Date: Sun, 06 Sep 1998 13:50:18 -0400
From: Chris Ambidge <chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca>
Subject: current issues of *Integrator*

INTEGRATOR, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto
volume 98-4, issue date 1998 09 07
copyright 1998 Integrity/Toronto.  The hard-copy version of this
newsletter carries the ISSN 0843-574X

Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9

== Contents ==

[98-4-1]  526 TO 70  / Anglican bishops at Lambeth vote overwhelmingly
     to condemn gay and lesbian relationships -- but over 150 bishops
     counter with a pledge to work toward full inclusion for lesbigays
     /  by Chris Ambidge

[98-4-2]  LAMBETH CONFERENCE RESOLUTION I.10  /  as approved 5 August 98

[98-4-3]  A PASTORAL STATEMENT TO LESBIAN AND GAY ANGLICANS FROM SOME
     MEMBER BISHOPS OF THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE  /  5 August 1998

[98-4-4]  UPHOLDING VIRTUE OR PROMOTING HATRED?  /  The Primate's take
     on the Lambeth sexuality motion, by the Most Rev Michael Peers,
     Primate of Canada

[98-4-5]ALLIANCE OF LESBIAN & GAY ANGLICANS  /  An alliance of lesbian
     organisations and ministries in the Anglican Communion

[98-4-6]  THE RAINBOW KALEIDOSCOPE  /  A retreat meditation by Sister
     Thelma-Anne ssjd

[98-4-7]  AN HONOURABLE ESTATE -- how it came to be written  /  by
     Christopher Cantlon, co-editor of the study guide

[98-4-8]  CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST WITH MEMBERS OF INTEGRITY
     AND FIDELITY


========


[98-4-1]
526 to 70

   Anglican bishops at Lambeth vote overwhelmingly to condemn gay
   and lesbian relationships

        Over 150 bishops counter with a pledge to work towards full
        inclusion of lesbigays

by Chris Ambidge

Every ten years, all the bishops of the Anglican communion meet
at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Lambeth
Conference.  There were 730-odd of them from all corners of the
world at the University of Kent in Canterbury at the end of July
and beginning of August of this year.

The bishops discussed many of the challenges that confront the
whole Anglican communion, and the wider world; issues like third-
world debt, euthanasia, claims of indigenous peoples, and
relations with Islam.  Because sex sells newspapers, the secular
media, of course, focused on reporting the issue which is right
at the heart of Integrity's mandate:  the questions surrounding
sexual orientation and the Anglican church.  The passage of a
resolution which "reject[ed] homosexual practice as incompatible
with scripture" and which spoke strongly against either blessing
same-sex unions or ordaining non-celibate homosexuals was front-
page news.

A couple of days later, the press reported the reaction of some
of the bishops, who had signed a Pastoral Statement addressed to
lesbian and gay Anglicans.  These bishops said that gay and
lesbian voices had not been adequately heard at Lambeth,
apologised for any sense of rejection transmitted by the events
at the conference, and urged us not to feel abandoned by our
church.  While the resolution passed overwhelmingly (526 to 70
with 45 abstentions), the Pastoral Statement has been signed by
157 bishops (as of this writing), including eight Primates, and
ten Canadian bishops.

So, there is good news and bad from Canterbury.

The story begins ten years ago, at Lambeth 1988, when the then
bishop of New York could not get the issues around sexual
orientation onto the agenda.  So in a sense, even getting the
bishops to talk about it at all was an accomplishment.  In 1998,
the subject of homosexuals in the Anglican Church was on the
agenda from the beginning.

There was a two-week closed study session for about fifty bishops
on human sexuality (while other groups studied other areas of
concern to the Conference). The first meeting of the subsection
saw bishops sharing their initial positions. The initial plan was
for them to hear a presentation from the English gay and lesbian
group *Changing Attitudes* later in the first week. However,
bishops from more conservative regions -- particularly Africa and
Asia -- made it very clear that they were not prepared to listen
to unrepentant homosexuals.  Some said they wouldn't entertain
such a presentation unless people who felt themselves healed of
homosexuality were also heard from.  Others were even less
equivocal, saying that they weren't prepared to hear from child
molesters or from people who indulged in bestiality, so why from
homosexuals?  The presentation was deleted from the agenda of the
sub-section meeting.  This was pretty discouraging news.

