Dear Diocesan Family,
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| Bishop Hollerith, Rev. Dale Custer, Rev. Charles Robinson |
Now that the deputies and I have returned (and recovered) from
the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Salt Lake
City, some reflection seems appropriate.
Given the “light-speed” nature of
modern communications much of the details of Convention are already known by Episcopalians
in Southern Virginia. But, should anyone desire more specific information,
please visit both our diocesan website (www.diosova.org) and the General Convention
website (www.generalconvention.org).
First, a few words about the context of General Convention: In many ways the setting presented more
challenges for the Southern Virginia contingent than in years past. While the actual event took place in the
massive Salt Palace Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, all the
Southern Virginia folks were housed in a hotel three-quarters of a mile away
from the Center. This necessitated quite
a bit of walking - which was on some days a real challenge given the mile-high
altitude of the city and sometimes 100 degree-plus temperatures. In addition, the sheer size of convention center
was such that, even once inside the building, the walk to the various meeting
spaces could be an additional half-mile or better! Needless to say, your deputies and bishop
received plenty of daily exercise.
It’s hard to imagine the intensity of the work of General
Convention unless one experiences it first hand. Work sessions typically began at 7:30 AM and
often continued past the dinner hour and well into the evening. Breaks for meals were often short lived or
even non-existent for some of us - depending on our specific committee assignments. Keeping up such a rigorous pace for 11 days
meant that all of us returned home unanimously exhausted. Yet, despite the schedule challenges and
distances, we remained fully engaged in our work while at Convention. The deeply spiritual daily worship services
and the natural camaraderie that comes from being in community seemed to keep
us energized and focused throughout the week.
And it is truly inspiring to see the church-corporate, in all its
diversity and in all its chaotic glory, striving together to do the work of
Jesus.
Many decisions were made at the 78th General
Convention, but there are three decisions in particular which I believe will
have the greatest long-term impact on our common life in the Episcopal Church:
The Election of Michael Curry as the 27th Presiding Bishop
This was the highlight of Convention and a truly joyful
experience. Michael was not just elected,
he was elected by a landslide! Never
before has the House of Bishops spoken so clearly and so single mindedly about
the leadership it desires for the future of our Church.
Given the fact that Michael is the first African American to
be elected as Presiding Bishop in the history of our church – no small thing
indeed - it would be easy to suppose that
his election was simply the Episcopal Church striving to be politically correct. While his election does make a powerful
statement to the world about our church’s commitment to racial justice - a
statement that is well-timed in light of the recent tragedies in our country - this
was not the primary reason for his
election. Michael was elected because of
his personal charisma, his powerful preaching gifts and leadership ability, and
the fact that he is an outspoken advocate for “Episcopal evangelism”. In short, the vast majority of bishops believe
that Michael Curry has the “right stuff” to move our beloved church forward in
mission. We celebrate the fact that he
is the first African American Presiding Bishop, and we are excited about the
future of his ministry.
Same-gender Marriage
A few days after the Supreme Court of the United States made
marriage equality the law of the land, both houses of General Convention
likewise voted to move forward and authorize same-gender marriage.
In essence, General Convention’s decision came in the form
of two separate resolutions (A054 and A036) which act together to bring
marriage equality to all dioceses of the Episcopal Church beginning on the
first Sunday of Advent. The canons
of the church regarding marriage have been changed to be gender-neutral, and
two trial liturgies have been approved.
One is a gender-neutral version of the current marriage service in the
1979 Book of Common Prayer, and the other is a version of “The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong
Covenant” that was first approved for blessing same-sex unions in 2012
(presently in use in our diocese) and now can include vows of marriage. Bishops who object to same-sex marriage are
not required to authorize these liturgies, but they are required to make
provision with another bishop to do so for same-sex couples in their
dioceses. As has always been the case, no
clergy will ever be required to perform marriages that violate their consciences.
While we have been discussing and debating the issue of gays
and lesbians in the life of the church for many, many years – over 40 actually -
our decision in Utah signifies a momentous milestone in our common life. We have finally reached a point when we can
provide not only legal protection, but also, in the words of my colleague,
Bishop Sean Rowe, “full recognition of the sacred bond that unites both
same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples who marry in our church.” I believe this is something to celebrate!
I am fully aware that these changes will be hard for some in
our diocese to either understand or to accept.
As always, we will maintain our policy of hearing and respecting dissenting
voices and welcoming a broad range of theological positions into our common
life. Likewise, as we move forward, I
will continue to expect vestries and clergy to first engage in a process of mutual
discernment and to reach a shared conclusion about their mission before using
same-gender marriage liturgies.
Governance and Structure Changes and New Budget Commitments
While perhaps not as newsworthy as other decisions, General
Convention took a significant step forward in redesigning the way business is
done at the highest levels of the greater church. First, resolutions were passed to dissolve
the massive standing commission structure that has so clogged the General
Convention process over the past several years.
In the future there will be only two standing commissions rather than
fourteen: Governance-Structure, and Liturgy-Music. All other issues in the church will be
addressed through a process in which the Executive Council of the Church initiates
temporary, goal-specific task forces.
This should go a long way to lessen both the number of resolutions
received by any given General Convention as well as avoid the creation of
commissions which have no end date.
Likewise, resolutions were passed that change the oversight
process of the staff of the Episcopal Church office at 815 2nd Avenue in New York City. The Presiding Bishop's role as Chief Personnel
Officer has been clarified. And a new
canon was introduced which requires the Presiding Bishop and the President of
the House of Deputies to jointly recommend for appointment a Chief Operating
Officer for the Episcopal Church Office.
Most inspiring was the fact that when it came to passing the
budget and allocating funds for the next three years General Convention placed racial
justice, evangelism and church planting into the forefront of our list of priorities. Evangelism alone has received a budget
commitment of 2.8 million dollars.
While all these changes may sound minor and basic, such
changes represent the Episcopal Church’s attempt to reinvent itself for the
mission needs of the 21st century.
Overall, I believe there is a priority shift taking place in
our Church – a priority shift toward mission and evangelism. And although we face many challenges, this shift,
when combined with the energy and vision of our new Presiding Bishop-elect, promises
that the future of our Church can be meaningful, exciting and more deeply
reflective of Christ call to proclaim the Gospel to the world.
As a final word, I want to express my deep appreciation for
the deputies and alternates who took the time and considerable effort to
represent the Episcopal Church in Southern on behalf of all of us. I hope others in our diocese will express
their appreciation to them as well.
The Rev. Samantha Vincent Alexander (St. John’s, Hampton)
The Rev. Willis Foster (St. Stephen’s, Petersburg)
The Very Rev. Charles Robinson (Bruton Parish, Williamsburg)
The Rev. Dale Custer (St. John’s, Chester)
The Rev. Keith Emerson (St. Paul’s, Suffolk)
The Rev. Mark Wilkinson (St. Aidan’s, Virginia Beach)
Mr. Sam Webster (Ascension, Norfolk)
Ms. Toni Hogg (St. John’s, Hampton)
Ms. Cynthia Barnes (St. Michael’s, Bon Air)
Ms. Alice Webley (All Saints, Virginia Beach)
Mr. Tony Robinson (St. Thomas’, Chesapeake)
Ms. Lily Burroughs (Old Donation, Virginia Beach)
Participating in the concurrent ECW Triennial Meeting:
Ms. Joyce Douglas (St. Augustine’s, Newport News)
Ms. Nancy Sands (Christ Church, Danville)
Ms. Nancy Smith (St. Aidan’s, Virginia Beach)
In Christ,
+ Holly Hollerith
