Last week two groups in the Anglican Communion published documents that seek to inform the discernment process regarding the full inclusion of Gay and Lesbian Christians into the life of the Church.
The Canadian Church has released the “Galilee Report”:
Twelve of Canada’s finest theologians explore issues relating to same-sex blessings in a series of essays now posted online. These essays by members of the Primate’s Theological Commission form the third and final part to the Galilee Report, which considered questions of human relationships and the blessings of same-sex unions.
The first two parts, a report on the commission’s discussion and the essay “Integrity and Sanctity” were posted in May 2009.
The full set of reports can be downloaded here.
In addition, the Chicago Consultation, has posted the complete contents of “We will with God’s Help”, a set of essays arguing from different perspectives for the full inclusion of LBGT Christians into the Episcopal Church.
In recent years, we Episcopalians have too often agonized over a choice that is painful, regrettable, and most of all, false. We have been wrongly tempted to believe that we must choose between relationships in the worldwide Anglican Communion and full inclusion of all of our baptized sisters and brothers, including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). ?
In late 2007, the Chicago Consultation, an international group of Anglican bishops, theologians, and other church leaders who are committed to the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Episcopal Church, came together to consider how we might help the church to move past this false choice. As we have studied and prayed together, our work has been grounded in the twin beliefs that the Anglican Communion is, at its best, a manifestation of the body of Christ in which the Holy Spirit blesses members from different cultures and contexts with various gifts and charisms; and that chief among the gifts of the Episcopal Church is our rich and robust theology of baptism and our baptismal covenant.
The essays were mailed in printed form to all bishops and deputies to next month’s General Convention.