About a week later, two presentations were made, outside of
formal meeting time.  One featured people who felt themselves to
be "healed homosexuals".  This meeting was closed (at the request
of the presenters), with only bishops attending.  The other was
open to whoever wished to attend, with several lesbian/gay
Anglicans and their supporters speaking of their life in the
church.  One of the presenters was the Rev Michael Hopkins,
incoming president of Integrity in the USA.  Michael was present
for the entire conference, and while there was instrumental in
forming the Alliance of Lesbian and Gay Anglicans {See article
[98-4-5]}

During the first two weeks of the conference (during which much
other business was conducted), bishops in the Human Sexuality
sub-section continued to meet.  In those lengthy and private
discussions, a common report was worked out.  According to one of
the Canadian bishops present, it was a conservative document, but
one that presented a face of love and compassion to homosexuals.
The report said that there was a variety of views held within the
group, and called for tolerance and careful listening.

The subsection did not believe that a resolution voted on by the
entire conference would be helpful, given the diversity of their
own opinions.  However, the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted a
statement, so one was drafted, amended by the whole group, and
brought to the plenary session on the last Wednesday of the
conference.  On the morning of the debate, Archbishop Ndungane
(Primate of South Africa, and chair of the section which dealt
with international debt and human sexuality) told the conference
"Our work was intensive ...  arduous ... hammered out on an anvil
of pain."

"It is an under-statement to say that the sub-section on
sexuality has been far from straightforward," he said. "Here our
different cultures, theologies and understandings and
interpretations of Biblical texts nearly broke any chance of
coming to some sort of agreement on the question of
homosexuality."

Even so, through "much careful listening," the sub-section was
able to agree unanimously on the report as a way to "represent
where the Communion is," he said. "This part of our report is not
only about homosexuality. There is much of great value in what it
says about all sexual relationships."

The report was received as it stood, but the resolution was
considered by all 700+ bishops -- most of whom had not had the
benefit of two weeks discussions.  In the debate, various
amendments were made, to make it even more conservative.  The
most significant amendment added the phrase "rejecting homosexual
practice as incompatible with scripture".  Some truly nasty and
prejudiced remarks were made during the debate by people who
clearly have no time for those of us who are homosexual.  Bishop
Malik of Lahore, for instance, asked whether bishops who ordain
non-celibate homosexuals would consider bringing a resolution
supporting bestiality.

Although a commitment "to listen to the experience of homosexual
people" remained in the resolution, the motion was (in the words
of Archbishop David Crawley, of Kootenay) "gradually, bit by bit,
step by step, turn[ed] into a judgement and condemnation".  After
a couple of hours intense debate, Resolution I.10 {see article
[98-4-2]} was passed.

That was the rejection reported on the front pages of the
newspapers the next day.  It left Integrity members wondering
whether this was still their church.  Some of us still feel that
way.

We have been promised, though, that resurrection follows death,
and it came in the form of the *Pastoral Statement to Lesbian and
Gay Anglicans* {see article [98-4-3]}.  On the Friday after the
resolution passed the text of the statement (at that point with
95 signatures) became known.

The same day that we heard of the *Pastoral Statement*, we were
extremely glad to hear Michael Peers, our Primate, say, "I must
disassociate myself from any who perceive this action as a
'victory.' ... The debate was marked at times by outright
condemnations of homosexual persons, sometimes phrased in
viciously prejudicial language. This is not consistent with the
gospel of Jesus Christ as I understand it." {the text of the
Primate's press release is article [98-4-4]}

That is the silver lining to a very dark cloud.  The Lambeth
motion is far from what Integrity had hoped from the bishops
assembled. The most hurtful and debatable phrase in the motion is
the one which "reject[s] homosexual practice as incompatible with
Scripture".  Integrity repudiates that claim completely.

We felt tremendous support from the 157 bishops who have so far
signed the *Pastoral Statement*.  Integrity/Toronto is proud that
the signatories include our Primate, Michael Peers, and bishops
Terence Finlay and Ann Tottenham and Michael Bedford-Jones of our
diocese.  (The Vancouver and Montreal chapters are also pleased
that their diocesan bishops, Michael Ingham and Andrew Hutchison
have also signed.)

