| Resolution Number: | 1976-B300 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Express Mind of the House of Bishops on Irregularly Ordained Women |
| Legislative Action Taken: | Adopted |
| Final Text: | |
Resolved, That the Theology Report be adopted as the mind of the House.
Since the 1976 General Convention has, by legislative action, made clear that it is now the intent of the Episcopal Church as an ecclesial community to authorize the ordination of women to the priesthood and to episcopal orders, we believe that a completion of the ritual acts performed in Philadelphia/Washington becomes possible.
Prerequisite to any act of completion, however, would be a faithful carrying-out of those canonical procedures required for ordination within the respective dioceses.
Thereafter either of two courses become possible.
Each of them seeks to celebrate the intent of what was done in Philadelphia/ Washington. Each involves a liturgical incorporation of what was done on those two occasions into the ongoing life of the Episcopal Church by supplying the intention of the ecclesial community to the ritual acts already performed.
- One course would involve a public event, conducted by the appropriate Diocesan Bishop, which recognizes the sacramental elements found in the Philadelphia/Washington services and incorporates those elements into the now-stated intention of the Church to ordain women to the presbyterate. The proper context of the Philadelphia/Washington service now provided by the newly legislated ecclesial intention, that earlier rite could be sacramentally completed and the person canonically commissioned to function as a priest in the Episcopal Church without the necessity for an additional laying on of hands.
Such a public act of "completion" should, we believe, be eucharistic and done in the presence of a representative diocesan assembly. It should also include an opportunity for the ordinand to declare her loyalty to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Church afresh. - An alternative course, and one which commends itself as decidedly preferable to a majority on our Committee for pastoral reasons and for its reconciling power is "conditional ordination."
Conditional ordination would recognize that something of extraordinary significance did indeed occur at Philadelphia/Washington. But it would also affirm that a fundamental reason for our Church's concern about ordinations is the desire to assure both the ordinand and the people of the Church that the ordained person is an authorized channel for divine grace. Conditional ordination would demonstrate both the ordinand's and the diocese's concern for those in the Church who have honest doubts about the validity or regularity of the Philadelphia/Washington "ordinations." Whether those doubts be justified or not, the matter of assurance is vital and is a proper pastoral concern of the whole Church. Holy Scripture bids every Christian to care about the qualms of the weaker brethren, and the example of St. Paul indicates that such care is a special responsibility for anyone in a pastoral office. Since the matter under consideration is the validity of the priestly office, such pastoral sensitivity seems particularly appropriate.
Since the Minnesota Convention has approved women's ordination to the priesthood, "reconciliation" will be desperately needed, a reconciliation effected both by the Church and the individuals involved. Through conditional ordination, the Church would be seeking reconciliation by the decision to ordain women. In addition, the Church-at-large would be officially sharing as an ecclesial community in an act from which she was excluded in Philadelphia/ Washington. The participation of the individual ordinands in conditional ordination would be an impressive and healing contribution to the needed reconciliation.
The willingness of all parties to take this conditional ordination route might also significantly assist the role of the Episcopal Church in the ecumenical movement. It will prevent unnecessary complications in future ecumenical conversations, since it would leave no room for doubt that these women ordinands are indeed ordained priests.
Conditional ordination would also respect the integrity of Christians holding divergent views of the Philadelphia/Washington actions; refrain from passing judgment on diverse convictions honestly and strongly held; and allow the Lord to determine matters beyond our capacity or desire to judge.
| Citation: | General Convention, Journal of the General Convention of...The Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, 1976 (New York: General Convention, 1983), p. B-148. |
|---|
Legislative History
| Author: | The Committee on Pastoral Development |
|---|---|
| Originating House: | House of Bishops |
| Originating Committee: | Committee on Theology |
House of Bishops
On behalf of the Committee on Theology, the Bishop of Ohio read the following report to the House:
The Committee on Theology of the House of Bishops, acting in response to a request from a number of bishops, offers the following theological guidance respecting the future status of women who underwent priesthood ordination rites in Philadelphia on July 29, 1974 and in Washington on September 1975:
Since the 1976 General Convention has, by legislative action, made clear that it is now the intent of the Episcopal Church as an ecclesial community to authorize the ordination of women to the priesthood and to episcopal orders, we believe that a completion of the ritual acts performed in Philadelphia/ Washington becomes possible.
