This is an electronic reproduction of The Voice of Integrity, the quarterly publication of Integrity, Inc., the lesbian and gay justice ministry of the Episcopal Church. All materials except those reproduced from other sources are copyrighted by Integrity, Inc. You may reproduce all original material herein if you state "Reproduced from the Summer, 1994 issue of The Voice of Integrity, the quarterly publication of Integrity, Inc., the lesbian and gay justice ministry of the Episcopal Church."
Material may not appear exactly as published since some changes were made after the document was transferred to desk top publishing format.
We encourage you to join Integrity. We encourage non-Episcopalians and non-lesgay persons to join. If you are a lesbian or gay Episcopalian and don't belong to Integrity, you're benefitting from all our work and we hope you'll strongly consider helping us by joining. Individual annual membership $25, Couple's annual membership $40, Low income/student/sr. citizen $10. Please mail check or money order to Integrity, Inc., P.O. Box 19561, Washington, DC 20036-0561.
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SUMMER 1994
*The Voice of Integrity*
Volume 4, Number 3
Published by Integrity, Inc.
P.O. Box 19561
Washington, D.C. 20036-0561
Telephone 718-720-3054
Bruce Garner, President
Edgar Kim Byham, Publisher
R. Scott Helsel, Editor
Contributing Editors:
Claudia Windal, Louie Crew
Paul Woodrum
Book Review Editor: Keith McCoy
Dorothy Gunn, Production
Editorial Office: 201-868-2485
PO Box 5202; NYC, NY 10185
Member Episcopal Communicators
Associate Member Gay & Lesbian Press Association
copyright 1994
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TABLE OF CONTENTS*
The Case of the Purloined Pastoral
Witnessing for Bisexuality to the Church
Letters
Still More Dioceses Leave the Anglican Communion?
A Hymn Honoring Those With HIV/AIDS
More Good News for General Convention
More Awards: This Publication Honored Again
Continuum of Pride
My Own Private Stonewall
A Time to Flaunt
Buy This CD! Memento Bittersweet
Meet Your New Board
Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS Pins
Methodists Define Homosexuality: Sound Familiar?
Kudos to LA
Claudia's Column
A Brilliant Idea From Washington: Something Every Chapter
Can Do to Make a Difference
Good News from the National Church: Blue Book Report
of the Commission on Human Affairs
A Life of Servant Ministry Now Recognized as Deacon:
Sister Brooke Ordained
From the Diocese of Western North Carolina's
Review: In the Courts of the Lord - A Gay Priest's Story
cc'd: Unitarians 2, Episcopalians -2
Proposal of Marriage and the Like: A Utopian View
of Love, Sex, Home, and Church
Scenes from Hands Around the God Box
Sartorial Integrity Members in the News:
Activists Lobby State Senate for Gay Rights
Deadly Disease Spreads from US to Canada: Canadian
Anglicans Face Divisions over Gays in the Church
Oregon Ordination
Dog Bites Man: Things Haven't Changed in Sydney
President's Column
Glass House Shattered
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*THE CASE OF THE PURLOINED PASTORAL*
by Kim Byham
By now, most Episcopalians know that the 4th Draft of the House of Bishops' Pastoral Teaching on Sexuality, which had been under an embargo, was first leaked to the press by person or persons unknown, and then widely distributed by Episcopalians United for Revelation, Renewal and Reformation ("EURRR"). After an extensive investigation, this journal is able to reveal the story behind the story.
At the 1991 General Convention, Resolution A104sa affirmed the church's teaching that sexual expression was appropriate only within the context of heterosexual marriage, but also recognized the 'discontinuity' that exists between the church's teaching and the experience of many of its members. The resolution called for "all congregations ... [to] enter into dialogue and deepen their understanding of these complex issues." More than 30,000 persons have participated in the dialogue. The resolution also called on the House of Bishops to develop a pastoral teaching on the subject of sexuality informed by the churchwide dialogue, as well as from "insight as is necessary from theologians, theological ethicists, social scientists, and gay and lesbian persons." During the past three years a 15-member committee that included nine bishops, three clergy deputies and three lay deputies submitted four drafts of a pastoral teaching to the House of Bishops for refinement.
Since the convention in Phoenix, the bishops have met twice a year in closed meetings with most discussion limited to small table groups of about ten bishops each. The stated purpose was to develop consensus on pastorals regarding racism and sexuality. Bishops agreed not to publish either statement, not comment on the content of either, until they had built consensus. [The Racism Pastoral was a "Letter," which meant that unlike the Sexuality "Teaching," it was required to be read in all congregations -- which it was in June.]
The first press account of the leak came June 1, when conservative Scripps Howard columnist Terry Mattingly fired a broadside at the pastoral. Mattingly has written fairly extensively for "The United Voice," the EURRR newsletter, but he claims he "didn't get [the draft pastoral] from EU[RRR] or any other logical place." In his column he stated:
"The complete 42-page text has not been officially released, but many of its critics and defenders are circulating detailed commentaries that dissect the early drafts. It is impossible to keep church debates behind closed doors in the age of photocopy and fax machines, not to mention electronic mail."
Mr. Mattingly, of course, was being disingenuous because it was only the "critics," not the "defenders," who circulated copies. Indeed, Mattingly confirmed in his June 1 article that he had spoken with "a number of bishops" who were "moderate and conservative critics" of the document. These were chiefly bishops in Province 7, all of whom with the exception of Bishop Sam Hulsey of Northwest Texas, had written a strong statement condemning the 4th draft.
Mattingly's points of criticism were, of course, in the eyes of the beholder:
"It's hard to discuss what the Bible says about sex without mentioning marriage. Nevertheless, the Episcopal House of Bishops is studying eight guidelines for sexual morality that call for lifelong relationships between 'mature adults' without making a single reference to marriages between husbands and wives. This latest modernized sex creed also embraces same-sex unions.
"The sixth guideline proclaims: 'We believe sexual relationships reach their fullest potential as healthy relationships and minimize their capacity for ill when in the context of chaste, faithful, and committed lifelong union between mature adults. We believe that this is as true for homosexual as for heterosexual relationships and that such relationships need and should receive the pastoral care of the Church.'"
A review of the document [which was sent to this reporter and all deputies and alternates by EURRR shortly before we went to press in July] indicates that pointing to this guideline gives a distorted view of the document.
But as of June 1, no one in the leadership of Integrity had seen Draft 4 of the pastoral. Louie Crew immediately posted his concerns about the breach of confidentiality. Mattingly responded electronically on June 3:
"Quite frankly, there are so many copies of the 4th draft floating around that you can get it all over the place. A question for you: Honestly, you DON'T have the 4th draft? I will be stunned if you don't have it."
When Crew did not answer his query by June 6, Mattingly wrote:
"So I will assume ('Man For All Seasons' is one of my favorite movies) that your silence is the same as an affirmative answer to my question: Do you have a copy of the 4th draft? The follow-up question, of course, might be: What role did you plan in helping with the research of the 4th draft?"
This time Crew responded:
"How dare you bully me by sending me unsolicited material and then presuming all manner of things by my silence! How do you expect anyone to trust you? I have not seen the 4th draft. I have had no role in helping with the research for any of the pastoral.