The *Pastoral Statement* says, in part, "We pledge that we will
continue to reflect, pray, and work for your full inclusion in
the life of the church.... We call on the entire Communion to
continue (and in many places, begin) prayerful, respectful
conversation on the issue of homosexuality. We must not stop
where this Conference has left off. You, our brothers and sisters
in Christ, deserve a more thorough hearing than you received over
the past three weeks. We will work to make that so." This is
entirely consistent with the 1995 and 1998 Canadian General Synod
resolutions on homosexuals in the church. Integrity in Canada has
therefore called on all Canadian bishops to read and sign the
*Pastoral Statement*.

In retrospect, while the actions of the Lambeth Conference are
discouraging and disappointing, they're really not very
surprising.  The views of the African and Asian bishops were well
known, and there are of course bishops elsewhere of similar
opinions.  Looking back on the three weeks since Lambeth, the
most hurtful words came not from Africa but Colorado.  Bishop
Winterrowd, a longtime supporter of gay rights in Colorado, voted
with the 526-70 majority.  "Frankly, the African church needed
that vote to take back with them," said Winterrowd to the Denver
*Rocky Mountain News*.  "They are under a great deal of pressure
politically because the Muslims are watching."

That relegates lesbigays to the status of jetsam, thrown
overboard to lighten the ship of the church so it won't sink as
it sails through the African ocean.  I find that image, and
attitude, very troubling.  Homosexual Anglicans, baptised members
of the family, are being sacrificed for the sake of the Islamic
neighbours of the African dioceses.

The Anglican church is a world-wide organisation.  It is not
surprising that different parts of the vineyard will have
different priorities:  after all, the Gospel has to be
interpreted in the culture in which it is proclaimed, and the
cultures of Nigeria and Niagara, Tanzania and Toronto are very
diverse.  One of the good things of synods and wider conferences
is meeting and listening to people from very different places.
We're all part of the family, and so it is incumbent upon north
Americans to listen to brothers and sisters from Africa -- but
also on them to listen to us.  Ten years ago, homosexuals could
not be discussed, let alone heard from.  This year, that
discussion started, and both the *Pastoral Statement* and indeed
Resolution I.10 itself say that talking and listening must
continue.

The events at Lambeth mean that Integrity (and everyone who
supports full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the
church) have much to do.  Integrity looks forward to working with
the bishops and all people of good will in and out of the
Anglican Church in the future.


======

[98-4-2]

LAMBETH CONFERENCE RESOLUTION 1.10
[As approved, August 5]

This Conference:

(a)     commends to the Church the sub-section report on human
sexuality;

(b)     in view of the teaching of scripture, upholds
faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong
union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are
not called to marriage;

(c)     recognises that there are among us persons who experience
themselves as having a homosexual orientation.  Many of these are
members of the Church and are seeking the pastoral care, moral
direction of the Church and God's transforming power for the
living of their lives and the ordering of relationships, and we
commend ourselves to listen to the experience of homosexual
people.  We wish to assure them that they are loved by God and
that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of
sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ;

(d)     while rejecting homosexual practice as incompatible with
Scripture, calls on all our people to minister pastorally and
sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to
condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within marriage
and any trivialisation and commercialisation of sex;

(e)     cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same-sex
unions, nor ordaining of those involved in same-gender unions;

(f)     requests the Primates and the ACC to establish a means of
monitoring the work done on the subject of human sexuality in the
Communion and to share statements and resources among us;

(g)     notes the significance of the Kuala Lumpur Statement and
the concerns expressed in resolutions IV.26, V.1, V.10, V.23, and
V.35 on the authority of Scripture in matters of marriage and
sexuality and asks the Primates and the ACC to include them in
their monitoring process.


=====

[98-4-3]
A PASTORAL STATEMENT TO LESBIAN AND GAY ANGLICANS FROM SOME
MEMBER BISHOPS OF THE LAMBETH CONFERENCE
August 5, 1998

Dear sisters and brothers,

The Lambeth Conference has spent nearly three weeks deliberating
issues of human sexuality, among many other vital issues facing
our world-wide Communion.  We have met in a climate of enormous
diversity and have attempted both to articulate our views and
listen carefully to those of others.

Within the limitations of this Conference, it has not been
possible to hear adequately your voices, and we apologise for any
sense of rejection that has occurred because of this reality.
This letter is a sign of our commitment to listen to you and
reflect with you theologically and spiritually on your lives and
ministries.  It is our deep concern that you not feel abandoned
by your Church and that you know of our continued respect and
support.