Prerequisite to any act of completion, however, would be a faithful carrying-out of those canonical procedures required for ordination within the respective dioceses.
Thereafter either of two courses become possible.
Each of them seeks to celebrate the intent of what was done in Philadelphia/ Washington. Each involves a liturgical incorporation of what was done on those two occasions into the ongoing life of the Episcopal Church by supplying the intention of the ecclesial community to the ritual acts already performed.
- One course would involve a public event, conducted by the appropriate Diocesan Bishop, which recognizes the sacramental elements found in the Philadelphia/Washington services and incorporates those elements into the now-stated intention of the Church to ordain women to the presbyterate. The proper context of the Philadelphia/Washington service now provided by the newly legislated ecclesial intention, that earlier rite could be sacramentally completed and the person canonically commissioned to function as a priest in the Episcopal Church without the necessity for an additional laying on of hands.
Such a public act of "completion" should, we believe, be eucharistic and done in the presence of a representative diocesan assembly. It should also include an opportunity for the ordinand to declare her loyalty to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Church afresh. - An alternative course, and one which commends itself as decidedly preferable to a majority on our Committee for pastoral reasons and for its reconciling power is "conditional ordination."
Conditional ordination would recognize that something of extraordinary significance did indeed occur at Philadelphia/Washington. But it would also affirm that a fundamental reason for our Church's concern about ordinations is the desire to assure both the ordinand and the people of the Church that the ordained person is an authorized channel for divine grace. Conditional ordination would demonstrate both the ordinand's and the diocese's concern for those in the Church who have honest doubts about the validity or regularity of the Philadelphia/Washington "ordinations." Whether those doubts be justified or not, the matter of assurance is vital and is a proper pastoral concern of the whole Church. Holy Scripture bids every Christian to care about the qualms of the weaker brethren, and the example of St. Paul indicates that such care is a special responsibility for anyone in a pastoral office. Since the matter under consideration is the validity of the priestly office, such pastoral sensitivity seems particularly appropriate.
Since the Minnesota Convention has approved women's ordination to the priesthood, "reconciliation" will be desperately needed, a reconciliation effected both by the Church and the individuals involved. Through conditional ordination, the Church would be seeking reconciliation by the decision to ordain women. In addition, the Church-at-large would be officially sharing as an ecclesial community in an act from which she was excluded in Philadelphia/ Washington. The participation of the individual ordinands in conditional ordination would be an impressive and healing contribution to the needed reconciliation.
The willingness of all parties to take this conditional ordination route might also significantly assist the role of the Episcopal Church in the ecumenical movement. It will prevent unnecessary complications in future ecumenical conversations, since it would leave no room for doubt that these women ordinands are indeed ordained priests.
Conditional ordination would also respect the integrity of Christians holding divergent views of the Philadelphia/Washington actions; refrain from passing judgment on diverse convictions honestly and strongly held; and allow the Lord to determine matters beyond our capacity or desire to judge.
At 11:46 a.m., the House recessed into small groups to explore the mind of the bishops with reference to implementing the ordination of women.
The Presiding Bishop reconvened the House at 2:07 p.m.
The Coordinator for the Committee on Pastoral Development reported on the group meeting on the pastoral concerns involved in the Ordination of Women.
Bishop Mosley moved that the Theology Report be adopted as the mind of this House.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Pennsylvania.
The Bishop Suffragan of New York (Wetmore) moved the following substitute motion:
That the Report of the Theology Committee be received and spread on the Minutes of this House, and any action on it be left to the Diocesan Bishops as it relates to the Philadelphia 11 and the Washington 4.
The Bishop of Northern California moved an amendment to the original motion that Option No. 1 be deleted and the two preceding paragraphs from the Report of the Committee on Theology.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Lexington.
Following a lengthy debate, the Bishop of Colorado moved the previous question on the amendment by the Bishop of Northern California.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of South Carolina.
The motion to take an immediate vote carried.
The vote on the amendment by the Bishop of California was 75 for and 53 against.
