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Resolution B___, A Resolution Concerning Pastoral Generosity in Addressing Civil Marriage
Resolved, the House of ________ concurring, this 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church acknowledge the pastoral concerns facing those dioceses in states where the civil marriage of same gender couples is legal; and be it further
Resolved, that in those dioceses, under the direction of the bishop, generous discretion is extended to clergy in the exercise of their pastoral ministry in order to permit the adaptation of the Pastoral Offices for The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage and The Blessing of a Civil Marriage for use with all couples who seek the church’s support and God’s blessing in their marriages; and be it further
Resolved, that in order to build a body of experience for the benefit of the church, each bishop in those dioceses where this pastoral practice is exercised provide an annual written report on their experience to the House of Bishops each March and to the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music for its report to the 77th General Convention.
Sponsors: The Rt. Revs. Andrew Smith, Laura Ahrens, James Curry (Connecticut), Alan Scarfe (Iowa), Stephen Lane (Maine), Thomas Shaw, Roy Cederholm, Gayle Harris (Massachusetts), Gene Robinson (New Hampshire), Thomas Ely (Vermont)
Explanation:
There are now six states (Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire and Vermont) where the civil marriage of same gender couples
is legal, and other states may follow in the coming triennium. This has
created unique pastoral challenges for The Episcopal Church because the
definition of marriage held by these states and the language used in
the Canons and the Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church is not
the same. In all six states, faithful Episcopalians are asking that their
church provide the pastoral support and blessing of the church for their
marriages. Clergy in those same states are caught between the authority
given them by the state and the discipline of The Episcopal Church as
it’s
currently described. The rubrics of the BCP require that “marriage
conform both to the laws of the state and the canons of the Church (BCP,
422).”
This situation requires a generous and flexible response that offers clergy the ability to make appropriate pastoral decisions in consultation with the bishop and their members. There may be many clergy and congregations that have no desire to participate in the blessing of a civil marriage. But in those places where there is such a will, the freedom to explore that option is vital.
The Book of Common Prayer makes provision for special devotions that may be used when services in the Prayerbook do not address the needs of the congregation (BCP, 13). Such devotions are subject to the direction of the bishop.
There is also a need for the Church to hear the experience of those dioceses and congregations where good faith efforts are being made to respond to the pastoral needs of faithful same sex couples. This resolution would create annual reporting to the House of Bishops, with a summary report to be made to the 77th General Convention.
While this resolution addresses the special circumstances in states with full marriage equality, there is also a need to support other efforts to provide pastoral care (including blessings) to same sex couples in all dioceses of The Episcopal Church.