We pledge that we will continue to reflect, pray, and work for
your full inclusion in the life of the Church.  It is obvious
that Communion-wide we are in great disagreement over what full
inclusion would mean.  We ourselves have varied views and admit,
as the report of the Human Sexuality Sub-section of the
Conference says, that there is much we do not yet understand.
But we believe it is an imperative of the Gospel and our faith
that we seek such understanding.

We call on the entire Communion to continue (and in many places,
begin) prayerful, respectful conversation on the issue of
homosexuality. We must not stop where this Conference has left
off.  You, our sisters and brothers in Christ, deserve a more
thorough hearing than you received over the past three weeks.  We
will work to make that so.

     Faithfully,

[The letter is still being signed.  As of 4 September, 1998,
there were a total of 157 signatures, including 8 Primates.
Those bishops from Canada who signed are:  ]


   Michael Bedford-Jones, Toronto - York Scarborough
   David Crawley, Kootenay (Metropolitan)
   James Cruickshank, Cariboo
   John Hannen, Caledonia
   Andrew Hutchison, Montreal
   Michael Ingham, New Westminster
   Terence Finlay, Toronto
   Michael Peers, Canada (Primate)
   Ann Tottenham, Toronto - Credit Valley
   Duncan Wallace, Qu'Appelle


=====


[98-4-4]
UPHOLDING VIRTUE OR PROMOTING HATRED?
by the Most Rev Michael Peers, Primate of Canada

  + As Archbishop Peers pointed out in his press release of the last
  + Friday of the conference, the bishops discussed much more than
  + issues of human sexuality and the Anglican church.  However,
  + since that is the very focus of Integrity's work, we trust that
  + the Primate  will understand us quoting only the segment of his
  + press release which addressed human sexuality.


Just what did Lambeth say about human sexuality? There are two
parts to any message: the actual content, and the way the message
is perceived. In its content, the Lambeth resolution on human
sexuality:

  o "upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in
lifelong union;

  o " commits [the bishops] to listen to the experience of
homosexual people. We wish to assure them that they are loved
by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons,
regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body
of Christ;"

  o rejects "homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture,"
but "calls on all our people to minister pastorally and
sensitively to all irrespective of sexual orientation and to
condemn irrational fear of homosexuals, violence within
marriage and any trivialisation and commercialisation of sex;"

  o "cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same-sex
unions, nor the ordination of those involved in such unions."

The perception of this message varies from those who receive it
with joy as a vindication of traditional Christian teaching, and
those who find in it a devastating betrayal of the gospel of
love.

Canada's 1995 General Synod acted to "affirm the presence and
contributions of gay men and lesbians in the life of the church
and condemn bigotry, violence and hatred directed toward any due
to their sexual orientation." This message obviously contains a
considerably stronger affirmation of gay and lesbian Christians
than the Lambeth text. Even so, much of the content of the
Lambeth statement, strictly speaking, is broadly in accord with
the current policy of the Anglican Church of Canada. (Canada's
policies remain in force since the Lambeth Conference has only
advisory, not legislative authority.)

However, I must disassociate myself from any who perceive this
action as a "victory." Canadians generally will have been
scandalised by some of the reported comments, as were Canadian
bishops here. The debate was marked at times by outright
condemnations of homosexual persons, sometimes phrased in
viciously prejudicial language. This is not consistent with the
gospel of Jesus Christ as I understand it.

I have already joined with many other bishops in writing a
pastoral letter to gay and lesbian Anglicans. It reads, in part,
"We pledge that we will continue to reflect, pray, and work for
your full inclusion in the life of the church.... We call on the
entire Communion to continue (and in many places, begin)
prayerful, respectful conversation on the issue of homosexuality.
We must not stop where this Conference has left off. You, our
brothers and sisters in Christ, deserve a more thorough hearing
than you received over the past three weeks. We will work to make
that so."


=====


[98-4-5]
ALLIANCE OF LESBIAN & GAY ANGLICANS
   An alliance of lesbian and gay organisations and ministries in
   the Anglican Communion

There were a number of gay and lesbian Anglican groups present at
the Lambeth Conference.  Representatives took the opportunity to
come together in an alliance to expand and deepen their efforts.
The Alliance of Lesbian and Gay Anglicans is a diverse,
international coalition of Anglicans engaged in the on-going work
of justice for lesbian and gay people in the Church have formed.
Integrity in Canada (all four chapters) is proud to be a part of
the Alliance.  All of the groups are united in working for the
unconditional inclusion and full participation of lesbian and gay
people in every facet of the Church's life throughout the
Anglican Communion.