Amendment adopted
The Bishop of Albany moved that the third paragraph of the Report of the Theology Committee be amended to substitute the words "canonical procedures required by Title III., Canon 11." in place of those words in paragraph 3 "for ordination within the respective dioceses."
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Maine.
The motion to amend carried by a vote of 72 for and 54 against.
Amendment adopted
The Bishop of Michigan moved that the House of Bishops recess for ten minutes.
The motion was seconded by Bishop Barton.
Motion to recess failed
The Bishop Suffragan of New York then re-introduced his motion of substitution and accepted an amendment from the Bishop of Quincy, and the substitute thus read as follows:
That the Report of the Theology Committee be received and, spread upon the minutes of this house, and that any action (with respect to options 1 and 2 of that report) be left to Diocesan bishops.
After lengthy discussion, the Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast moved the previous question.
The motion was seconded by the Parliamentarian.
Motion carried
The vote failed on the substitution by 56 for and 70 against.
Amendment to substitute failed
The Bishop of Costa Rica moved that the word "authorizing" be substituted for "conditional" in all references of "conditional ordination" in the Report of the Theology Committee.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Quincy.
Bishop Wood moved that the word "completion or ordination" be the substitute words.
The Bishop of Eau Claire moved that the word "supplementary" be the substitute.
"Supplementary" was accepted by the Bishop of Costa Rica, the Bishop of Quincy, and Bishop Wood.
Amendment defeated
The vote was not taken on the original motion to adopt the Theology Committee's Report, now amended to delete Option 1 of the report as originally presented.
The text of the report as amended reads as follows:
Since the 1976 General Convention has, by legislative action, made clear that it is now the intent of the Episcopal Church as an ecclesial community to authorize the ordination of women to the priesthood and to episcopal orders, we believe that a completion of the ritual acts performed in Philadelphia/ Washington becomes possible.
Prerequisite to any act of completion, however, will be a faithful carrying-out of those canonical procedures required by Title III., Canon 11.
The way which commends itself as decidedly preferable to a majority of this House for pastoral reasons and for its reconciling power is "conditional ordination."
Conditional ordination will recognize that something of extraordinary significance did indeed occur at Philadelphia/Washington.
But it will also affirm that a fundamental reason for our Church's concern about ordination is the desire to assure both the ordinand and the people of the Church that the ordained person is an authorized channel for divine grace. Conditional ordination will demonstrate both the ordinand's and the diocese's concern for those in the Church who have honest doubts about the validity or regularity of the Philadelphia/Washington "ordinations." Whether those doubts be justified or not, the matter of assurance is vital and is a proper pastoral concern of the whole Church. Holy Scripture bids every Christian to care about the qualms of the weaker brethren, and the example of St. Paul indicates that such care is a special responsibility for anyone in a pastoral office. Since the matter under consideration is the validity of the priestly office, such pastoral sensitivity seems particularly appropriate.
Now that the Minnesota Convention has approved women's ordination to the priesthood, "reconciliation" is desperately needed, a reconciliation effected both by the Church and the individuals involved. Through conditional ordination, the Church will be seeking reconciliation by the decision to ordain women. In addition, the Church-at-large will be officially sharing as an ecclesial community in an act from which she was excluded in Philadelphia/Washington. The participation of the individual ordinands in conditional ordination will be an impressive and healing contribution to the needed reconciliation.
The willingness of all parties to take this conditional ordination route might also significantly assist the role of the Episcopal Church in the ecumenical movement. It will prevent unnecessary complications in future ecumenical conversations, since it will leave no room for doubt that these women ordinands are indeed ordained priests.
Conditional ordination will also respect the integrity of Christians holding divergent views of the Philadelphia/Washington actions; refrain from passing judgment on diverse convictions honestly and strongly held; and allow the Lord to determine matters beyond our capacity or desire to judge.