"Both of my bishops have much too much integrity to share with me any material they are not supposed to share, and I would never violate material shared with me in the manner that you have done. You have taken it upon yourself to tell the whole world only those parts that you want the world to see. As a deputy I am appalled that you have so little concern for the processes set in place by General Convention. I would have preferred a more open discussion myself, but that is not what we as a church chose to put in place."
Mattingly apologized to Crew that day, but said:
"My point was that I have had trouble finding many people in the Episcopal Church who have not seen all or various chunks of the pastoral dialogue, or whatever the document is called at the moment. I'm amazed that many writers and columnists in the press haven't already aired this thing out. It's probably hard to justify making much of an effort to probe the views of such a small denomination."
The final installment of this dialogue came from Dr. Crew:
"If you genuinely want to find Episcopalians who have not seen a single one of the drafts, I can point to 99.99+ percent of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.
"Far be it from me as a writer myself to applaud excessive secrecy, especially in a House that has abused secrecy on numerous occasions in the past. But it was your conservative bishops who fought so hard to force secrecy. Why are you -- a reporter as clearly identified as 'conservative' as I am identified as 'liberal' -- now leaking the report in chunks of your own choosing to the press?
"Are your sources leaking the material through you because they have lost confidence that they can win in any other way besides whipping up the homophobes?"
Mattingly never responded, but the next day, June 10, another even more conservative syndicated Episcopal columnist, Mike McManus, also wrote a column condemning the pastoral by grossly distorting its contents:
"In a still secret fourth draft of a Pastoral Teaching on 'Human Sexuality,' America's Episcopal bishops have abandoned marriage as the norm for sexual behavior, endorsed homosexuality and said they would 'respond pastorally to those persons whose sexual behavior does not conform to the traditional standards and norms of the Church.'"
McManus, undoubtedly unknowingly, makes an interesting observation about the weakness of the conservative position:
"How do the bishops view homosexuality biblically? Who knows? The First Interpretation citing Romans 1:26-7, is traditional: 'Scripture forbids homosexual behavior.' But a Second Interpretation written by Los Angeles Bishop Frederick Borsch says: 'The complete lack of reference to homosexuality in Jesus' words and in the Gospels ... may mean that it was not considered particularly threatening.' Conservative bishops fought to have the traditional point of view included, and it was, but placed next to Borsch's more polished advocacy that 'homosexual orientation was unknown to biblical authors.' Thus, the conservatives have been co-opted -- and even misled. For the document's guidelines have gotten more libertarian."
McManus then quotes the only bishop to speak publicly about the document before its release by EURRR:
"It's horrendous" says Rio Grande Bishop Terence Kelshaw. "It's a minority report for the affirmation of the homosexual lifestyle that 80% of church members don't want. We give no guidance to young people who are not homosexual for their personal development."
Even before McManus' article appeared, Kelshaw was widely viewed as the most likely source for the "leak" of the document. Before being elected bishop, Kelshaw was a member of the faculty of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, the conservative seminary in Ambridge, Penn., and has been rabidly anti-lesgay in his pronouncements in the House of Bishops.
McManus' article also was the first public acknowledgement by EURRR that they had copies of the draft.
"The Rev. Todd Wetzel, director of Episcopalians United, a conservative coalition, sights: 'It undercuts the authority of Scripture. ... It substitutes in its place the paramount value of human experience.'"
A few other newspapers picked up the story in the next few days, but usually in only summary fashion. Just as the story seemed to be dying down, EURRR announced on June 23 that it was making copies available to anyone who wanted them. The July issue of "The United Voice," issued on that day, included very selective excerpts and the entire pastoral guidelines section. EURRR justified this, in a lead editorial, entitled "Breaking the Silence."
"The 15-member committee charged with preparing a Pastoral Teaching on sexuality for the House of Bishops has declared its work embargoed since the first draft. The committee's *unilateral* decision has made the process needlessly furtive and anything but a true dialogue about the Church's teachings on sexual morality."
The justification continued in Todd Wetzel's signed editorial, "Publish Sad Tidings: The Fourth Draft is a Disaster."
"EU has chosen to publish the fourth draft for several reasons:
"- The mass media began reporting on the Pastoral Guidelines in early June. It's time somebody in the Church offered a comprehensive picture of the Pastoral Teaching.
"- *The embargo on all drafts was an arbitrary decision of the A104sa Committee.* Resolution A104sa neither required nor recommended a secretive process for preparing the Pastoral Teaching.
"- This secretive process has been unhealthy in the life of the Church, leading to distrust and gossip, and excluding nearly all lay people and clergy from a crucial discussion.
"- The fourth draft of 'Continuing the Dialogue' is every bit the theological travesty as suggested by rumors circulating throughout the Church.
Of course, as with all EURRR reporting, there was considerable untruth and half-truth in this justification. While A104sa did not call for secrecy, the embargo was a decision of the House of Bishops, not the A104sa Committee. This was confirmed in an interview with the Rt. Rev. Sam Hulsey who heads the Kanuga Planning Team for the House of Bishops, whose committee recommended the embargo. Moreover, EURRR may have been using its own selective release of the draft and the subsequent coverage to justify its broadscale release. EURRR's admitted purpose is to derail the pastoral:
"'Continuing the Dialogue' attempts to codify the local option, in which bishops are free to ordain noncelibate homosexuals and priests are free -- in the name of pastoral care -- to bless same-sex unions. The revisionist theology reflected in 'Continuing the Dialogue,' and the false peace offered by the local option, merely increases the pressure to reject the Church's traditional teachings on sexual morality.
"The committee, however, has shown a repeated willingness to ignore the concerns of orthodox bishops and to move the document further into heterodoxy.
"... Finally, we encourage you to let your bishop know what you think about 'Continuing the Dialogue.' The future of the Episcopal Church is far too important to be shaped by a purported dialogue held behind closed doors and resulting in heterodoxy by pronouncement."
One of the articles in "The United Voice" is by Stephen F. Noll, Professor of Biblical Studies and Academic Dean of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, who apparent has had access to all of the drafts:
"I have followed the drafts of the House of Bishops' pastoral teaching on sexuality since Fall 1993. The committee appointed by the House of Bishops to produce this new teaching has maintained a consistency of purpose throughout -- to legitimate homosexual practice -- muddled only enough in its wording of earlier versions to appear 'inclusive' of all views.
"... In conclusion, it seems clear from reading the drafts sequentially that the drafting committee is intent on advocating a sea change in the moral teaching of the Christian faith. We may be thankful the latest draft is even more clear-cut than the earlier ones, as it becomes obvious that conservative objections cannot be incorporated into this document without leading to theological chaos."
Apparently the drafts of this pastoral were confidential only from Integrity and the lesgay community, while they were widely available in Ambridge.
In another low blow, and a foretaste of tactics to come in Indianapolis, EURRR also condemned the composition of the A104sa Committee, particularly the Rev. Jane Garrett, who is openly lesbian. This, they suggest, automatically invalidates the document, while the presence of Bishop Harry Shipps, who recently called for the excommunication of all "open" lesbians and gay men ["Voice," Summer, 1993], is necessary to represent the true feelings of the Church.
