1997-D011);
and be it further
Resolved, That, in evidence of that apology, The Episcopal Church pledge to
include openly gay and lesbian persons on every committee, commission or task
force developed for the specific purpose of discussing issues about sexuality
and request the same of our sister churches in the Anglican Communion and Anglican
Communion bodies; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reiterate that “our baptism
into Jesus Christ is inseparable from our communion with one another, and we
commit ourselves to that communion despite our diversity of opinion and, among
dioceses, a diversity of pastoral practice with the gay men and lesbians among
us” (GC2003–C051).
A095 Gay and Lesbian Affirmation
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
reaffirm the Episcopal Church’s historical support of gay and lesbian
persons as children of God and entitled to full civil rights; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention reaffirm the 71st General Convention’s
action calling upon “municipal council, state legislatures and the United
States Congress to approve measures giving gay and lesbian couples protection[s]
such as: bereavement and family leave policies; health benefits; pension benefits;
real-estate transfer tax benefits; and commitments to mutual support enjoyed
by non-gay married couples”; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention oppose any state or federal constitutional
amendment that prohibits same-sex civil marriage or civil unions.
D069 Supreme Authority of Scripture
The Convention was asked to pass the following:
Resolved, the House of _____ concurring,
That the 75th General Convention acknowledges that the Bible has always been
at the centre of Anglican belief and life, and declares its belief that Scripture
is the Church's supreme authority, and as such ought to be seen as a focus
and means of unity.
However,
this was rejected and instead they:
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
acknowledges the authority of the triune God, exercised through Scripture.
C001 - Anti-Jewish Prejudice in Liturgical
Texts
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to collect and develop
materials to assist members of the Church to address anti-Jewish
prejudice expressed in and stirred by portions
of Christian scriptures and liturgical
texts, with suggestions for preaching, congregational education, and lectionary
use, and to report to the 76th General Convention.
A129 : Affirm Creation and Evolution
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
affirm that God is Creator, in accordance with the witness of Scripture and
the ancient Creeds of the Church; and be it further,
Resolved, That the theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific
explanation for the emergence of life on earth, that many theological interpretations
of origins can readily embrace an evolutionary outlook, and that an acceptance
of evolution is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian
faith; and be it further
Resolved, That Episcopalians strongly encourage state legislatures and state
and local boards of education to establish standards for science education
based on the best available scientific knowledge as accepted by a consensus
of the scientific community; and be it further
Resolved, That Episcopal dioceses and congregations seek the assistance of
scientists and science educators in understanding what constitutes reliable
scientific knowledge.
A165 Commitment to Windsor and Listening
Processes
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
of The Episcopal Church commend the Windsor Report “as offering a way
forward for the mutual life of our Communion” (Primates’ Communiqué),
and as an essential and substantive contribution to the process of living into
deeper levels of communion and interdependence across the Anglican Communion;
and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention commit The
Episcopal Church to the ongoing “Windsor Process,” a process of
discernment as to the nature and unity of the Church, as we pursue a common
life of dialogue, listening, and growth, formed and informed by the bonds of
communion we share ; and urge all members of this church to commit themselves
to the call of greater communion and interdependent life; and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commend the “listening process” as
recommended in the Windsor Report, “so that greater common understanding
might be obtained on the underlying issue of same gender relationships” (Windsor
Report, ¶135), and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention
gratefully acknowledge the practical steps taken by the Anglican Communion
Office to begin a formal “listening process” across the Communion,
and be it further
Resolved, that the 75th General Convention commit this
church to participating fully and openly in this “listening process,” both
at the local level and with the rest of the Communion (ACC 13, Resolution 12)
, and be it further
Resolved, that a staff person at The Episcopal Church
Center be identified to forward this listening process in coordination with
the cognate person for the Communion and with our Communion partners.
A166 Anglican Covenant Development Process
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 75th General Convention
of the Episcopal Church, as a demonstration of our commitment to mutual responsibility
and interdependence in the Anglican Communion, support the process of the
development of an Anglican Covenant that underscores our unity in faith,
order, and common life in the service of God’s mission; and be it further
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention direct the International Concerns
Standing Committee of the Executive Council and the Episcopal Church’s
members of the Anglican Consultative Council to follow the development processes
of an Anglican Covenant in the Communion, and report regularly to the Executive
Council as well as to the 76th General Convention; and be it further
Resolved,
That the 75th General Convention report these actions supporting the Anglican
Covenant development process, noting such missiological and theological resources
as the Standing Commission on World Mission and the House of Bishops’ Theology
Committee to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Joint Standing Committee of
the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates, and the Secretary General
of the Anglican Communion; and that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
report the same to the Primates of the churches of the Anglican Communion.
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