Friday, November 09, 2007

Diocese of Oregon Convention News Update

Two major developments have occurred in the first and second days of the diocesan Convention.

The first development is that our Bishop Johncy has announced his intention to leave the post of Bishop of Oregon sometime next year. Read the ENS story here.

The next major and positive development has to do with a Resolution voted on and passed at Convention concerning Integrity Portland and their reaction to the statement of the House of Bishops made in New Orleans . Here is part of it:

Resolved
, That the 119th Diocesan Convention considers the statement made by the House of Bishops at their September 2007 New Orleans meeting to be non-binding on the diocese of Oregon and on the Episcopal Church unless adopted by General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the 119th Diocesan Convention deplores the lack of access to adequate pastoral care and liturgical rites for the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in The Episcopal Church and calls upon the House of Bishops to publish guidelines for such care; and be it further

Resolved, That the 119th Diocesan Convention recognizes Integrity, Inc., and it’s local presence, Integrity/Portland as an official diocesan program, and calls upon the Diocese of Oregon and Integrity to build a positive working relationship to meet the pastoral needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender persons in the diocese of Oregon; and be it further

Resolved, That the 119th Diocesan Convention commends the House of Bishops for its call to increase implementation of the Communion-wide listening process as a process of real engagement, and calls upon the Presiding Bishop and her staff to further develop this process within the Episcopal Church, recognizing that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people continue to be marginalized in many parts of our Church; and be it further...

Read the rest of the Resolution here.

William Jenkins, Convener of Integrity Portland stated in a newsflash to all Integrity PDX members, the following:

"The Resolution put forward by Integrity at the 119th General Convention passed with a majority as amended. The amended portion is crossed through in the text above.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. Amen!"


Amen!

5 comments:

Marshall Scott said...

Happy to see the resolution. How refreshing it might be to commit ourselves to at least some minimal understanding of what we intend by "appropriate pastoral care."

But - Bishop Johncy leaving? I missed the ENS story the first time around; but it doesn't address the question that comes to mind: why? He's hardly graduated from Bishop School. I can't help but wonder what calls him away.

Kirstin said...

Go Oregon!

Jane R said...

Marshall, I hear he was not so much called away as sent away. But that is only through one source, though a reliable one.

Catherine said...

Wow, Jane, that's news to me...guess I'll have to inquire of my priest and see what she can tell me or share...and thank you Marshall for your comments regarding "appropriate pastoral care" as the chaplain in me knows that we have to treat everyone equally and with dignity...why do we have to pass resolutions of the obvious??? Oi!

Catherine said...

Oh, and Kirstin, thank you...quack, quack!