Resolved, That the 74th General Convention affirm the
following:
- That our life together as a community of faith is grounded in the saving
work of Jesus Christ and expressed in the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth
Quadrilateral: Holy Scripture, the historic Creeds of the Church, the two
dominical Sacraments, and the Historic Episcopate.
- That we reaffirm Resolution A069 of the 65th General Convention (1976)
that "homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim
with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care
of the Church."
- That, in our understanding of homosexual persons, differences exist
among us about how best to care pastorally for those who intend to live in
monogamous, non-celibate unions; and what is, or should be, required,
permitted, or prohibited by the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The
Episcopal Church concerning the blessing of the same.
- That we reaffirm Resolution D039 of the 73rd General Convention (2000),
that "We expect such relationships will be characterized by fidelity, monogamy,
mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love
which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of
God," and that such relationships exist throughout the church.
- That we recognize that local faith communities are operating within the
bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating
and blessing same-sex unions.
- That we commit ourselves, and call our church, in the spirit of
Resolution A104 of the 70th General Convention (1991), to continued prayer,
study, and discernment on the pastoral care for gay and lesbian persons, to
include the compilation and development by a special commission organized and
appointed by the Presiding Bishop, of resources to facilitate as wide a
conversation of discernment as possible throughout the church.
- That our baptism into Jesus Christ is inseparable from our communion
with one another, and we commit ourselves to that communion despite our
diversity of opinion and, among dioceses, a diversity of pastoral practice with
the gay men and lesbians among us.
- That it is a matter of faith that our Lord longs for our unity as his
disciples, and for us this entails living within the boundaries of the
Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church. We believe this discipline
expresses faithfulness to our polity and that it will facilitate the
conversation we seek, not only in The Episcopal Church, but also in the wider
Anglican Communion and beyond.