House of Bishops Deals With Variety of Issues
Episcopal News Service. October 7, 1977 [77323]
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Despite deep controversy, sharp debate, and news of members separating from parishes and dioceses, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church ended its week-long meeting here on Oct. 7 on an optimistic note, expressing the belief "that the great days of the Church are not just in the past but in the present and in the future."
Though there was a heavy emphasis in much of the secular press on the divisions, controversies, and separations -- and these were real issues at the 1977 interim meeting of the 235-member House -- the bishops considered and/or approved many significant programs for the ongoing work and mission of the Church.
Most of the major -- and highly publicized -- resolutions received near-unanimous affirmation from the bishops and there were few close votes on motions. There were relatively few standing, divided votes taken and there were no roll call tallies.
The 150 bishops who were present at the Sandpiper Bay resort heard of the urgent concerns of some 40 bishops about the social, economic, and political crisis in American cities and of that coalition's plans to conduct fact-finding open hearings in as many as half a dozen cities, leading to positive programs of renewal.
Venture in Mission -- the Church's three-year educational/evangelistic/fund raising effort approved last year by General Convention -- came under critical review and prompted frank discussion. Questions of procedure and process were raised and both skepticism and endorsement characterized the comments in plenary and group discussions.
A considerable amount of time was spent on matters relating to ministry and especially as they relate to the office of a bishop -- the oversupply of clergy, moratorium or quota system in approving candidates for holy orders, self-supporting ministries, the office of deacon, and ordination to a cure. A report on a questionnaire sent to all bishops provided much of the resource material for the discussion.
The bishops established the Area Mission of Navajoland -- embracing some reservation territory in the Dioceses of Arizona and Utah -- and asked the Presiding Bishop -- in consultation with the standing committee of the area -- to assign a resident bishop for the Mission.
The bishops commended the study of the Consultation on Church Union document, "In Quest of a Church of Christ Uniting," and the Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission statement, "Authority in the Church," and heard a report on the dialogue between the Anglicans and Orthodox.
The "filioque" clause, the bishops said, "properly understood, neither contradicts nor denies the credal intention, and original credal statement that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. "
Presiding Bishop John M. Allin announced the launching of a Churchwide appeal on behalf of Ugandan and other African refugees, through the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief.
The bishops authorized the appointment of a committee to develop an Office of Suffragan Bishop to the Presiding Bishop for a ministry with the "non-military diaspora" which will include the present ministry by the Bishop-in-Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe.
The Rev. Charles Burgreen of the Episcopal Church Center staff was elected Suffragan Bishop for the Armed Forces, to succeed Bishop Clarence Hobgood.
The House approved a resolution asking each bishop to take steps to select a group to study the question of human sexuality, including homosexuality, as a possible aid to the Joint Commission on Human Affairs which was instructed by General Convention to study the issue and report in 1979.
Several controversial issues -- matters relating to women's ordination, homosexuality and the separation of members from the Church -- took a considerable portion of the bishops' discussion time, in plenary and small group sessions.
The House approved a Statement of Conscience which encourages tolerance and freedom of conscience for both those in favor of and those against the ordination of women to the priesthood. The statement affirmed that "no bishop, priest, or lay person should be coerced or penalized in any matter" for his or her views on women's ordination. The bishops themselves had occasion to put the statement into practice by affirming the continued leadership of the Presiding Bishop who told the House in his opening address that he "to date is unable to accept women in the role of priest."
A resolution in which the House said it "decries and repudiates" certain uncanonical actions of retired Bishop Albert A. Chambers of Springfield was passed overwhelmingly. Reaffirming the constitutional episcopal authority of bishops in their own dioceses and supporting bishops whose dioceses were invaded by Bishop Chambers' actions, the House appealed to all its members to respect the jurisdictional rights of diocesan bishops.
By a unanimous voice vote the House set up a Committee on Restoring Relationships "with the distressed and separated members" of the Episcopal Church and adopted with applause a letter to those members, asking for them to reconsider their decision.
The House received a theology committee report dealing with the marriage of and ordination of homosexuals, expressing its mind that it is "inadmissable" to ordain "anyone who advocates and/or willfully and habitually practices homosexuality," while strongly calling for pastoral concern and guaranteed civil rights for all such persons. The bishops approved a mind-of-the-House resolution asking that holy orders not be conferred on such persons "pending further inquiry and study by the Church."
A Pastoral Letter, setting forth the chief actions and considerations with which the bishops had dealt, was adopted and sent to the churches for reading.