By now, the 4th draft was widely available, and on June 23, Associated Press writer David Briggs did an extensive article. He interviewed numerous people:
"The document doesn't take a stand one way or the other, basically," said the Rev. Jane N. Garrett, a member of the drafting committee. "It leaves everything open for a continuation of the dialogue.
"But Bishop William Frey, dean of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, said presenting different points of view is not pastoral teaching, but a reflection of the chaos in the church on these issues today. 'The nicest thing I can say is that parts of it remind me of theology by Oprah and Donahue,' he said. 'In its present form, it would be the most embarrassing document the bishops have every produced.'
"Committee members would not comment on the contents of the final draft, but said it would not shake up the church. 'It's not going to be a particularly radical document,' said Bishop Frank Allan of Atlanta. 'if people want to get titillated by it, they can get titillated by something else.'
"Garrett said given the tensions in the church the drafting committee deliberately avoided taking a stand on issues such as the ordination of homosexuals. 'There's no way at this moment to reconcile those differences,' she said.
"Wetzel disagrees. He said the document is a sophisticated attempt to place homosexual relations on a par with heterosexual relations. 'I think the real intent of the document is pretty clear: to legitimate homosexual practice,' he said.
"But a leader of an Episcopal gay rights group said that is already happening -- with or without a statement from the bishops. E. Kim Byham, publisher of 'the Voice of Integrity,' said blessings of same-sex unions have occurred in churches throughout the country, and homosexuals have been ordained in some 35 dioceses. 'It's really a done deal,' he said."
PRESIDING BISHOP CONDEMNS EURRR
The following day, the Most Rev. Edmond L. Browning broke his silence on the purloined draft in a letter to all bishops:
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
I write to make you aware that, in defiance of the careful process established by the House of Bishops, Episcopalians United has released draft four of the pastoral teaching on human sexuality. They have issued a press release urging Episcopalians to request a copy of the report from Episcopalians United headquarters.
Further, the pre-Convention issue of their publication, under the guise of "critiquing" the report, is devoted to discrediting the report, the House of Bishops process, and the committee. I find this action utterly reprehensible and unworthy behavior for those who declare themselves to be part of our household of faith.
Careful reading of their newspaper and press reports, as well as exposure to their disgraceful fund-raising materials over the years, seems to indicate that they assume they hold the truth on all of the difficult issues before us, based on their unambiguous interpretation of scripture, which they categorize as "orthodox." They have determined that the fourth draft does not adhere to their position, and apparently believe they are therefore justified in using whatever means to derail the process the bishops have established.
They have characterized the House of Bishops process as "clandestine" and erroneously stated that it was the "unilateral" decision of the committee which made the process "needlessly furtive." As you are aware, the process reflects the House of Bishops efforts to respond to General Convention resolution A104sa.
Episcopalians United charged that there has not been a dialogue. In actual fact, we know that the teaching was not meant to be a dialogue but rather the work of the bishops in consultation with ethicists and biblical scholars. In addition, the teaching was informed by churchwide dialogue involving an estimated 30,000 persons, as reported on by Bishop O'Kelley Whitaker's committee.
Contrary to the substance and spirit of the Episcopalians United coverage, we know that the report reflects the faithful effort of the bishops to help the church continue together in dialogue as we seek to discover God's will. We know that our report will not be an end, but a beginning.
What I find the most difficult about the Episcopalians United action is that their organization has supporters in most of our dioceses, many of whom are unaware of the decidedly un-Christian tactics of Episcopalians United, and of its highly one-sided point of view. These supporters give credence to Episcopalians United claims, regardless of how misleading, incorrect, or totally disingenuous they might be.
It is very important that you know that I spoke yesterday in a conference call to all of the members of the A104sa committee who could be reached, including Bishops Frank Allan, Steven Charleston, Mark Dyer, Rogers Harris, Richard Shimpfky and Vincent Warner and also the Rev. Barnum McCarty and Mary Meader. They are extremely pleased with their efforts on the fifth draft, which is significantly different from the fourth, based on the comments of the House. I regret that the debate around the church provoked by the Episcopalians United action will be about a document that is no longer relevant. I hope that energy will be maintained for a good discussion about the actual report itself.
I believe the most appropriate response to the action of Episcopalians United is first to be aware of it, which is the purpose of this letter, and then be prepared to provide, and to help your clergy provide, accurate information. More important, I believe we, the House of Bishops, must stay on the course we have been following over these last years, and continue to be guided by the Covenant that informs our life together. We must honor our process, which has been open and consultative, and we must honor our sense of what it means to serve as bishops.
Edmond L. Browning, Presiding Bishop and Primate
EURRR'S RESPONSE
In response to Bishop Browning, Todd Wetzel wrote a letter defending himself to the House of Bishops, closing with, "[P]lease know that we are deeply saddened by and take exception to both the tone and inaccuracies of the Presiding Bishop's recent comments regarding Episcopalians United and the progress of the dialogue." Nowhere, however, does Wetzel indicate what the inaccuracies are.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Bishop John Howe of Central Florida, also wrote to the Presiding Bishop giving a unique defense of EURRR, in a letter which was circulated by them.
"First, your accusation that EU[RRR] has done something 'in defiance of the careful process established by the House of Bishops' is itself disingenuous. Episcopalians United never agreed to the process by which this 'Pastoral Teaching' has been prepared. ... It is true that the House agreed to the Committee's decision, but obviously one or more of our members broke faith with that agreement. That is not the fault of EU[RRR]. ... I am saddened to say that your letter seems strangely shrill, defensive and antagonistic toward a constituency within this Church that is simply trying to bear allegiance to the 'faith once delivered to the saints' -- at least as they understand it."
This journal is going to press before "The Living Church" has commented on the "leak," but it is safe to assume that that magazine will consider the distribution of an embargoed paper by EURRR to be much less troubling than Integrity's fully authorized reception at the House of Bishops' meeting in Panama.
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*WITNESSING FOR BISEXUALITY TO THE CHURCH*
by Albert Lunde
I went to hear Dr. Bruce Hilton speak as a prelude to a seminar series on heterosexism. He spoke very well about how heterosexism (and sexism and racism) have led the church astray -- about how we have become "conformed to the world." Afterwards there was a question and answer session.
Bruce Hilton served on the United Methodist Committee to Study Homosexuality, commissioned by the 1988 General Conference, which reported to the 1992 General Conference. Three or four years ago there was a "listening post" held in my area, by a subgroup of the committee (not including Bruce Hilton), and I testified before it as an out bisexual. I was fairly new to bi politics, especially in the church, and I was asked a question which flustered me at the time, because I didn't understand it at first: "If the church accepted homosexuals, could the church accept 'self-avowed practicing bisexuals'?" My immediate reaction was, "Of course, why not?" because I failed for several minutes to understand their difficulty. (The phrase "self-avowed practicing homosexual" appears in the Methodist Book of Discipline.)
