GC09 Message by Bishop Barry Beisner

Dear Friends in Christ:

Grace and peace to you. I write this at the conclusion of Legislative Day 9 (Thursday). The House of Bishops went into recess early, having completed everything before it. (There will be a flood of things to deal with in the morning --things on which the Deputies are hard at work, trying to finish and send on to us.) This gives me a chance to tell you a bit of what we've been up to. In particular, I want to mention some of the many actions of this Convention which have direct implications for our Diocese, and which will probably need some of our attention when we next gather in Diocesan Convention.

D007: urges each diocese to enter into a companion or covenant-based relationship with a diocese in Sudan. This is especially critical, as peace in that country appears increasingly fragile. I will be asking our Companion Diocese and MDG Committees to explore this for us. (Speaking of companion dioceses, Bishop Allen tells me that our joint request for a UTO grant to help build an AIDS clinic in San Pedro Sula has been approved!)

C051: calls on every diocese to establish an Episcopal Veterans Fellowship, and every congregation to become educated about, and responsive to the needs of, the wounded veterans in our communities, and to have an annual healing service for veterans. I ask that persons who feel a call in this regard make themselves known to the Deans, with whom I will confer.

A065: all dioceses are urged to identify and train evangelists. The Commission on Ministry will be talking about how to proceed with this.

D020: calls on every diocese to study and report on the latest draft of the Anglican Covenant. Look for more from the Office of the Bishop about this soon.

B025: every congregation is asked to partner with a local public school. Trinity Cathedral has a wonderful story to tell about just such a ministry, and I will be inviting them to tell it to us all.

A083: all dioceses are asked to develop a strategy for lifelong Christian formation. The Christian Formation Commission is now in transition, but I will be consulting with its members and other interested persons about how best to proceed.

C056: Of course, this is the one that got so much press. Initially, this was a resolution crafted in committee to incorporate the many resolutions put forward by bishops, deputies, and dioceses on the subject of same-sex blessings-including the resolution passed by our Diocesan Convention in November, 2007, which asked General Convention to develop and authorize blessing rites. The General Convention stopped short of doing that.

Instead, after a very long time of intense but respectful debate on Tuesday, the House of Bishops asked a broad-spectrum group of bishops to craft an alternative. That group worked hard that night and the next morning, and put their work before us yesterday afternoon. Debate took us past the appointed time for ending business, but the final result passed overwhelmingly (104 to 30). This resolution does not create or authorize the rites our Convention asked for; rather, it points us more in the direction which I had asked for as an alternative to that action: a church-wide exploration and conversation.

The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops, and in an open process that invites "participation from provinces, dioceses, congregations, and individuals," in our Church and throughout the Anglican Communion, will collect and develop theological and liturgical resources regarding same-gender blessings. I will be consulting with the Deans about nominees for a working group to assist me in designing and overseeing our participation in this process, including an articulation of what "generous pastoral response to the needs of members of this Church" might look like for us at this time.

We approved a Denominational Health Plan.

We approved new disciplinary canons for clergy.

We further established Lay pensions.

We approved new liturgies and additions to the calendar.

We took action on environmental issues.

We took major steps in ecumenical agreements.
(Various committees and officers will be asked to carry these things forward.)

We passed a budget for The Episcopal Church over the next triennium that cut $23 million out of the proposed budget-and restored the MDGs as a distinct line item.

All this and much more. Stay tuned. Stay in prayer.

Yours in Christ,

+Barry