Diocese of New Westminster considering same-sex marriage

It seems to me there is little doubt that, along with other liberal dioceses, they will proceed.

Here is the statement from Bishop Melissa Skelton:

Greetings to you all:

On the evening of July 11, 2016 the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada did not garner the votes necessary to change the Marriage Canon to allow for same-sex couples to be married within the Church. The vote was very, very close, failing by only one vote in the order of clergy while passing in both the order of bishops and the order of laity.

While this is deeply disappointing to me and to many others within the Church, I and others am resolute in our desire to find a way forward in achieving equity for all couples seeking the solemnization of their marriages in the Church while at the same time providing for those whose consciences prevent them from participating in marriage or blessing liturgies for same-sex couples. This was the intention of the resolution to change the Marriage Canon; and it remains my intention.

I’m very sorry for the pain this decision has caused and will cause both to members of the LBGTQ community and to those of us who count ourselves as their family members and friends. If it is any comfort at all, please know that the majority of those of us at General Synod very much wanted the resolution to pass.

What I intend to do is the following:

Together with our delegates to Synod, I will consult with a broader circle in our diocese—with our Regional Archdeacons and the Executive Archdeacon, with our Regional Deans, with the Dean of our Diocese (who is also a delegate) and with our Chancellor—about what we discern God is calling us to do going forward in our diocese. At the same time, I will be in touch with our own Archbishop as we do our discernment work.

I am personally committed to supporting couples who desire to make baptismally-grounded, community-supported, lifelong, monogamous commitments to one other within the context of the Church. After listening to some of the discussion at General Synod 2016, I need to add my equal commitment to advocate for diverse ways of interpreting Holy Scripture as it informs the Church’s actions in such matters.

Take heart. This is not over. We have continuing discernment work to do together.

Even as many of us grieve this decision and its consequences, I invite us all to pray for the LGBTQ people of our Church, to pray for those with whom we agree and with whom we disagree on this issue, and to pray for the continued companionship of the Holy Spirit in all our discussions and actions.

In Christ

+Melissa

IX New Westminster

 

3 thoughts on “Diocese of New Westminster considering same-sex marriage

  1. It is time for #Faithfulexit. Unless we are waiting for polygamy, child marriage and inserting readings from the Quran during worship.

  2. I find it somewhat hypocritical when she states she feels the pain of the LGBYQ people but obviously feels NO pain for the stealing of property from orthodox Christians within her geographical area. Clearly she is among the apostates within the ACoC who seem to think that their word supersedes THE WORD. If she did the honourable thing she would clearly state that the authority of Scripture should never be subjected to any vote. True believers within the ACoC should immediately cease making ANY contributions until there is proven repentance on the part of both the dioceses and the ACoC. Currently they cannot claim to be a Christian church.

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