I came to the lecture thinking I should speak for bi issues, but the whole question and answer period went without the subject being raised. At the close, however, one last person was selected to ask a question -- the man next to me. He asked Bruce "You say that the church is becoming more accepting of homosexuals, but there is something we've heard of lately -- what about bisexuals -- what does that say about covenant relationships?"
I spoke up and said, "I think I should answer this, I'm a bisexual." I went on to explain that bisexuality and monogamy were two different issues, that it was a myth that bisexuals *had* to have two relationships at the same time, that I knew bisexual persons in long-term monogamous relationships, and so the issues of covenants were the same for bisexuals as for homosexuals or heterosexuals.
Someone else spoke up and said "But what do we do about *practicing* bisexuals?" (!!)
I replied: "Being a 'practicing bisexual' means I'm having sex with *someone*, not that I'm having sex with two people at once."
I had some more conversations with people afterwards. It is not an incredible coincidence that this happened, yet I felt like I had God's eye on me as it was happening. This was nearly the same question I'd been asked years before (and had trouble answering) and now I was sitting right next to the man asking it, wearing a button that read "*You're* confused; *I'm* bisexual."
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*LETTERS TO "THE VOICE OF INTEGRITY"*
R. Scott Helsel, Editor
Dear Mr. Helsel,
After reviewing the Integrity Prayer Calendar in the Spring 1994 issue, we would like to suggest an addition.
As well as prayers for Integrity, its chapters & related personnel, and for groups & organizations that share common cause, prayers are requested for more general categories of lesgay people, such as:
Lesbian and Gay religious
Lesbian and Gay musicians
Lesbian and Gay seminarians
Lesbian and Gay bishops, priests and deacons
Lesbians and Gay Men of all nations
All who have died from AIDS or as a result of homophobia
Lesbians and Gays in the Military and Lesgay Veterans
Gay Veterans
We proposed that prayers for *Lesbians and Gay Men in Committed Relationships* be added to the calendar. In this time when the church's blessing of our committed relationships is undergoing serious discussion, prayers for couples already so pledged are particularly important and appropriate.
Yours truly,
Douglas Johnson & William Weaver
Atlanta, GA
P.S.In November 1993, we celebrated our fortieth anniversary together.
THE EDITOR RESPONDS
An excellent idea and we hope others will send suggestions for additions to the prayer calendar.
Mr. Kim Byham, Publisher
Dear Kim,
Today I received my Spring 94 "Voice...," the first I have received since the winter of 1993! Even though I have dutifully notified Integrity of my address changes in the past year, I have only received the notice to pay my dues and the ballot to vote for the national slate of officers.
This is the third request I have made to receive my publications in a timely manner. The first was following General Convention in 1991; it was handled fairly promptly. The second was directed through Tim Caison earlier this year. I know he sent in a request that I receive my back copies but none have been sent.
Please! I enjoy reading "The Voice..." and I feel it is important that it be delivered in a timely manner. As I look forward to 6 or 8 weeks vacation before beginning a new job, I would love to catch up on all my back reading and I would appreciate you or your office mailing me all those missed publications. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Sandy Horton +
Atlanta
THE PUBLISHER RESPONDS:
Sorry about your not getting "The Voice." I'm sure Tim passed along your earlier request but we must have overlooked it. Enclosed are the past issues you missed. Please note that "The Voice" is not forwarded to anyone unless they request the post office to forward magazines. We don't get them back, either, as the cost would be astronomical. We rely on members to promptly let us know about changed addresses. By notifying us, you are in a distinct minority -- only about 5% of our members who move write to us. The rest put considerably more faith in the post office than I have. If one moves twice in a fairly short period, for example, it is almost impossible to find the new address from the post office -- the post office just doesn't do double forwarding or double address corrections.
It is possible that the problem actually lies with your post office. We have one member who has never moved and for whom we have the correct address but he has never gotten a copy of "The Voice"! It must simply fall into a bulk mail sink-hole in his local post office.
It is also possible that while you notified us promptly, your address changes fell at a time when "The Voice" was already in the mail. Scott makes a concerted effort to see that every address correction he has received is entered in the system before each mailing of "The Voice." Thanks for using the New York address -- writing directly to us or to the Treasurer can save months. In June we received mail sent to the Washington box in March.
Editor's Note
The copies of "The Voice" which were sent via Priority Mail to The Rev. Sandy Horton were returned. The Post Office stamped the envelope: *Addressee unknown!*
Dear Mr. Helsel:
I much appreciated your reprint of Victor Furnish's fine article on Scripture and homosexuality. The only thing that bothered me was his statement (which I've heard before from others) that biblical scholars "rarely" support the idea that there might have been a sexual component in the friendship of David and Jonathan, and his assertion that "there is no evidence to support" such a claim.
I don't question the truth of the first statement. Most biblical scholars do seem unable to see anything sexual in David and Jonathan's story. I cannot support the second claim, however. On the contrary, the sexual element in the Saul-David-Jonathan story can be demonstrated by standard scholarly means. What is lacking in critical publications is any clear demonstration that there isn't a sexual component. I attribute this to a blend of paradigm paralysis or unintentional failure to consider evidence that does not fit the standard theory. Gould and Kuhn have documented this phenomenon in the physical and biological sciences, and theology and exegesis are no strangers to this tendency: the church has a long tradition of playing "gnats and camels." So too the church has asserted absolute certainty on points about which it later found itself to be completely mistaken.
The church has long downplayed what many see as an obvious love story. This goes back at least to the Vulgate. I've not had opportunity to consult a critical edition, but St. Jerome made a concerted effort to minimize the homoerotic element in David's lament over Jonathan. The translator bowdlerizes the climactic verse rendering the Hebrew for love as "amabilis" when referring to Jonathan and "amorem" when referring to women. Thus, what should read as "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. Greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women" (NRSV) becomes (In the Douay, based on the Vulgate), "I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women." Moreover, Jerome (or some other editor with the uncanny chutzbah to rewrite the Bible) went even further: he added a half-verse that exists (as far as I can find) in neither the Hebrew nor the Greek version: "Sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, ita ego te diligebarn." ("As a mother loves her only son so I loved you")! I've not seen this particular embolism in the Vulgate referred to in critical examinations of the issue, but I suggest it offers conclusive evidence that the translator was aware enough of the sexual overtones in this story to go to great lengths to minimize or eliminate them.
There are many "scholarly" reasons to see an erotic element in the complex relationship between these two young men (to say nothing of Saul). This is hardly the place for an extended analysis (which I hope to pursue elsewhere), but I'd like to note a few I've not seen discussed in scholarship circles.
Consider the most obvious: if one took the Saul-David-Jonathan dynastic/romantic epic and changed the venue to ancient Greece, no classical scholar would have trouble acknowledging the likelihood of a sexual element in the tale. In the original setting, one might note that the Law would forbid such behavior; however, the Law was not in effect at the period in question. Israel was emerging from the era of the Judges, in which "all the people did what was right in their own eyes." Toleration even of household idolatry seems to have been common, for example (1 Samuel 19).
