Resolution passed overwhelmingly by The Diocese of Massachusetts:

Resolved, That the 213th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts affirm the following elements of the l998 Lambeth Conference Resolution on Sexuality: upholding the value of lifelong faithful marriage between a man and a woman; recognizing the presence of homosexual people among us; making a commitment to listen to the experience of homosexual people; calling on all our people to minister pastorally and sensitively to all; condemning irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage, and the trivialization and commercialization of sex; and asking for further work on human sexuality to be monitored in the Communion; and be it further

Resolved, That, although we, the 213th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, regret that the Lambeth Report seems to rely on Scripture alone, we encourage further study of Scripture, in light of the tradition of the Church and in light of our God-given reason, on the issues of sexual expression, Christian marriage, the meaning of ordination, and specifically on the issue of homosexuality.

Resolved, That the 213th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts affirm our l990 condemnation of homophobia; and be it further

Resolved, That the 213th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts affirm that God calls some homosexual people to live together in committed relationships and that the Church can and does appropriately bless such unions, and that God calls some homosexual people in such relationships to ordained ministry and that the Church can and does appropriately ordain them; and be it further

Resolved, That the 213th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, recognizing that not all agree with us, support a continuing process of prayerful and respectful discernment concerning the Church's teaching on the various expressions of human sexuality. We believe any such process must include the voices of openly lesbian and gay Anglicans. We pledge our support to any such process. In addition, we pledge ourselves to a greater level of awareness of the cultural and spiritual contexts of our fellow Anglicans throughout the world, and a greater level of response where there is identified need. We ask for the same level of awareness and response to our own context by others in the Communion. We commit ourselves to strengthen the "bonds of mutual affection" that tie us together as members of the Anglican Communion. We do not, however, believe these bonds can be strengthened by the wholesale exclusion of any group of people; and be it further

[This last resolution is a direct quote from a response to the Lambeth Conference Resolution on "Human Sexuality" written by Integrity and offered by them as one way local congregations can respond to the Lambeth Conference.]

Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to our primate, the Rt. Rev. Frank T. Griswold, with the request that it be shared with the Anglican Consultative Council in accordance with the clause (f) of the 1998 Lambeth Resolution on Sexuality, and with thanks for his August 14, 1998 letter to the Church, and we express our gratitude to the more than 145 Lambeth bishops who have signed a statement pledging to work for the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians in the life and ministry of the Church.

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