What did we mean?

From Bishop Alexander

One of the most difficult aspects of a large legislative assembly is communicating its results effectively. Today is a great example! The Convention has passed a resolution -- D-025 -- that has been completely misinterpreted by the press. Read the resolution here.

The press is suggesting that we have voted to make it possible for gay and lesbian persons to be admitted to the ordination process of our church, thereby clearing the way for more gay or lesbian bishops. Actually, the church decided to admit all baptized persons to our discernment processes, including gay and lesbian persons, in 1994. This applies to all orders of ministry. If someone has access to the process for discernment for any order, they have access to all orders. Consequently, resolution D-025 did not change anything that has not been in place since 1994. It simply re-affirmed that when we make decisions about these things, we are going to make them as we have since 1789, according to the Constituion and Canons of our church.

A second thing the press is trying to say is that in passing this resolution we have thumbed our nose at the Anglican Communion. If you actually read the resolution you can plainly see that is not what it says. It says in very clear terms that we are committed to the Anglican Communion at every level of our church and that we are prepared to put our money where our mouth is. There are thirty-eight provinces of the Anglican Communion and our province alone provides a disproportionally large percentage of the Communion budget. We do so gratefully and, I might add, with no strings attached.

This is a great example of the press sensationalizing a clear, straightforward, and positive statement of our church that attempts to say only two things: (1) we are committed to full partnership in the Anglican Communion; and (2) when it comes to deciding who will be bishops, priests, and deacons of our church, we'll do that the way we always have, i.e. through careful, thoughtful, prayerful discernment processes established by our Canons. In our Canons, there is a big difference between "open access" to the ordination process and meeting the rigorous demands of that process. It is not easy -- for anyone -- to be ordained to any of the holy orders of The Episcopal Church. That is as it should be. It seems clear that that's not going to change!

So, be careful what you read in the press!