When Jonathan first meets with David -- when Saul "takes" him -- he experiences "love-at-first-sight" (is there such a thing as friendship-at-first-sight?). Jonathan strips off his robe to cover David, and plights a covenant with him (1 Sam 18:1-4). This finds a striking parallel -- in clearly sexual imagery -- in Ezekiel 16:8, when God covers Israel with his robe and makes a covenant with her. Scholars normally describe the latter as "nuptial" but don't think of applying that term to the former.
Furnish notes the absence of biblical language to describe homosexuality (in any case a modern concept). The standard words even for sex in biblical Hebrew are ambiguous, or cover a wide range of meanings: know, lie down with, love, take, etc. This renders biblical discussion of sex, and homosexuality in particular, paraphrastic or metaphorical. Given these limitations, I contend that climax of David's lament over Jonathan represents the clearest way to express, in the Hebrew language and culture, a loving same-sex relationship. The phrasing and structure exactly parallel that used in the Levitical commandment against male same-sex acts. Compare literal translations of Leviticus 18:22, "With a man do not lie down x the lying down of a woman," with 2 Samuel 1:26, "More wonderful your love to me x than the love of women." In both cases the parallel presence of woman or women serves to clarify that the ambiguous words on both sides of the parallelism (lie down and love) refer to sexual relations.
Still, many biblical scholars reject out of hand (and without further explanation) the possibility that David and Jonathan may have been more than friends. I say "more" intentionally. Some say that introducing a sexual element into the David and Jonathan story is an attack upon -- or at least a diminution of -- friendship. I would say that these people reveal a subtle antipathy toward sex. Why should the introduction of sex lessen the quality of a relationship? Would they apply this concept to marriage, in which a healthy sexual element is not only necessary (per canon law!) but positive? I doubt it. (I know some people say men and women can't be friends because of sex, but that's hardly Christian teaching.)
I would welcome hearing the *scholarly* reasons for rejecting an erotic element in David and Jonathan's story. Until then, appears to me that the evidence *for* far outweighs the evidence *against*.
Sincerely,
Tobias S. Haller, BSG
Bronx, New York
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*STILL MORE DIOCESES LEAVE THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION?*
Six other dioceses have now announced their intention to join the Diocese of Florida severing the principal of intercommuinion within the Episcopal Church. The bishops of San Joaquin, Central Florida, Florida, Quincy, Dallas, West Missouri and the Rio Grande joined 43 other Episcopalians in forming a new organization aimed at pressuring the church to adopt ultra-conservative positions or face decreased financial support. In a covenant adopted at the initial meeting of Episcopalians in Apostolic Mission (EAM) in Atlanta, signatories critized "tendencies within the wider Episcopal Church today contrary to official Anglican ethical standards," even if they are authorized by General Convention. The members further agreed that "we will not conform ourselves to [such actions], we will not directly financially support them, "nor will we permit those who engage in them to minister regularly within our congregational and/or diocesan life*." Members of EAM called for protection of life "from conception to natural death" and the limitation o "sexual intimacy and intercourse" to "heterosexual, nomogamous, life-long marriage." The covenant describes divorce as "always sinful and rarely appropriate."
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*A HYMN HONORING THOSE WITH HIV/AIDS*
Words written by the Rev. Evan U Ardley, 1994
To be sung to "Picardy" (Let all mortal flesh keep silence, Hymnal 1982 #324)
Joining hands around love infected
We have learned of love engaged
In the things that really matter
Knowing Christ in tears, enraged.
Daring God to give us healing
Christ our God, O hear our pain.
Chronic is our living in questions.
Dancing in and out of truth;
Finding life is never simple,
Virus, void and much untruth.
Lead us on in quick endeavor,
Christ our God, O share our pain.
Light and healing are Your blessings
Body, mind and spirit one.
In this union we are wholeness
And a new life is begun
Lover, friend and all, become for me
Christ our God, O love our pain.
Join then, with a world in crisis
Pleading for the end of this day
Come Lord Jesus, be our healing
Of the shadows of today
Be our song of joy and stinging love
Christ our God, O lift our pain.
Still to us we sing Alleluia
Alleluia, God is Love.
Ever searching in our vessels
Light and peace from above.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Christ our God, O hear our pain.
-----
Fr. Ardley is Rector of the Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa, California, and has given permission for widespread use of this hymn.
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*MORE GOOD NEWS FOR GENERAL CONVENTION*
The following is an excerpt from the Report of the Joint Commission on AIDS/HIV to the 1994 General Convention, "Blue Book," p. 5:
This Church must make a statement of the intrinsic worth of gay, lesbian and bisexual people. We must also support and value covenanted, significant relationships between persons of the same gender. We must take a stand that says love between two persons can and should be rooted in the love of God and be a reflection of that love and that such relationships are blessed by God. The Church should become openly and lovingly involved in affirming, supporting and helping such relationships. We must redouble our efforts to respect the dignity of every human being.
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*MORE AWARDS*
This Publication Again Honored
At the Episcopal Communicators' annual convention, held at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, North Carolina, Memorial Day Weekend, "The Voice of Integrity" again received two Polly Bond Awards for articles which appeared in 1993. Integrity's entries compete in the Magazine division, Agency Level, a group which includes "The Witness." The Episcopal Communicators, made up primarily of the editors of diocesan publications, but including a wide variety of others involved in print and electronic media in the Episcopal Church, held a joint convention with Associated Church Press, an interdenominational group that includes the national publications of various denominations. "The Voice's" winning entries were:
*Headline: Award of Excellence*
"Pussycats in the Lions' Den"
Headline Writer: Kim Byham; Authors of Article: Ann Carlson and Louie Crew
Fall 1993 issue
This article described the authors' visit to a meeting of so-called "ex-gays" in Maryland.
"Editorial: Award of Merit"
"Who Will Mourn?"
Author: Kim Byham
Fall 1993 issue
This editorial discussed the sentencing of the murderer of the Rev. Thomas Davidson in Yakima, Washington.
Adding unintended levity to the awards ceremony was one presented to "The United Voice," the publication of the Episcopalians United for Revelation, Renewal and Reformation. EURRR had not previously won a Polly Bond but this year they won three awards in the newspaper category, two of which were for the article "Integrity Pours Drinks at Bishops' Meeting" (one for the headline and one for the content as a news story). The award, however, was labeled as going to "The United Voice of Integrity"! Contrary to this suggestion, EURRR and Integrity are not contemplating a merger, but the humor was appreciated by the editors of both publications who have established a cordial working relationship.
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*CONTINUUM OF PRIDE*
1900
1920
Society for Individual Freedom
1950
Mattachine/Daughters of Blitis
1969-STONEWALL
Gay Liberation Front
Integrity
1980
Triangle Community Center
1994
STONEWALL 25
???
2006
???
2017
???
2031
???
2061
???
2080
???
2100
by Jeffri Harre
Twenty-five years ago this month the patrons of a dingy bar in Greenwich Village fought back during a police raid. Their actions sparked three days of riots and heralded the modern lesbian/gay rights movement. At nine, I was more concerned with G.I. Joes and Hot Wheels than with emerging political movements. Local newspapers didn't cover the riots. We rarely watched the evening news -- the films from Vietnam gave me nightmares -- so I missed any coverage the television might have carried. It was a decade before I learned abut the Stonewall Riots.
