The House of Bishops approve Blessings legislation #A049 on a role call vote of 111 Yes, 41 No, 3 Abstain – goes to House of Deputies next.
[Added: AP coverage, msnbc]
Canticle Communications @CanticleCom followed the debate. Read from bottom to top:
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Roll call vote: The HoB passes amended A049 on same sex blessings. 111 yes, 41 opposed, 3 abstain. PB: we act in humility. ?#gc77?
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Roll call: Chaplain Stephanie Spellers is leading HoB in prayer before vote, asks for guidance as we search for way to be your church ?#gc77?
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Gray, MS: Won’t authorize. Knows he sees through a glass darkly, but asks church not to be triumphant when this passes. ?#gc77?
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Gregg, NC: Had decided to vote no, didn’t think liturgy was excellent. Now vote yes; we haven’t completed, now vote for opportunity ?#gc77?
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PB: two more yes, two more no, then see if you’re ready to vote. ?#gc77?
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Brewer, Central FL: This won’t help TEC, driving people out. Also aware that this could be catastrophic for partners around world. ?#gc77?
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Sauls: 50 years ago, TEC allowed theological exception so divorced people could remarry. This is the same. ?#gc77?
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Waldo: In diocesan meetings, gay men who wanted blessings said theological rationale was inadequate. Wants to vote yes, but can’t. ?#gc77?
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Waldo Up. SC: In favor of full inclusion, but theological rationale weak. Contextual theology, but not sin, salvation, tradition. ?#gc77?
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Frade SWFL: People say Hispanics will be upset, but we have gay children, uncles. Don’t generalize that Hispanics will run from TEC ?#gc77?
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Question about bps. turning this into marriage rite. Bp. Smith defers to Ely. Will be adaptation in states with marriage equality. ?#gc77?
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Lawrence: Doesn’t want to lose marriage feast of Christ and his bride. ?#gc77?
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Lawrence, SC appears to be lost in the High Sierra. ?#gc77?
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Andrus, CA: The church has responsibility to help couples who want to follow Jesus through resources of community. ?#gc77?
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Jacobus, Fond du Lac: Concerned A049 still leaves room for opposite gender use. Will vote no. ?#gc77?
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Miller amendment to A049 fails by wide margin. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Curry: Critically impt. that we rightly order our liturgical, pastoral life. We’ve been on frontier. Now we have a common mind. ?#gc77?
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Debate strongly against Miller amendment, but Albany supports. ?#gc77?
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Lane, Maine: Authorized liturgy will improve accountability, communication. No on amendment. ?#gc77?
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@BishopGRobinson. No on amend. Moderate bps. have said they would do LGBT blessings when ?#gc77? authorizes. Colleagues need “authorize.”
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Miller: Whole lot not quite right. Too many issues. How do we understand marriage? Does it create second class LGBT people? ?#gc77?
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Miller, Milwaukee: Strike provisional and authorize in ln 45, insert “commend as part of our generous pastoral response the use of” ?#gc77?
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Bp. Love, Albany: good chance Anglican Communion will suffer triple whammy. Blessings, no Covenant, less $ for Communion. ?#gc77?
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Baxter: This liturgy, pastoral character respects differences, continues conversation. Many Af. American pastors are upset with me. ?#gc77?
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Baxter: We have been called to courage by two preachers. Don’t be afraid to be a minority. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Baxter, Central PA: For almost 40 years, we have been struggling. Unless we take movement toward inclusion, conversation stops. ?#gc77?
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Bp. J Howard: Will drive a wedge between us and in Communion. Not necessary. Blessings are happening, pastoral response in place. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Budde, DC: They want only for their church to honor and bless their relationships. I proudly rise in support of this resolution. ?#gc77?
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Budde: In honor of the many same sex couples who have inspired my husband and me, and who have served Christ and Christ’s mission. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Dena Harrison: Against. Will affect relationships across the world. We can bear better than those whose mission it will affect. ?#gc77?
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Shaw, MA: Our diocese has had significant growth recently, in thanks to including all people. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Shaw, Mass: First state with marriage equality. Pastoral generosity makes it possible to care for LGBT people. ?#gc77?
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Martins: Presupposes outcome of marriage study. We can say blessings, but CNN will say marriage. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Martins, Springfield: Adds his name to minority report. May be Anglican, but goes against instruments of Communion. ?#gc77?
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Amend from Bp. OK: “subject to the permission of the bishop exercising ecclesiastical authority.” Passes w/o discussion ?#gc77?
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Amendment passes. Rite is clearly only intended for blessing unions of same sex couples. ?#gc77?
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Beckwith, Newark: Opposes amendment, marginalizes people we’re trying to include. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Cmte already intended added same sex specificity in other places of resolution. He and Lee, Chicago agree. ?#gc77?
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Johnston, VA: Amendment, line 9 add “in a same sex relationship.” Roskam supports, don’t use this for opposite gender people. ?#gc77?
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Lillibridge, W TX: Will vote no, but deeply appreciates deliberation, study, its of view taken seriously. Bending over bkwds for all. ?#gc77?
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Bp Neff Powell: Another woman was so upset, then kids said, “Mom, you’re talking about our friends. Would you still love us?” ?#gc77?
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Bp. Neff Powell, SW Va: In 2003, woman said to him, I’m so glad my son can got back to church [after +Gene’s consecration.] ?#gc77?
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Bishop William Skilton: Against. Will cause great problems overseas. ?#gc77?
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Parsley A049 amendment passes w/o opposition. Burnett: cmte intention is to protect individuals, not to compromise bish. oversight. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Speaks in favor of amendment. Embarrassed that cmte didn’t get the language in the resolution. ?#gc77?
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Parsley, ret. AL: uses language from 2009 C056. As bishops, need to embrace diversity of church. Have to embrace all of God’s people. ?#gc77?
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Parsley moves amend.:”that this convention honor the theological diversity of this church in regard to matters of human sexuality…” ?#gc77?
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Bp. Little, No. IN: Vote no, will put TEC out of Christian mainstream. Other Christians will confuse with marriage. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Ely: The preference, and more accurate term for this, is same sex, not same gender. HoB has already discussed gender vs. sex. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Burnett: trial use is canonical term that can lead to BCP revision, wanted to remove confusion. Not BCP revision, so provisional. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Persell, Ohio: Strongly in favor. Questions about amendments–trial to provisional, gender to sex. Why changes? ?#gc77?
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Bp. Bauerschmidt, TN: Roll call vote. Opposed to A049. Reasonable to believe that vowed lifelong fidelity predicated on opposite sex. ?#gc77?
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Bp. Vono, Rio Grande: It is the Jesus thing to do in our time. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Calls for more engagement with scripture and theology, and for reflection with Anglican Communion and ecumenical partners. ?#gc77?
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Ely: The bishops on committee 13 were not of one mind, yet I believe we listened to one another with infinite respect. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Resolution changes “trial” to “provisional”. Three year authorization. We all have more to learn from each other. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Presented blessings rite in Canterbury, at provincial gatherings. 195 diocesan gathered in Atlanta. Also blog comments. ?#gc77?
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Ely: Reviews Res. C056 from 2009. Conversations have been rich. HoB discussed resources in Sept. 2012, twice in 2011. ?#gc77?
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Report on A049 on blessing same sex relationships. Recommend adopt with amendment. Calls on Bishop Tom Ely of Vermont, sub-cmte. chair ?#gc77?