At the Lambeth Conference, the members of the Alliance called our
Communion to respect the dignity of every human being and to
recognise that:

  o sexuality is a gift of God;
  o homosexuality and heterosexuality, as orientations, are
morally neutral;
  o those who know themselves to be gay or lesbian persons, who
forge relationships with partners of their choice, that are
faithful, monogamous, committed, life-giving and holy, are to
be honoured;
  o all orders of ministry of the Church are open to all baptised
Christians.
  o this work is consistent with our Anglican tradition, which
values the gifts of reason and  welcomes truth from whatever
source.
  o our position ultimately is based on the total witness of Holy
Scripture.


=====


[98-4-6]
THE RAINBOW KALEIDOSCOPE
by Sister Thelma-Anne ssjd


The theme of our 1998 retreat was the same as that of General
Synod, "Lift every voice." In each address, I reflected in turn
on each word of this slogan, and its implications for our
personal wholeness, for dialogue, and for prophetic proclamation.

"Lift every voice." What does that mean in terms of our personal
wholeness?   There are many and varied voices within each of us.
All are to be "lifted" if we are to be whole in life and in
witness.  Some voices within us are often lifted up, and we are
well aware of such voices.  Typically, all of us think of
ourselves in a particular way, with traits, attitudes, and ways
of reacting to situations which we can easily identify.  We may
be conciliatory or aggressive, calm or excitable, and so forth.
This is the voice of the "I" I know best.  For these familiar
voices, not much "lifting" is required on our part.

There are other voices, however, which have to be lifted into
consciousness.  It is not easy to hear and to recognise these
voices, and harder still to pick up voices which the more
insistent voices may drown out.  There is the voice of our fear,
which so often hides itself behind either conciliation or
aggression.  There is the voice of past pain, whose lament seems
to fill the air, and yet, beneath that, there may be the voice of
the most profound joy, a joy too deep for words .  There is the
voice of our doubts or, alternately, the voice of our faith.
There is the voice of discouragement and even despair, and
beneath that, trying to get through like a seedling pushing
through hard soil, the voice of dogged and persistent hope.
There is the voice of the elder, and the voice of the child, the
voice of the sage and the voice of the clown.  We could go on for
ever, such is the richness of creation within each of us.

Some voices are simply disruptive, and we wish they would go
away. There is the inner critic, or the inner judge.  There is
the adversary, who keeps reminding us of our failures and sins,
long after they have been forgiven.  Others, more insidious,
never quite come to consciousness, but hang around just under the
surface and make us uneasy.  We have to lift them or drag them up
to consciousness where we can hear them plainly.  "Discerning the
spirits" is a skill we learn with practice.  There is a good rule
of thumb:   does a voice lead us into consolation (spiritual
freedom and peace) or desolation (spiritual confusion and
darkness)?  If the former, the voice is trustworthy; it is
leading us toward our centre, toward God.  If the latter, it is
leading us away, into deeper despair and confusion.  It is
amazing how many of our doubts and fears dissipate when we apply
this principle.

The more we can relax and let be, the more likely the diverse
voices within us will be lifted up.  We can learn to acknowledge
these voices without being overwhelmed by them. The Zen masters
have a technique which I find helpful.  Sitting in meditation, or
at other times, we are simply aware that a thought has arisen
within us.  We do not try to chase it away, hate it, worry about
it, or be frightened by it.  We simply acknowledge its presence.
"A feeling of sadness has just arisen in me." ... If the
feeling continues, we continue to recognise it:  "A feeling of
sadness is still in me." By not letting ourselves pass judgement
on these feelings, we create a hospitable space where these
voices can be heard, honoured, and if need be healed.  For it is
the unheard voices within us which cause us the most grief and
can be most damaging to our relations with others.  Lift them up
into consciousness and they lose their destructive power.

To change the metaphor from auditory to visual, becoming aware of
what is within is like looking into a kaleidoscope.
"Kaleidoscope" comes from three Greek words, *kalos*, meaning
"beautiful"; *eidos*, meaning "form", and *skopos*, which comes from
the verb, "to look".  Our consciousness, indeed our life, is like
a kaleidoscope.  There are thousands of brightly or darkly
coloured bits of glass, in thousands of different sizes and
shapes, constantly moving around inside us, constantly forming a
living rainbow.  Some of these pieces have jagged edges which
tear at us as they hurtle around.  Some are dark and opaque;
others, dazzling in their brightness.  But all combine to form an
ever- moving array of patterns, and therein we find our
wholeness.