Over 20 years ago gay and lesbian activists around the country began the first attempts to pass civil rights bills in state legislatures. Repeated defeats did not deter the efforts. Slowly, "gay rights" bills became regular items on legislative agendas in many state capitals. Finally, in 1981, the Wisconsin legislature passed the first lesbian/gay civil rights bill in the country.
The riots and the gay/lesbian rights groups of the '70's were not the first people to fight for our rights. The Society for Individual Rights came into being (and ceased to exist) in Chicago almost 70 years ago. Forty years ago or so, the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Blitis were founded. These organizations were on the verge of forming the first national coalition of lesbian/gay rights groups when the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance were born in the wake of the Stonewall Riots.
Twenty years ago, a handful of lesbian and gay Episcopalians founded Integrity. Less than five years later, the first open lesbian was ordained among the first women publicly ordained in the Episcopal Church.
Could any of these people have known how their actions would affect the life of a young boy growing up in Darien, Connecticut? Could they foresee that their struggles -- both successes and failures -- would nurture a sense of pride in that boy?
Eleven years ago I sat behind a small table in the Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin. We were collecting signatures on petitions to repeal the state's sodomy statutes. The sign on the table clearly identified us as members of the campus lesbian and gay student organization. Not only was it the first "Out" activity I participated in, it was the beginning of more than a decade of involvement in local, state and federal politics.
I helped found the Connecticut Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights in 1984. For seven years we lobbied, educated, petitioned and protested for passage of civil rights legislation in Connecticut. Governor Weicker signed the bill in May 1991.
Five years ago I became involved with a group of people with a vision. Out of that vision came the Triangle Community Center. I served on the first Board of Directors and continue to volunteer time in the Center. In many ways, being involved with the Center has broadened my horizons. I learned -- and continue to learn -- how to be a whole gay person.
Last Fall I came out to my parish. Even though I'd been Out for over ten years, and out to a few members of the parish, I found it nerve wracking. I've had my picture on the front page of newspapers because of my involvement with the Coalition and the Center, but I'd never come out in person to so many people at the same time before. Even as I finished speaking that Sunday, I thought, "What have I done?" I don't think any of us in the parish really know the full answer to that yet.
I can say with certainty that I will face more challenges in the future. Some will be met successfully, others will not. However, none of them will be total failures. Somewhere, there is a nine-year-old more interested in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Barbies than evolving political and social movements. She or he might be the child of someone in my parish. In a decade or less, she or he will learn about Stonewall, Wisconsin, the Triangle Community Center and ...
-----
Jeffri Harre is editor of "Grapevine," the newsletter of Integrity/Westchester. This article appeared in the June 1994 issue.
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*MY OWN PRIVATE STONEWALL*
by Donald L. Snyder
Describing 1969 as eventful is an understatement at best. The loss of Martin and Bobby during the previous year still left us with a huge void. The Jets won the Super Bowl, helping to make "Broadway Joe" Nameth a household name. Richard Nixon was inaugurated. We lost Judy late in June. During a weekend in July the name Chappaquiddick became firmly etched in our minds. The whole world watched with wonder and anticipation as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first footsteps on the lunar surface. An August rock concert in upstate New York created the defining moment and the identifying moniker for the Woodstock generation. The "Amazin' Mets" did the unthinkable and won the World Series.
Media images were omnipresent. "Rowan and Martin's Laugh In" became a cultural icon as well as a staple of our television viewing diets on Monday nights. Marvin Gaye "Heard it through the Grapevine" and Blood, Sweat, and Tears were "So Very Happy." The carnage of Northern Ireland and southeast Asia was brought into our homes via the nightly television news. "Midnight Cowboy" catapulted Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voigt into super stardom.
For an awkward thirteen year old in an Indiana suburb, the melee outside the Stonewall Inn could easily have taken place on another planet. Puberty for me had descended with a vengeance. It became a real challenge to fight blemishes and bad hair. Growing half an inch a month, my new school clothes were soon too small. My new transistor radio could transport me from a town named New Haven to more cosmopolitan locales such as Detroit and Chicago. Even New York seemed like an inviting place, thanks to "That Girl," Marlo Thomas, and her cute boyfriend, Don. My first year in junior high brought new and expanded experiences, along with some powerful feelings for a boy named Jack.
I hardly noticed him at first. I knew that his sister and mine, both high school seniors, had been friends for several years. Since he was two grades ahead of me, we had only one class together. It was choir, of course.
Jack returned from Christmas vacation with a Florida tan which embellished his azure eyes and sandy blond waves. Jack seemed to have everything going for him. He was from a good family who lived in a desirable part of town. He was in advanced academic classes at school. I found his quirky sense of humor particularly appealing. It seemed that any girl could have fallen for him in a big way. I knew that had happened for me.
I could feel my heart leaping into my throat whenever I saw him. Conversation was even more of a challenge as my voice jumped an octave, and my knees became weak. More than anything else, I longed for the chance just to spend time with him. I imagined the two of us just sitting and talking on the terrace in front of my family's home. Certainly we would never run out of things to say and do. The whole scenario seemed so simple.
A veritable lifetime of events has occurred in the last twenty-five years. After Stonewall we became a propelling political force. A sizable number of us have served on city councils, in state legislatures, and in the U.S. House. In many cities and towns we've established a real sense of community. Our special community events range from drag shows to wrestling team matches. Thousands of us have died of AIDS in the last fifteen years, while countless others of us have been injured or killed due to anti-gay violence. Perseverance has brought about anti-discrimination legislation in many cities and several states. Over one million of us and our supporters marched and celebrated in Washington during late April, 1993. We're even the main characters in a television ad for IKEA furniture.
My own private Stonewall took a depressing turn when I learned that Jack and his family had moved to Florida in early 1970. Nevertheless, he has crept into my conscious and subconscious thoughts, complete with recurring dreams. One day seven years ago I was sure I saw Jack on the subway here in New York.
In some ways the events of 1969 have come full circle. The man now in my life is a lot like Jack. Both were born in the same year, less than four months apart. The blond and blue eyed looks are there, along with the same great wit, intelligence, and more.
In 1994 I can't help but wonder about thirteen year old boys and girls who are dealing with their own sexuality and affections. I hope the lives they lead as upstanding lesbian and gay citizens will be a little easier. I hope their work and ours can make for a happier and more just world for gays and lesbians in the next quarter century.
-----
Donald Snyder is a member of Integrity/New York.
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*A TIME TO FLAUNT*
By Dan Wall
Easter brings us celebration of new life, new energy breathed into that which was dead. The spring of spirit commingles with the awareness of nature's free rebirthing from its cold dormant cell. Easter's parade on the avenue yields to summer on "the rocks," incarnating yet another appreciation of that which God has created.
It is a time to flaunt ‑‑ "...to exhibit ostentatiously; show off ...to wave proudly." Tired of closet tombs, we no longer cower in fear that someone might discover our secrets, and tell our stories, and take away our jobs, our homes, our security. With pride, we take a stand ‑‑ we have a wonderful gift of sexual identity in God's created order.
