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 Talk
To Your Bishop About Lambeth!
LGBT Episcopalians And Friends Need To Make OUR Voices Heard
Our bishops have returned from the
Lambeth Conference.
They've had important, moving conversations with their fellow bishops from
around the world. Now they need to hear from us—the people in the pews of the
churches in their own dioceses—before the House of Bishops meeting during
September 17-19 in Salt Lake City.
The Archbishop of Canterbury tried to "spin" the
bishops' indaba group reflections by
insisting upon moratoria by The Episcopal Church [TEC] on ordinations of
bishops in same-sex relationships and on the blessing of faithful, same-sex couples.
LGBT people were not able to speak for themselves during
the bishops' cloistered meetings. The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson—the only Anglican bishop who
openly lives in a faithful, same-sex relationship—was excluded. But
in your own dioceses, on their home turf, it is much harder for bishops to
exclude our voices.
Tell your bishop it's time for TEC to move beyond
the self-imposed restrictions of
B033 and move ahead on rites for blessing same-sex relationships. As
Bishop Michael Ingham of the Church of Canada said at Lambeth, the church must
not put itself "in the position of having to support and defend irrational
prejudice and bigotry."
Write, e-mail, or call your bishop today! Tell
her/him why full inclusion of all the baptized in all the rites and life of the
church matters to you. You can find your bishop's contact information on your
diocesan website. To find your diocesan website,
click here.
Let us know you've contacted your bishop by
clicking here to complete a brief survey.
Some thoughts you might want to develop...
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LGBT Christians can't be stuffed back in the
closet. We are here in the pews and in the pulpits. TEC cannot
pretend we are not already part of the church, faithfully walking our
spiritual journey with Christ.
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It hurts, and it is morally wrong, when privileged
people try to dictate "sacrifice" to disenfranchised people. Tell your
own story of oppression and liberation.
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Endless quibbling over full inclusion of all
the baptized by the church makes the Good News
inaudible and inaccessible to most young people in the contemporary
United States. By focusing on 7 passages in the Bible that are used
to condemn homosexuality, we are drowning out the message of
Jesus—the incarnate Word of God.
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As our Presiding Bishop has emphasized in her
reflections after Lambeth, only the General Convention can commit
TEC to national policies or a global Anglican covenant. The House of
Bishops should not make any unilateral decisions about moratoria or
the covenant in Salt Lake City.
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Opponents of LGBT equality are clearly planning
to us an Anglican covenant as a tool to either control or exclude
TEC. General Convention must carefully weigh the advantages and
disadvantages of signing the final covenant.
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Tips For Communicating Effectively With Your Bishop
Be respectful. Even if you dislike or
disagree with your bishop, treat him/her with the courtesy due his/her
office.
Do not make threats. Threatening to
personally leave The Episcopal Church or withhold contributions is
counterproductive.
Share your personal story. Tell your
bishop how you or a family member would be affected by the moratoria.
Be brief. Bishops are busy people.
A short, focused message will have more impact than a long, rambling
one. |
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