In order to get around "sin" language, we often use "brokenness"
language.  "We confess our brokenness ..." But this is just one
way of looking at ourselves, and probably not the most helpful.
It rests on a model of perfection, rather than wholeness.  We are
certainly not perfect.  Indeed, much of our misery comes from
trying to be perfect an impossible task in any case, since we
were made not for perfection, but for wholeness.  Wholeness is
dynamic, not static.  It is the ever-changing, ever-creative
pattern that makes the wholeness.  Our wholeness comes from that
deep centre within each one of us at which the torrent of our
life flows out from God.

It doesn't matter, then, that the pieces of the kaleidoscope
within us are bits of broken glass in constant motion, and that
our inner voices are often cacophonous. Knowing our own diverse
and conflicted selves in a diverse and conflicted church brings
out our true humanity and equips us with authenticity and
compassion for the dialogue and the proclamation to which we are
called.

{Author box:  Sister Thelma-Anne SSJD has led the
Integrity/Toronto retreat at St John's Convent every year for
well over a decade.  This article is adapted from her addresses
at the 1998 retreat}


=====


[98-4-7]
AN HONOURABLE ESTATE
How it came to be written

by Christopher Cantlon, co-editor of the study guide

It is my pleasure to introduce a newly published book called *An
Honourable Estate:  Marriage, Same-Sex Unions and the Church A
Study Guide*. Let me begin by saying that this book is the product
of a large number of people who talked, thought, wrote, revised,
critiqued, commented, and not least, prayed about the issues
addressed in this study guide. As co-editors, Pauline Thompson
and I are indebted to their work and grateful for their support.

The first meeting of the group whose work forms the basis of this
book took place in the middle of February 1993. The issues
surrounding same-sex relationships in general and the
relationships of a single gay priest in particular had been the
focus of close attention, both in the public media and in the
Church for about eighteen months. Bishop Finlay expressed a
desire for study material that would set out the issues and help
the Church address the questions around the concept of
recognising committed same-sex relationships. The Bishop invited
The Church of the Redeemer in Toronto to be part of that process.
So a group was gathered and the "Permanent Commitments Group"
came into being. It consisted of about a dozen people of diverse
backgrounds:  men and women, clergy and laity, gay men, lesbians,
heterosexuals, some in relationships, some not, some couples,
some with partners not involved in the discussions, some divorced
and remarried, one widowed.

The group met for about fifteen months during which time wide-
ranging discussions took place. We began by examining how
Christians have made various kinds of permanent commitments and
how the Church recognises such commitments.  We explored how the
Church had changed its collective mind on things such as
marriage, the ordination of women, slavery and birth control. It
was important to us -- and to the possible result of our
discussions -- to root our discussion theologically, biblically
and within our own collective experience. Our experience was
broadened by a meeting with Bishop Burrell of the Diocese of
Rochester in NY State. He discussed his practical work in the
area of recognising same-sex relationships and some of the ways
his diocese has proceeded on this issue. Out of all these
discussions, various articles came to light at the ends of some
very talented and thoughtful pens. These were presented to the
group for discussion. The successive drafts of these articles
were eventually collected and edited into the study guide.

It became clear to the group that we should begin with the
familiar and move toward the less familiar. So the editors
organised the study guide to start with the issues of marriage,
divorce and remarriage. This is an area in which the Church has
made some radical changes in the fairly recent past. It was also
an area that dovetailed elegantly with the broader issues of
commitment and then led clearly toward the new and uncertain area
of commitments between persons of the same sex and how they might
be recognised within the Christian community,

By May 1994, we were ready for a trial run of our first draft. A
group of about 40 parishioners met at The Church of the Redeemer
to respond to what we had done. Those taking part received copies
of the draft to read and annotate.  Small groups focussed on
particular sections and the large group provided general feedback
on the whole document. At the end of a three-hour session the
editors had a mountain of material to review. We were encouraged
by the response to the guide and the enthusiasm with which it was
received.

For almost a year the co-editors worked to assess and incorporate
that feedback from the parish. A second revision was presented to
the original authors of the different sections for their comments
in April 1995. Another draft was completed with minor changes.
This third revision was sent to Bishop Finlay. In April 1996,
Bishop Finlay graciously wrote a Foreword for the book.  At the
same time, the Anglican Book Centre agreed to publish the guide
in draft form.