But our pride is discomforting to many, particularly in the church. A member of Integrity/Chicago's Board of Directors recently moved and is searching for a church to call home. Interviewing the priest in a parish compatible with his preferred worship style, my friend acknowledged that he lives in a six-year committed relationship with another man.
Obviously uncomfortable, the rector conceded that there were other homosexual persons in the congregation, and he allowed that another one or two would be all right. Then came those stinging words: "...but please don't flaunt it." I am not so sure any more that I know what the word "flaunt" means when thrown our way. Does it mean, "Don't act like a stereotype"?
My fear is that the real message being conveyed to us is, "Do not dare to claim a positive self-image or to act like you believe yourself to be normal." We can go to the wedding banquet as long as we refrain from a gentle touch, a hand caressed, a cheek bussed with a sign of genuine affection, of loving relationship entered without sanction.
In the meantime, we experience the flaunting of superiority in the sacramentalizing of heterosexual union. We watch as special privileges of insurance benefits and inheritance rights are flaunted by those who protect their own preferences in the codes of law. But we should not flaunt, be seen, celebrate that which God has given to us ‑‑ the ability to love another human being who happens to be of the same gender.
We no longer seek approval from those who differ, but affirmation. If there is a time and place for everything, there is a time to flaunt. With pride, we advertise in both gay and mainstream press the gatherings of Integrity/Chicago. We do not seek to be separate, but to empower men and women ‑‑ straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual ‑‑ to have the pride to flaunt, to be themselves, in their parishes and in our world.
The Lord is risen, and shall never be controlled by a tomb again. Our new life will never be suffocated by a closet again. And we will flaunt it, and shout it, and be seen in marches and parades until new life is freely available to all.
Be gentle, be loving. In the resurrected life with Christ, be yourself ‑‑ the self that God made. The stone is rolled away from the tomb as the closet door is open. I pray that we can be the instruments by which the Church comes out of her closet, too.
-----
Dan Wall is the Convener of Integrity/Chicago. This article appeared in the chapter newsletter, "News Notes."
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*BUY THIS CD!*
by Kim Byham
I would have been tempted to tell you to buy "Memento Bittersweet," a new Catalyst CD (and available in the fall on cassette), simply because one of the five composers is Lee Gannon, a member of Integrity/Middle Tennessee. That plus the fact that part of the proceeds will go to Classical Action, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the HIV virus. Of course, truth in reviewing compels me to report that Catalyst is BMG's Classics' label for new music and Scott works for BMG (parent also to RCA and Arista). But all of these justifications are unnecessary because this is an extraordinary recording. Don't take my word, here is what "Stereo Review," May 1994, said:
"'Memento Bittersweet' presents five attractive, accessible works by contemporary composers with two things in common: an audible joy at the ability to create music, and HIV disease (three have already died of AIDS). Not all of the works are fully formed, but there is a conspicuous lack of sentimentality.
"The biggest piece in the 66 minute collection is the Piano Concerto by Kevin Oldham (1966-1993), which is gleefully derivative of those by Ravel, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, and others.
"'Tango Bittersweet' by Fred Hersch (b. 1955) is a Latin flavored song without words for piano and cello. Chris DeBlasio (1959-1993) is represented by the tuneful 'God Is Our Righteousness' for the unlikely combination of acoustic guitar and organ. Much more fully realized is the Variations on 'Amazing Grace' for English horn and organ by Calvin Hampton (1938-1984), a surprise-filled work with some incredible sounds drawn out of the horn by Thomas Stacy.
"The most substantial piece is 'Triad-O-Rama' by Lee Gannon (b. 1960), performed by the Aspen Wind Quintet. That's appropriate since it seems to have been composed under the spell of Darius Milhaud, a frequent Aspen visitor, but Gannon's own distinctively playful voice comes through."
The late Calvin Hampton was organist at Calvary Church, New York, and had five compositions in "The Hymnal 1982."
Integrity will be selling "Memento Bittersweet" at our booth at General Convention. Ask for it at your local record store or you may order a copy on the form below.
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*MEMENTO BITTERSWEET*
Please send me ____ copies of Memento Bittersweet. I enclose a check or money order for $12.00 made out to "Integrity" for each CD ordered. Send my CD('s) to:
Name: _____________________________________
Street: ___________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________
Mail to Order to: Integrity - CD; PO Box 5202; New York, NY 10185-5202
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*MEET YOUR NEW BOARD*
The 1994 Integrity elections have resulted in the largest turnover in the composition of the board in the last ten years. There are also substantial changes in demographics. The previous board had five men and four women; the new board will be 8 to 1 male, with one vacancy. [This happened even though the nominating committee was 3 to 1 female.] On the old board, five members were from the south, two from the northeast and one each from the west and midwest. Despite the division of the southern region into the South Central and Southeast, there will be only three members from the old southern region, but there will now be three from the west. The numbers from the midwest and the northeast are unchanged. The number of ordained members of the board has doubled to two with the addition of David Norgard as Secretary. Three of the board members have served as dean of an Integrity national convention: Robert Heylmun in 1993, Rob Rynearson in 1992, and Kim Byham in 1984.
Officers and Regional Vice Presidents were elected for two year terms commencing October 1, 1994. This date was changed from the last Sunday in June by an amendment to the bylaws last year to provide continuity through General Convention. Kim Byham remains as Director of Communication through the end of his one year term at the fall board meeting in Atlanta, Columbus Day Weekend. The office of Director of Development, currently held by Fred Ellis, will become vacant with his becoming president. It is anticipated that the two directorships will be filled at the fall meeting and anyone interested in serving should contact Ellis.
Although the bylaws were amended to make the immediate past president a member of the board, Bruce Garner is undecided about whether he will continue in that role. Thus he is not included in the computations above.
*The new President is Fred H. Ellis, III, of Nashville*. He was a founder of Integrity/Middle Tennessee and served as Co-Convener since the founding. He represented Integrity both in the diocese and with other lesbian/gay organizations in the area. Ellis noted, "We have seen our chapter grow from 5 people to 40 members, and over 80 people on our mailing list. As Co-Convener, I have been involved in presentations to numerous parishes in our diocese, and to the School of Theology at the University of The South."
Ellis represented Integrity Inc. at The Witness Forum, held at Trinity School of Ministry, and at the House of Bishops Meeting in Panama. He currently serves on the Board of Directors, in the position of Director of Development.
Ellis has been a member of Christ Church, Nashville, for eleven years, serving in a wide variety of capacities. He also served on the Diocese of Tennessee Working Group for Human Sexuality. In addition, he served on the organizing committee for the 1992 and 1993 Gay Pride Celebrations in Nashville.
Ellis is a supervisor in the reservations department of a major airline, which will allow him to do considerable chapter visitation. He looks forward to getting invitations from all chapters to visit.
Asked about his goals for the organization, Ellis said, "We need to empower our local chapters to be a greater presence in their diocese and communities. We must work together on the national level, to insure that we are presenting a united front. We need to continue our educational efforts throughout the Episcopal Church, both locally and nationally, to insure we achieve our goals."