A roll call vote was requested, reported as follows:
AFFIRMATIVE
Bishop Gooden
The Bishop of Long Island
The Bishop of Suffragan in Charge of American Churches in Europe
The Bishop of Fond du Lac
The Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast
The Bishop of Arizona
The Bishop of Tennessee
Bishop Goddard
The Bishop of Kansas
The Bishop of Northern California
The Bishop of Western Michigan
The Bishop of North Carolina
The Bishop of South Carolina
The Bishop of Connecticut
The Bishop of Southeast Florida
The Bishop Coadjutor of Tennessee
The Bishop of Chicago
Bishop Chambers
The Bishop Suffragan of Albany
The Bishop Suffragan of Oklahoma
The Bishop of Kentucky
The Bishop Coadjutor of West Texas
The Bishop of California
The Bishop of Los Angeles
The Bishop of North Dakota
The Bishop of Texas
The Bishop Suffragan of Oregon
The Bishop of Western Kansas
The Bishop of New Jersey
The Bishop Suffragan of Tennessee (Gates)
The Bishop of Central Pennsylvania
The Executive for Ministries
The Bishop of Easton
The Executive for Administration
The Bishop of Arkansas
The Bishop of Colorado
The Bishop of Western New York
The Bishop of West Texas
The Bishop of Montana
The Bishop of San Joaquin
The Bishop of Maine
The Bishop of Maryland
The Bishop of Nicaragua
The Bishop of Central Florida
The Bishop of Lexington
The Bishop of South Dakota
The Bishop of Liberia
The Bishop of Western Massachusetts
The Bishop of Taiwan
The Bishop Suffragan of the Armed Forces
The Bishop of Alabama
The Bishop of Haiti
The Bishop of West Missouri
The Bishop of Northwest Texas
The Bishop of Rhode Island
The Bishop Coadjutor of Connecticut
The Bishop Suffragan of Massachusetts
The Bishop of Colombia
The Bishop of Springfield
The Bishop of Panama and the Canal Zone
The Bishop of the Dominican Republic
The Bishop of the Virgin Islands
The Bishop of Idaho
The Bishop of Northern Indiana
The Bishop Suffragan of Maryland
The Bishop of Upper South Carolina
The Bishop of Guatemala
The Bishop of West Virginia
The Bishop of Milwaukee
The Bishop of Western North Carolina
The Bishop of Quincy
The Bishop of Oregon
The Bishop of Albany
The Bishop of Vermont
The Bishop of San Diego
The Bishop of Mississippi
The Bishop of Florida
The Bishop of Southwest Florida
The Bishop Coadjutor of Long Island
The Bishop of the Northern Philippines
The Bishop Suffragan of Dallas
The Bishop of Olympia
The Bishop Suffragan of Texas
The Bishop of Louisiana
The Bishop Coadjutor of Southern Virginia
The Bishop Coadjutor of Arizona
NEGATIVE
Bishop Gordon
Bishop Welles
The National Coordinator for the House of Bishops Committee on Pastoral Development
The Bishop of Oklahoma
The Bishop of Pennsylvania
Bishop Mosley
The Bishop of Southwestern Virginia
The Bishop of Minnesota
The Bishop of Southern Virginia
The Bishop of the Central Philippines
The Bishop of Washington
The Bishop Suffragan of California
Bishop Kellogg
The Bishop Suffragan of New York (Wetmore)
The Bishop of Newark
The Bishop of Central New York
The Bishop of Puerto Rico
The Bishop of Virginia
The Bishop of Ohio
The Bishop of Spokane
The Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Hawaii
The Bishop of Pittsburgh
The Bishop of East Carolina
The Bishop of Costa Rica
The Bishop of Eastern Oregon
The Bishop of Wyoming
The Bishop of New Hampshire
The Bishop of Bethlehem
The Bishop of Southern Ohio
The Bishop Suffragan of Washington
The Bishop of Utah
The Bishop of Michigan
The Bishop of the Rio Grande
The Bishop of Iowa
The Bishop of Atlanta
The Bishop of Nevada
The Bishop Suffragan of Virginia
The Bishop of Erie
The Bishop of Alaska
The Bishop Suffragan of New Jersey
The Bishop of Missouri
The Bishop of Delaware
The Bishop of Northern Michigan
The Bishop Coadjutor of Newark
ABSTENTIONS
Bishop Marmion
The Bishop of Eau Claire
Resolution adopted by a vote of 87 for and 45 against and 2 abstaining.
Resolution adopted
A Statement of Conscience
The Bishop of Rochester, on a point of Personal Privilege, read a statement to the House signed by eleven additional bishops.