This published draft version received some wide circulation. A
variety of pilot studies sprang up in Ottawa, Vancouver and
Toronto.  Feedback from those pilot studies was considered and
some minor changes were made. Of these studies, one in particular
stands out. A group at the Toronto parish of St Clement's,
Eglinton headed by the late Harry Meanwell, was so taken by the
guide that they contacted The Church of the Redeemer to propose a
series of public meetings to present the guide to a wide
audience. After much planning, a well-attended series of four
Wednesday evenings in January 1997 in the nave of St Clement's
Church gave the study guide a high profile. [A report on these
meetings appeared in Integrator vol 97-3 -- Ed] Speakers in the
series had all read the guide and spoke on issues raised by and
addressed in it. Those addressing the series included laity,
academics, and clergy including bishops and two archbishops.
People on both sides of the debate raised important and
interesting issues in the question and answer periods. The
articles from the speakers presentations were reviewed and, where
appropriate, a number of points were incorporated into the guide.

So what does the guide do?  The guide addresses the issues that
surround the question of relationships and how we comprehend
them. The articles are intended to help individuals and groups
come to an understanding of complex issues that affect the lives
of human beings. The questions raised are open ended and while
there are no single right answers, the answers that do arise will
be thoughtful, serious and prayerful. In the best possible way,
we hope that the contents of the guide are provocative, calling
forth a deeper, more conscious response. The guide also addresses
the issues of language that frequently become a crux in
discussion of same-sex relationships. The position of
homosexuals within the tradition of the Anglican Church and the
way in which that might change and move forward towards
recognition are also treated in this guide. There is also a short
bibliography to suggest further material for study.

*An Honourable Estate:  Marriage, Same-Sex Unions and the Church*
shows what road towards ecclesiastical recognition of committed
same-sex unions might look like; we hope the guide will be a
useful part of the discussion regarding the nature and meaning of
such relationships.

/\/\/\/\

{INFO BOX:  An Honourable Estate:  Marriage, Same-Sex Unions and
the Church , a Study Guide, edited by Christopher Cantlon and
Pauline Thompson, eds.  ISBN: 1-55126-158-8  Available for $14.95
through the Anglican Book Centre, 600 Jarvis St Toronto M4Y 2J6,
416 924 9192.

The Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St West (at Avenue Road;
Museum subway station), is hosting a book launch for An
Honourable Estate on Tuesday 6 October at 5:30pm at the church.
You are invited to attend. }

/\/\/\/\/

{AUTHOR BOX:  Christopher Cantlon teaches English in the Greater
Toronto Area.  He has been a member of the Church of the Redeemer
for more than 14 years where he sings in the choir, co-ordinates
the altar guild and is chair of the Worship and Spirituality
Committee. In his spare time he gardens, reads and enjoys riding
his bicycle. }


=====


[98-4-8]
CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
WITH MEMBERS OF INTEGRITY AND FIDELITY

Last September, Integrity invited the Rev Canon Paul Feheley to
preside at our monthly Eucharist.  Paul is vice-president of
Fidelity, a group which advocates for the church's traditional
teaching on sexual matters.  This service, where we celebrated
our common heritage in Jesus Christ, was not the safest thing for
any of us, but we felt that we were called on by the Spirit to
come together around Christ's table.

That evening was one of great blessing for everyone there.

This September, Paul will again be celebrant at the monthly
Integrity Eucharist.  This is perhaps even more important in the
wake of both General Synod and the Lambeth Conference.

All members of Integrity and Fidelity, and indeed all people
hoping for greater understanding within the Body of Christ, are
urged to join us on Wednesday 16 September at 7:30 pm at the
Church of the Holy Trinity (just west of the Eaton Centre) in
Toronto.

If you cannot be present in body, please join us in prayer.  If
your presence will be in prayer, please let us know that you will
be among the cloud of witnesses -- either by writing or sending
email to chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca .  Just as last year, those
messages will be read out at the service.


=== end of text ===


End of volume 98-4 of Integrator, the newsletter of Integrity/Toronto
copyright 1998 Integrity/Toronto
comments please to Chris Ambidge, Editor
        chris.ambidge@utoronto.ca   OR
Integrity/Toronto Box 873 Stn F Toronto ON Canada M4Y 2N9