Louie Crew, one of the founders of Integrity, and Brian Cox, one of the founders of the American Anglican Council, have issued a joint letter asking for donations to fund the listening process that was called for by the Lambeth Conference in 1998.
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We write this appeal to you as leaders in the Episcopal Church who have profoundly different convictions about matters concerning human sexuality. Yet, both of us are committed to reconciliation as a different paradigm or culture from win/lose advocacy in terms of how we as a faith community deal with the deepest of differences among us.
We write this appeal in light of the House of Bishops’ recent decision in New Orleans to respond affirmatively to the primates’ request for clarification regarding approval of suitable candidates for bishop and authorizing liturgies for same-sex unions. This offer to refrain from moving forward has created space to launch an Anglican Communion Wide Listening Process. In a sense, the time has come for a global conversation in the Anglican Communion about human sexuality. The purpose of the Listening Process is to hear the concerns of all members of the Anglican Family; not only gays and lesbians but also Global South leaders. The purpose of the Listening Process is not to create a predetermined outcome or to “wear opponents down.” It is to hear respectfully one another’s stories, hopes and fears about this matter.
The facilitator of the Listening Process explains: “The ACC 13 resolution talked of mutual listening. We are attempting to listen to all voices including Global South voices, indigenous groups, those who describe themselves as having same sex attraction and who support Lambeth 1.10, and an array of other voices. We are not setting up a polarised debate, but an attempt to enable listening. It [our report to the Lambeth Conference] will not make any claim to be a definitive document, but to promote ongoing dialogue.”
We appeal to you to consider a financial gift to support this initiative of the Anglican Consultation Council. Approximately $80,000 is needed to fully fund this initiative.
Please direct your gift to the ACC account in New York made payable to the “Anglican Consultative Council” with a memo “For the LGBT Listening Process.”
Account Name: Anglican Consultative Council Account No 42 914 652
Bank: Deutsche Bank Trust Co Americas
280 Park Avenue NYC03-0201
New York NY 10017 USA
The ACC has pledged to use gifts thus designated solely for that purpose. Phil Groves Phil.Groves@anglicancommunion.org, the facilitator of the Listening Process, can make available to any donor full accounts of funds thus restricted.
Please be generous.
Dr. Louie Crew, lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
The Reverend Canon Brian Cox, briancox@cox.net