For the latest news on the ongoing crisis in the Episcopal Church, please click here. The
following information was assembled before and during the 2003 convention and is being retained here for background reference. Please note that as we move away from the convention, some of these links may become
out of date and stop working.
 The upcoming General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of
America will address a range of issues, but none more controversial than those concerning human sexuality. This controversy has been intensified by several recent
events throughout the Anglican Communion. This page provides links to information and opinions related to the Convention and the more controversial issues it will face. Note
that we have tried to include links from a range of sources to provide a variety of viewpoints. Inclusion of
a link does not imply any endorsement from St. Peter’s. This set of links is also not intended to represent an
exhaustive treatment of the topics, but rather a representative sampling. The reader is encouraged to use links from these sources and any favorite search engines to find additional content and perspectives.
Introduction
These are anxious times in the Anglican Communion. There's a great debate underway – some would say it’s a huge fight – over sexuality and how the Church should respond to the sexual practices and orientations of
its members.
On the one hand there are some in the Church who believe that homosexual people are capable of life-long,
committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect and should be given full rights and privileges among the people of God, including marriage and ordination. To limit or
reject gays and lesbians in the Church is to short-change the radical acceptance Jesus offers the world. For them it's an issue of basic human rights and respecting the dignity of EVERY human being.
On the other hand there are many in the Church who, while seeking to lovingly embrace homosexuals, believe the ancient Judeo-Christian moral order is more relevant and compelling than ever in an increasingly
promiscuous culture. To normalize homosexual relations cuts too deeply into the bone and muscle of the Christian view of human life, sin, sexuality and the order God created when he made us male and female in
his image. For them it's an issue of basic faithfulness to the moral vision of human life revealed by God in Scripture and creation.
These differences of opinion kindle strong feelings and are causing deep fissures in the church – from local parishes all the way up the 70 million members of the Anglican Communion.
As we undertake to discuss these issues at St Peter’s we recognize the differences of opinion that exist and
the very sensitive and often very close-to-home nature of this issue. We are committed to honoring each other in our differences and maintaining the union that is ours in the Body of Christ. We need to ensure
that St Peter’s is a place where it is safe to be vulnerable, to be different, and to speak the truth in love.
So it is in community – with humility, love and truthfulness – that we will discuss the issue of homosexuality.
We need to honor the teaching of Holy Scripture and the Christian tradition. We need to honor each other. And we need to honor the process by which the Holy Spirit guides the church, as a community, to discern
the path of faithfulness in a complex and confused world.
This is a risky process because important relationships are at stake. But with the risk I believe there’s also
great opportunity to engage in a deeper level of discipleship together and commitment to one another. As we
speak the truth in love and offer ourselves honestly and vulnerably to each other I believe that we will grow in our faith, understanding and commitment. It’s all part of Building Christians for Service.
- The Rev. Tom Simmons
Class Handouts:
St. Peter’s is running a series of classes on these issues on Sunday mornings at 9 AM up to and during the General Convention.
Hierarchy and Governance in the Episcopal Church (7/13/2003)
Agenda for the 2003 General Convention (7/20/2003)
Controversy: Setting the Stage (7/27/2003)
Perspectives on the Issues (8/3/2003)
Decisions, Reactions and Next Steps (8/10/2003)
Note: Feel free to re-use these materials, but please credit St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Purcellville, VA as the source.
The Church Hierarchy
General Convention
What it is and how it works
Agenda of the Convention
Connect with the Convention
- Connect with the Diocese of Virginia at the Convention:
- Convention News Sources:
- Perspectives from the floor
Setting the stage for controversy
Recent Events of Note:
World reaction:
Statements and Opinions
Church News Sources:
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