More than 120 people came together at the diocese's Common LIfe Propert at Donegal Lake on June 24 to hear a first-hand report on the Episcopal Church's General Convention from members of the Pittsburgh deputation.  The new barn, which is nearly complete, was the site for a diocesan worship service, picnic and report.


Prayers for clarity were answered at the Episcopal Church’s 75th General Convention, members of the Pittsburgh Deputation told the more than 120 people who attended the presentation of their report to the diocese on June 24.

Before convention, it was not clear how the Episcopal Church would respond to requests made of it by the rest of the Anglican Communion, through the Windsor Report, to place moratoria on same-sex blessings and the election of Bishops in same-sex relationships.  Nor was it clear how far the majority of the church would be willing to go in expressing regret for taking those steps in 2003.  

After eight roller-coaster days, those questions have been definitively answered.  “As far as compliance with Windsor goes, in most of the Communion, it [the resolutions passed during General Convention] will probably be viewed as non-compliance,” said the Rev. David Wilson, a deputy to convention from St. Paul’s in Kittanning..  

According to Wilson, the General Convention was only willing to express regret for “straining the bonds of affection.”  Further, instead of apologizing for the actions of our church, it only apologized for not according “sufficient importance to the impact of our actions.”

After an initial resolution (A161) that would have asked leaders of the church to “exercise very considerable caution” in raising up bishops “whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church,” and also stated that “this General Convention not proceed to develop or authorize Rites for the Blessings of same-sex unions at this time,” was roundly defeated by the House of Deputies, an even more vague substitute (B033) was introduced.  That resolution, which passed during a flurry of legislative activity on the convention’s last day, simply committed the convention to “call upon Standing Committees and bishops with jurisdiction to exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church.”

Like all General Convention Resolutions, B033 is non-binding.  Further, “It didn’t even address same-sex blessings,” said Wilson.  Both conserving bishops (including Bishop Duncan) and progressive bishops such as Bishop John Chane of Washington D.C. immediately took steps to disassociate themselves from the action taken.  Bishop Duncan and 19 others, disassociated from the decision because “it gives the appearance of conforming [to at least on of the Windsor Report requests], but has nothing behind it.”  The liberal grouping of bishops, (who at this juncture have not released their names) stated that they could not agree to any action that “singles out one part of the Body [of Christ] by category.”

The Convention also confirmed its commitment to a course away from the mainstream of the Anglican Communion with the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop.  Jefferts Schori, who will begin a nine-year term on November 4 when she is installed at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., is bishop of the Diocese of Nevada - one of the few dioceses of the church that has formally approved same-sex blessings. During the 2003 General Convention, Jefferts Schori is also on record voting against a resolution that would have affirmed basic Christian and Anglican beliefs, such as “it is not lawful for the church to ordain anything that is  contrary to God’s word written (Article XX of the Articles of Religion)” and voting for the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson.  “It’s not about a woman being elected.  It’s about her teaching,” said Bishop Duncan.  

Joan Malley, a Pittsburgh deputy from Church of the Ascension in Oakland, served on a committee with Jefferts Schori.  Noting that she is a “bright woman,” Malley added, “I thought there was a glimmer of hope that she might pay some attention to us.”  However, that hoped waned as Jefferts Schori began preaching and speaking after her election.  One image that Jefferts Schori used to describe the Episcopal Church was that of conjoined twins - two bodies, hearts and minds that are physically connected.  Noting that doctors do not separate conjoined twins unless each can survive the operation, Jefferts Schori used the image to argue that both progressive and conserving parts of the Episcopal Church were inextricably bound together.  The trouble, said Malley, was that while Jefferts Schori spoke on a number of occasions about what her own progressive “twin” needed, “She never addressed the needs of the other twin.  We are that other twin.”

Where does all this leave the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh?  Strangely enough, in a better place than the diocese was before the 75th General Convention.  “Pray, but don’t worry.  Our situation is surer now than it has been at any other time,” said Bishop Duncan.  While the diocese may need to take steps to preserve its witness to Anglican Christianity and its connections to the rest of the Anglican Communion, a majority of the decisions about the future will have to be made at the level of the Archbishop of Canterbury and among the provinces of the Anglican Communion.  “Canterbury and the other primates are trying to sort out what it means…What to do with two minds in one church.  That’s the challenge before the Communion,” he explained.

As that process of sorting out goes on, Bishop Duncan encouraged parishes of the diocese to keep moving forward.  “In a time of reformation, the one thing you can do is support the local mission,” he said.  The diocese’s policy will continue to be working with everyone in the diocese, regardless of their alignment.  “We’re not all united on this… but we support one another wherever we can,” said Bishop Duncan.