CALIFORNIA: Convention adopts resolution supporting rites for same-gender blessings
Episcopal News Service. October 22, 2007 [102207-05]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
Delegates to the Episcopal Diocese of California's 158th annual convention October 19-20 have commended "as resources" three rites for the blessing of same-gender couples and urged diocesan Bishop Marc Andrus, by an overwhelming margin, to approve them for trial use in the diocese.
Cape Town Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, who is also the Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, was with the diocese during the week leading up to convention, and preached the homily at the convention's opening Eucharist on October 19. The entire week featured regional appearances by Ndungane, with opportunities to engage him on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), HIV/AIDS in Africa, and his perspectives on the Anglican Communion.
In his address to the convention, Andrus said: "I think the resolution properly augments my pastoral goal of caring alike for all of the people of the diocese, not reinforcing damaging distinctions. I also think, at the same time, that the resolution writers have honored the spirit of the Windsor Report and subsequent requests from the Primates of the Communion to not develop 'public rites.'"
Clergy and lay delegates also approved a resolution responding to the recent statement of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops in New Orleans. The resolution both affirmed "the unanimous decision of the (Diocesan) Standing Committee to refuse to discriminate against partnered gay and lesbian bishops-elect" and deplored "the lack of access to adequate pastoral and ritual care for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in large parts of the Episcopal Church and the refusal of the majority of our bishops to make provision for it."
The three same-gender blessing rites were suggested in a 48-page report to the convention from the diocesan Commission on Marriage and Blessing, created by the diocesan convention two years ago. They include adaptations of The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage from The Book of Common Prayer; the Marriage Liturgy, Second Form, from A New Zealand Prayer Book; and A Rite for the Celebration of Gay and Lesbian Covenants from the Diocese of New Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada.
"Trial use" is the typical way that new liturgies for the Episcopal Church are considered before final approval.
The report is available through a link at the bottom of this page.
"Today we took two important steps toward full inclusion of LGBT people and their families into the Episcopal Church," Oasis California president Thomas C. Jackson said in a news release. "With broad support from our straight allies, we placed LGBT couples on an equal footing with heterosexual couples when they ask the church to bless their relationship. Our elected representatives also made clear our collective commitment to including LGBT people as full members of the Episcopal Church."
"This is another step toward LGBT equality on the road to the church's national 2009 General Convention in Anaheim, California," Jackson added.
The California convention's decision marks the third time in recent weeks an Anglican diocese has called for rites for blessing same-gender couples. Earlier this month, the synod of the Canadian Diocese of Ottawa called on its bishop to approve rites for blessing same-gender couples. The synod of the Diocese of Montreal did the same on October 19.