From YBYHAMK@ip3gate.usa.comMon Feb 26 10:47:50 1996
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 16:39:40 -0500
From: YBYHAMK@ip3gate.usa.com
To: LCREW@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Subject: Part 1

THE TRIAL OF BISHOP WALTER RIGHTER
A FACT SHEET
Presented by Integrity, Inc.

1.	Has Bishop Righter's ordination of Barry Stopfel already
been considered by the House of Bishops?

A.	Yes.  A motion to censure Bishop Righter for his ordination of
Barry Stopfel (together with another bishop for another ordination) was
defeated in an overwhelming voice vote at the meeting of the House of
Bishops at General Convention in July 1991.

	At that meeting of the House of Bishops, the Rt. Rev. Gerald N.
McAllister, retired Bishop of Oklahoma, called for the censure of Bishop
Righter and the Rt. Rev. Ronald C. Haines, Bishop of Washington (D.C.),
who had, respectively, ordained the Rev. Barry Stopfel as a deacon in
September, 1990, and the Rev. Elizabeth Carl as a deacon in June 1990
and a priest in June 1991.

	The charges contended that Righter and Haines "violated the
position of this church" and "the collegiality of this house."  In his
explanation to the censure resolution, McAllister charged that "until the
General Convention changes its stated position, ordination of
non-celibate homosexuals is contrary to the mind of the church."

	When the matter came to the floor on July 19, the Committee on
Miscellaneous Resolutions recommended, in place of the resolution to
censure, a substitute resolution which stated:

Resolved, the House of Bishops recognizes the pain and damage to the
collegiality and credibility of this House and to parts of the whole Church
when individual bishops and dioceses ordain sexually active Gay and
Lesbian persons in the face of repeated statements of this House of
Bishops and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church against
such ordinations [Note: there have been no such statements by General
Convention since 1979.]; and be it resolved

That we acknowledge the dilemma of conscience faced by each member
of this House of Bishops resulting from these ordinations and from the
fact that there is no clear consensus on these ordinations in this House
of Bishops; and be it resolved

That in order to advance the honesty and collegiality of this House of
Bishops that this deep concern over the gap between what we profess
and what we do be referred to the Presiding Bishop and the Council of
Advice for consideration of this matter by the House of Bishops at an
interim meeting of the House.

	The substitute resolution was presented by the Rt. Rev. Robert
Moody, McAllister's successor as Bishop of Oklahoma.

	Bishop McAllister then moved his original censure resolution as a
substitute for the committee resolution.   The censure resolution was
rejected in a strong voice vote.

	The debate then returned to the "original," i.e., the committee
substitute, resolution.  	Two amendments were offered and both
were defeated.  Then Bishop White (now a member of the Trial Court)
moved to insert: "We resolve that we agree with one another to consult
with the  Presiding Bishop and his Council of Advice and by agreeing to
abide by their advice......  Requires notification 30 days prior to any
controversial ordinations.... "  The White amendment was defeated.

	The substitute then passed by a strong majority on a voice vote.

2.	What has General Convention said on issues of human
sexuality?

A.	Only the General Convention, the triennial legislative council of the
Episcopal Church, can establish official positions for the Church.  The
House of Bishops is one of two equal branches of the legislative body. 
When it acts without the concurrence of the House of Deputies, the
House of Bishops can merely express the "sense" of that House but can
in no way be said to speak for the Episcopal Church.

	The General Convention in 1976 was the first to address the
concerns of the many members of the Episcopal Church who are gay
and lesbian.  Subsequent conventions have uniformly continued to
welcome such persons into fellowship.  In 1979, the General Convention
"recommend[ed]" to various persons and bodies that have canonical
responsibilities for ordinations that it is "inappropriate" to ordain
non-celibate lesbians and gay men.  However, no subsequent
convention has strengthened that resolution (e.g., making it part of the
Canons and hence part of the "discipline" of the Church) nor even
reiterated it.  On the other hand, while subsequent conventions have
acknowledged the continuing dissension in the church on issues relating
to homosexuality, the 1979 recommendation has never been withdrawn.

Note: All titles, shown in italics, are official.