The statement together with the signatures, are printed as follows:
Bishops of Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Newark, Virginia, Minnesota, Central New York, and Alaska. Bishops Coadjutor of Washington and Newark. Assistant Bishop of Pennsylvania. Bishop of Rochester.
Yesterday this house debated for several hours whether to accept advice from its own Theological Committee, finally concluding that it was the mind of this House that no alternative save that of Conditional Ordination were to be suggested to those Bishops in whose dioceses women irregularly ordained reside. Last night an attempt was begun to make that advice mandatory, presumably for the sake of a clear decision.
Under similar circumstances last week when the entire General Convention passed a resolution affirming the permissibility of ordaining women as priests and bishops, some of us in this house declared for conscientious reasons that such a decision was unacceptable. We have since spent considerable time assuring these persons of their rights to such conscientious protest.
We now declare to you that while we can gratefully accept the carefully reasoned and balanced statement of the Theological Committee as originally presented we cannot accede to that report in its restricted form. To accept it as amended would submit many faithful and devoted people, lay and ordained, in our dioceses to a cruel extension of the agony they have already experienced because they desired a good and just thing earlier than some of their fellow communicants in the Episcopal Church.
We can and will continue to work for reconciliation and completion in our Houses and in the Church and accept the advice and conditions described in the original report of the Theological Committee.
Honoring the integrity of our relationships in this House, we want you to know our intentions and conviction in this matter.
The Bishop of West Missouri, on a point of Personal Privilege, read the following statement to the House:
I did not sign the Statement of Conscience just read to you because I believe conditional ordination is the preferable route to take in regularizing those women who took part in the Philadelphia and Washington services of ordination.
Such a course of action has historical precedent and is clarifying. Everyone can participate in it with complete conviction from his or her point of view. Such a service is primarily for the benefit of others. It is thus an act of charity. Above all, conditional ordination is not re-ordination, a fact often repeated but still not heard by some of for the first time.
Having said that, however, I must add that I think some pastoral mobility is most important in the situation in which we now find ourselves, and I believe we can have such mobility with integrity.
The mobility can be achieved by adopting the Theological Committee's Report in its totality as first presented. The Report is the result of two years of reflection, not a few days debate.
With such adoption, the first option of the Report becomes available to bishops, an option I believe totally consistent with previous decisions of this House concerning the Philadelphia and Washington services. That option speaks of completing the previous services; using the option, all participants must admit that something was lacking in those services. Actually, a more specific judgment of deficiency is made about the Philadelphia and Washington services by this option than by conditional ordination. I believe it is also true that we had about the same voting totals on the adoption of the complete Report of the Theological Committee as we had on the resolution to ordain women; and in the latter instance we did provide for some latitude of conscientious action.
To allow action under either alternative of the Theological Committee's Report is a way of restating our collegiality.
- Local bishops will be both limited by and be agents of the mind of this House, as opposed to exercising unlimited and chaotic local options.
- Our previous judgments will be reaffirmed.
- A special gesture will be made towards those in a special situation at this special time with complete integrity on our part. Who can deny such a gesture?
- Reconciliation and order will be restored to the Church in the shortest possible time.
The Bishop of Central Florida moved to reconsider the Resolution passed on the Ninth Day (September 21) which was the amended report of the Theology Committee with reference to the Ordination of Women.
The motion was seconded by Bishop Mosley.
Motion carried
The Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast moved that the original Resolution of the Theology Committee with reference to the Ordination of Women, without Amendment, be adopted.
The motion was seconded by the Bishop of Pennsylvania.
Resolution adopted
| Report Reference: | Journal, 1976, pp. B-120-126 and p. B-147f. |
|---|---|
| Abstract: | The House of Bishops of the 65th General Convention adopts the Theology Report concerning the reconciliation of irregularly ordained women. |
| Notes: | This "Mind of the House" resolution was assigned a number, 1979-B300, for purposes of referencing it in this publication only. The resolution was placed on the floor of the House of Bishops by a committee report and a Special Order of Business. The Secretary of General Convention did not assign a number to the resolution and it appears without a numeric designation in the Journal, 1976. |