*The Rev. David L. Norgard has served as Secretary since April 22*, when he was elected by the Board to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Sue Thompson. He ran without opposition in the May election. Norgard recently moved to San Francisco and has just been elected Rector of the Church of St. John the Evangelist there. He is a member of Integrity/New York.
Norgard served through April as Missioner and Executive Director of The Oasis, a ministry of the Diocese of Newark with the lesbian/gay community and as a member of the Diocesan Council and the Diocesan Commission on Ministry. In addition, he is a member of the National Church's Standing Commission on Evangelism.
A ten year Integrity member (originally of Integrity/Twin Cities), Norgard was also a founder of the Yale Lesbian/Gay Cooperative, and served on the boards of both chapters. Norgard was openly gay and in a relationship when he was ordained in 1984. It was his partner's transfer which led to his relocation to San Francisco.
Norgard has suggested advocacy training on the local level, which could go hand-in-hand with chapter development, especially in more conservative areas of the Church. "Through its ministry of advocacy, Integrity has helped countless Episcopalians see the issue of sexuality in terms of justice. By continuing to strengthen the witness of local chapters as well as the network which exists between them, Integrity will make further great strides in bringing this understanding to the Church."
*J. Mark Crouse, a member of Integrity/San Diego, is the new Treasurer*. He is eminently qualified to fill the position, but he must meet the very high standards established by Tim Caison. Among other parish activities, Crouse has served as Clerk of Vestry and Church Treasurer. He has been Finance Chair of Names Project San Diego County and a board member of Creative Response (arts organizations' employees raising money for HIV-care giving organizations). He served as Treasurer of Integrity/San Diego and as Treasurer for Integrity '93 National Convention.
Crouse is currently Event Accountant at the San Diego Convention Center, City Concourse and Civic Theatre. He hopes Integrity will continue to expand its role in the Episcopal Church "as a non-violent, though non-passive instrument for inclusion with full guarantee of participation for all gay, lesbian and bi-sexual peoples."
*Succeeding Gil Grady as Western Regional Vice President is Robert Heylmun, who is co-convener of Integrity/San Diego*. He has been chapter newsletter editor since 1986 and, as noted above, was Dean of the 1993 Integrity National Convention. He serves on the Cathedral Chapter and in numerous other roles at the cathedral.
Prior to his retirement, Heylmun was an openly gay instructor of English composition at University of California. He suggests that "Integrity needs more heterosexual Christians among its membership, and it ought to pursue the enlistment of accepting Christians as helpers in our struggle for "a place at the table." We ought to sponsor and keep track of the results of sexuality dialogues in our parishes, helping heterosexual Christians understand who we are."
*The first Southeast Regional Vice President will be Warren A. Carlson, who is convener of Integrity/Central Florida*. He and his partner live near Orlando in Altamente Springs, FL. He is a Lay Eucharistic Minister and Sub-deacon at Cathedral Church of St. Luke, Orlando.
Carlson is a financial consultant, licensed in insurance and securities. He wants to help chapters by using his experience as a resource person, communicator, enervator, and "mollifier" in accommodating sometimes diverging interests of chapter members into a forward direction. He also wants to use his "experience and status gained as a battle scarred, but respected cathedral communicant, advocate, and spokesperson, along with clerical contacts and knowledge of the national church."
*Phil Nicholson, the new Northeast Regional Vice President, and his partner, are described elsewhere in this issue*. Nicholson was the Integrity founder of Dignity-Integrity/Mid Hudson. He will be the first national board member from a joint chapter since 1985. He lives in a sylvan setting in Poughquag, New York, near Poughkeepsie.
He served two years doing missionary work in Africa as a Companion, Order of the Holy Cross. He has served as vestry member and warden of his parish, and in various other positions including parish delegate to diocesan convention. For the national church in 1993, he served as technical manager of a major data collection operation. In the Diocese of New York, he is a member of the Diocesan Episcopal AIDS Committee and the Diocesan Committee on Human Sexuality.
Nicholson recently retired as a senior programmer for a major computer corporation. He served as a member of his County Committee for Human Rights. He was vice-president of the Poughkeepsie Gay and Lesbian Association and served six years as AIDS Hotline and Buddy volunteer. He served as an Integrity volunteer at the 1991 General Convention and will do so again in 1994.
Asked why he wants to serve, Nicholson said, "I believe I have a calling to ministry. This calling has been rejected by the church; I believe the Holy Spirit is pointing me in the right direction."
*The Rev. (and newly) Dr. Claudia Windal will continue as Midwest Regional Vice President, a post she has held since October, 1993*. She says, "I am openly a lesbian/priest in the diocese and the National Church. Eight years ago, I lost my parish based upon my sexual orientation." She was ordained in the Diocese of Chicago in 1982.
Windal served as Integrity's chaplain at General Convention in Phoenix and will do so again in Indianapolis. She is a columnist and contributing editor of this journal. She is a member of Integrity/Twin Cities and lives with her partner in Minneapolis.
She has been involved in HIV/AIDS work for 12 years - primarily in the gay community. Presently, she is HIV/AIDS Case Manager in the Indian Community. She is also a registered nurse.
Windal commented, "I believe there needs to be a strengthening of vision: beyond that of individual chapters *to* concern and outreach to the *whole* organization. There has been a sort of tunnel vision to date; an attitude that if all is well in our diocese, it must be so in all dioceses."
*Rob Rynearson, incumbent Southern Regional Vice President, will become the first South Central Regional Vice President*. It was largely due to Rynearson's contention that the previous Southern Region was too large that the split was made by the Board last year, effective October 1.
Rynearson has served three terms as convener of Integrity/Houston and was Dean of the National Convention there in 1992. He is extremely active at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. He is the owner of a city-wide floral delivery service. He hopes "to continue to make the Church focus on its Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human being with no exceptions."
*Kim Byham, Director of Communications, is now the longest serving board member in Integrity history*. His service since 1984 surpasses that of the second longest incumbent, the Rev. L. Paul Woodrum, who served from 1982 to 1991. Byham was National President from 1987 to 1990 and since then has published this journal and served as Integrity's media liaison. He has also chaired Integrity's efforts at General Convention since 1988.
Byham and his partner, Scott Helsel, live in Guttenberg, New Jersey, across from Manhattan where they both work. Byham is an attorney. He also serves as Senior Warden of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Fort Lee, and numerous other functions there. He is First Alternate Deputy to General Convention from the Diocese of Newark and serves on the diocesan committee on constitution and canons and on the editorial board of the diocesan newspaper, also called "The Voice."
The Directors of Communication and Development are elected by the Board for one-year terms at the fall meeting.
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*EPISCOPAL CARING RESPONSE TO AIDS PINS*
The Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS, the unified HIV/AIDS ministry of parishes in the Diocese of Washington and Integrity/Washington, has designed a beautiful new logo. This logo is now available as a lapel pin for a $10.00 contribution to the Episcopal Caring Response to AIDS, as well as on T-shirts and sweat shirts, for $13.50 and $25 donations, respectively. Donations can be sent to ECRA at 733 15th St., Suite 315, Washington, DC 20005-2112. Their phone number is 202-678-0817.
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