1976 - Minneapolis

Homosexuals are Children of God (A-69)

	"...it is the sense of this General Convention that homosexual
persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all
other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and
care of the Church."

Homosexuals - Equal Protection (A-71)

	"...this General Convention expresses its conviction that
homosexual persons are entitled to equal protection of the laws with all
other citizens, and calls upon our society to see that such protection is
provided in actuality."

Ordination of Homosexuals (substitute for B-101, B-102 and D-58)

	"...direct the Joint commission of the Church in Human Affairs to
study in depth the matter of the ordination of homosexual persons and
report its findings, along with recommendations to the Church at large for
study (and especially to the Bishops, Standing Committees, Commissions
of the National Church) ...."

1979 - Denver

Recommend Guidelines on the Ordination of Homosexuals (A-53s)

	... this General Convention recommend to Bishops, Pastors,
Vestries, Commissions on Ministry and Standing Committees, the
following considerations as they continue to exercise their proper
canonical functions in the selection and approval of persons for
ordination:

	"3. ...we believe it is not appropriate for this Church to ordain a
practicing homosexual, or any person who is engaged in heterosexual
relations outside of marriage." (emphasis added)

Statement on Resolution A-53s signed by twenty-one bishops in 1979,
including Edmond Browning, now Presiding Bishop.  Many others have
signed since 1979.  Members of the House of Deputies also associated
themselves with this resolution.

	"Taking note, therefore, that this action of the House is
recommendatory and not prescriptive, we give notice as we are
answerable before Almighty God that we cannot accept these
recommendations or implement them in our Dioceses insofar as they
relate or give unqualified expression to Recommendation 3.  To do so
would be to abrogate our responsibilities of apostolic leadership and
prophetic witness to the flock of Christ, committed in our charge; and it
would involve a repudiation of our ordination vows as Bishops, in the
words of the new Prayer Book, boldly [to] proclaim and interpret the
Gospel of Christ, enlightening the minds and stirring up the conscience of
[our] people, and to encourage and support all baptized people in their
gifts and ministries...and to celebrate with them the sacraments of our
redemption; or in the words of the old, to be to the flock of Christ a
shepherd, not a wolf.  Our appeal is to conscience, and to God.  Amen."

Recognition of Ministry among Homosexuals (C-3S)

	"...That the 66th General Convention of the Episcopal
church...expresses gratitude for the work of all those groups which are
ministering pastorally among homosexual persons in our society."

Resolution on Sexuality (D-107)

	"...That every Diocese use the Report and accompanying
bibliography of the Standing Commission on Human Affairs and Health to
the 66th General Convention in developing programs to enhance a
mature understanding of sexuality and our Christian responsibility as
faithful stewards in this regard.  Care should be taken that persons of
differing attitudes, professional experience,. and sexual orientation are
appointed to insure a full spectrum of conviction...."

1982 - New Orleans

Civil Rights of Homosexuals (D-61a)

	"... the 67th General Convention reaffirms the actions taken by the
General Conventions of 1976 and 1979 affirming that homosexual
persons are children of God and are entitled to full civil rights."

1985 - Anaheim

There was no legislation passed either pro- or anti- at this convention. 
Much legislative attention was focused on the Church's response to the
AIDS epidemic, the dimensions of which had only recently become
known.   St. Aelred of Rievaulx was also added to the church calendar,
although he was acknowledged to have been gay.  Two years later he
was declared Integrity's patron saint.

1988 - Detroit

Violence against homosexuals (D-100a)

	"... this 69th General Convention decries the increase of violence
against homosexual persons and calls upon law enforcement officials
across the land to be sensitive to this peril and to prosecute the
perpetrators of these acts to the fullest extent of the law; and ...

	"... all Bishops, and especially the Presiding Bishop, be
encouraged to speak openly and publicly to repudiate the misconception
that the Church encourages such violence, and to counter the public
declarations of those who claim that AIDS is the punishment of God upon
homosexual persons; and ...

	"... the actions of the 65th General Convention, which declared
that " ... homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and
equal claim with all others upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral
concern and care of the Church" be re-emphasized to all members of
this Church."