NEW YORK -- The General Convention of the Episcopal Church will be asked at its triennial meeting in September in Denver not to enact any legislation which would make homosexuality "an absolute barrier to ordination. "

Acting in response to a directive by the 1976 Convention, the 12-member Standing Commission on Human Affairs and Health will recommend that no "particular human condition" be singled out, making it a barrier to ordination.

The proposed statement further says that "The question, with regard to any ordinand, is whether he or she can and will lead a life which is a wholesome example to Christ's flock."

The Commission's proposed resolution recognizes that expressions of both homosexuality and heterosexuality may involve "behavior which most Christians regard as abnormal, immoral, and/or anti-social."

"There should be no barrier to the ordination of those homosexual persons who are able and willing to conform their behavior to that which the Church affirms as wholesome," the resolution says.

The Commission's statement points out that if the Convention should make a specific human condition, such as homosexuality, a universal barrier to ordination, diocesan bishops and ministry commissions would be deprived of their responsibilities for approving postulants and candidates.

The Commission chose to recommend a "mind of the General Convention" approval of its statements rather than a change in the Constitution or Canons of the Church.

The Commission, under the chairmanship of Bishop Robert R. Spears of Rochester, spent more than two years studying the homosexual issue and held seven meetings in various parts of the country. Many individuals and diocesan study groups participated in a two-way communication process.

In addition to the matter of the ordination of homosexuals, the Commission, when it was established in 1976, was assigned the broad field of human health, sexuality and bioethical problems, but Bishop Spears reports that there was little time to study the broader issues.

The 17-page report, which was approved unanimously by the Commission, highlights some of the basic assumptions of the Commission with regard to interpretation and authority of the Bible, tradition and reason. The Commission, in its quest for a position on sexuality, briefly surveys some of the modern views of sexuality and relates some of the scientific professional agreements and disagreements.

The report distinguishes between those persons who are "open and avowed" homosexuals and those whose homosexuality is "disguised or hidden." It is at least suspected that many homosexual persons have been ordained over the years, the report says. "The problems of hypocrisy, integrity, and suffering remain unsolved" in those situations, the report says.

The Commission's report names several attitudes which the Church might have toward homosexual persons who seek ordination. One option is to encourage such persons to remain "in the closet," to disguise and hide their homosexual orientation.

Another view would encourage such persons to admit publicly their homosexuality and to welcome them in the Church and the ministry if they are competent.

A third option for the Church would be to give its blessing to those homosexual persons who wish to join militant groups, to seek the Church's blessing on their "marriage," etc.

The Commission's own view is that the third option represents "an abnormal obsession with homosexuality. " Such persons would be welcomed into the fellowship of the Church, but the Commission feels that "they are not competent and qualified to be ordained."

The Commission report says that such persons should not be singled out as "special sinners." They do not have nor "should they have any special rights that heterosexual persons do not have," it says.

"By the same token," the report observes, "it should be obvious that we would insist that all civil and legal rights should apply to all people."

"All human beings are equal before God; their actions are not," the Commission affirms. "Regardless of what moral judgment may be passed on homosexuality, we believe that there can be no question in the sight of God the persecution of homosexual persons is a very serious sin. The Church has much of which to repent in this regard."

The report affirms, "We believe we are faithful to biblical traditions in constantly emphasizing the normative values of the family, social responsibility, and life of the Church, even though we know we all fall short of ideal values."

The statements which the Commission will submit to the Convention in Denver, Sept. 8-20, are:

1. There are many human conditions which bear upon a person's suitability for ordination. Some of these are in the area of sexuality.
2. The various homosexual adaptations result, in some cases, in behavior which most Christians regard as abnormal, immoral, and/or anti-social. Such behavior, as in the case of some expressions of heterosexuality, constitutes a disqualification for ordination.
3. The question, with regard to any ordinand, is whether he or she can and will lead a life which is a wholesome example to Christ's flock. There should be no barrier to the ordination of those homosexual persons who are able and willing to conform their behavior to that which the Church affirms as wholesome. Some homosexual persons can so conform their behavior and have done so, some even as they have acknowledged their homosexuality, while others cannot or will not.
4. Clergy are expected to render compassionate and understanding pastoral care to homosexual individuals, but not to promote or foster a homosexual adaptation as a generally acceptable alternative for Christians.
5. The General Convention should enact no legislation which singles out a particular human condition and makes of it an absolute barrier to ordination, thus depriving Bishops and Commissions on Ministry of the proper exercise of their discretion In the particular cases for which they are responsible.

Members of the Commission, in addition to Bishop Spears, are: Bishop Hal R. Gross, retired suffragan of Oregon; Bishop Willis R. Henton of Northwest Texas; the Rev. William A. Spurrier of Connecticut; the Rev. Thomas F. Pike of New York; the Very Rev. Gordon T. Charlton of Texas; Ruth T. Barnhouse, M. D., of Massachusetts; J. Campbell Cantrill, M.D., of Lexington; Michelle W. Hawkins of Pennsylvania; Thomas G. P. Guilbert, Esq., of Oregon; D. Bruce Merrifield, Ph. D., of New York; and Anna H. Grant, Ph. D., of Atlanta.