The Rev. Richard E.Grein Bishop of New York
August 31, 1998
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
As you know, a few weeks ago the 13th Lambeth Conference met in Canterbury, England, bringing together 750 Bishops from the 37 Provinces of the Anglican Communion. Both of us attended that Conference along with Bishop Roskam and Bishop Taylor. Although much good work was accomplished strengthening the Communion in important ways, we write today to address the deep dismay that many in the Diocese have expressed over the resolution on sexuality.
Passed by a huge majority, the resolution affirms that Scripture "upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union." and that "abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage." However. the resolution also rejects "homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture," and states that the Conference "cannot advise ... the ordination of those involved in same-gender unions."
This resolution has caused much hurt and anger among faithful people in this Diocese and throughout the Church. Several parishes in our Diocese have already expressed their formal dissent from this resolution. We fully understand their position, and the deep Christian conviction that such dissent reflects.
We want to make it plain to the members of this Diocese, and especially to our gay and lesbian members, that the resolution passed at Lambeth will not change the character of our life together.
This Diocese has long recognized and treasured the minisay of gay and lesbian Episcopalians in New York, and of course the ministry of our gay and lesbian clergy. Their courageous voices and deep faith provide the Church at large with a wholesome, chaste example of Christ's love for all of us. The fruit of their good work is a Biblical sign of the Spirit among us. None of this has changed in the light of Lambeth, nor will it change. The Diocese of New York is a safe place for the minisay of gay and lesbian people.
As we discovered at Lambeth, the bishops of our Communion come from markedly different places, geographically, politically, and sometimes theologically. What we encountered, in part, in the debate over this resolution was a profound clash of cultural assumptions. Above all, we discovered sometimes startling differences among the bishops in the way Scripture is to be understood.
Because of these differences, we believe that this resolution is not the end of the discussion about human sexuality, but the beginning. Many of our fellow bishops in the Anglican Communion agree. The resolution begins a process of continuing discernment of the Spirit's will for the Church.
As Bishops in New York, we feel that we can offer Christians elsewhere in this global Communion an opportunity to hear voices that they have not heard before. We can give personal testimony to our own experiences of ministry with gay and lesbian people. And we can make every effort to ensure that the voices of openly gay and lesbian Christians will be heard as clearly as our own. In particular, we want to address head on the proper use of Scripture in such discussions, especially with those bishops whose approach to Scripture differs so radically from our own.
As Bishop and Bishop Coadjutor of this great Diocese, we intend to take leading roles in this process of continuing discernment. In the coming months, we will seek for ways to strengthen our bonds with our fellow bishops throughout the world, particularly with those bishops with whom we disagree most about issues of sexuality. We must find a safe common ground on which to address what for some is an extremely discomforting topic. We are convinced that an adversarial reaction at this time would be counter-productive. We must bear with one another's differences, suspend judgment of others people's motives, and work in charity to change both minds and hearts.
We are a diverse Diocese, perhaps the most diverse in the world. Together in New York we celebrate time and again the inclusive spirit that animates our common life. This life together in Christ in the Diocese is a rare and precious gift. Speaking both in candor and in love, let us seek to offer that gift to the larger Anglican Communion, acknowledging at all times our own solidarity with the broken world Christ came to save. And let us continue to strengthen and celebrate the ministries of gay and lesbian people in the Diocese of New York.
Richard F. Grein Bishop of New York
Mark S. Sisk Bishop Coadjutor of New York
Telephone: (212) 3167413 Facsimile: (212) 932-7312
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