Task Force on Blessing Same Gender Relationships

Bishop Thomas Ely appointed a Task Force on the Blessing of Persons Living in Same Gender Relationships in September, 2003. He said, “The ministry of gay and lesbian persons, lay and clergy alike, is significant in our diocese and for that I give thanks. Likewise, it is pastorally important for us to move forward with clarity about the church’s blessing of those who wish to be joined in civil unions in our congregations.”

The resolution passed at General Convention 2003 (C051) did not authorize preparation of liturgies for blessing relationships, but it recognized that those congregations experiencing such blessings are doing so “within the bounds of our common life” as Episcopalians, and it reaffirmed an earlier resolution that expressed the qualities the church hopes all relationships would exhibit.

With co-chairs the Very Rev. Ken Poppe and Anne Brown, the 18-member group met for the first time on October 16. Bishop Ely told them he believes Vermont can “model for the rest of the church something of what it means to be the kind of community that embraces people for who they are and not put them into a category.” He said, “I want the diocese to move forward and to build on what we have done.” He charged the group to “work real hard at offering something wonderful for our diocese.”

The task force worked in sub-groups to address four areas: diocesan policies and procedures (led by Bishop Ely), liturgy (led by Ken Poppe); theology (led by Anne Brown); and resources for congregations and couples (led by Stan Baker).

In March and April 2004, the task force presented its recommendations and drafts of the report to the Diocesan Council, the Standing Committee, clergy (at two clergy days) and parish wardens (at a special meeting with Bishop Ely and task force members).

On June 17, 2004, Bishop Ely and two task force members gave individual interviews to several members of the media in anticipation of releasing the complete report at the first of two day-long workshop/training events the next day at St. James', Arlington. The training days are intended to present the report and offer workshops in three areas: working with congregations, discussion of theology and scripture, and preparation of couples/using the liturgical resources.

Below is an executive summary of the task force's report. Click here to download a PDF file of the full report (212K). It includes a letter from Bishop Ely, an introduction, a summary of recommendations, a background section, a theology section, the new policy on Holy Matrimony and Holy Union, the liturgies recommended for trial use, and an outline of the work of the resources group. Click here for a list of other downloadable resources.

A Report to the Bishop and People of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont
from the Task Force on the Blessing of Persons Living in Same-Gender Relationships
Executive Summary
June 8, 2004

Background
The State of Vermont approved a civil union law in the spring of 2000, a law that gives gay and lesbian couples the same rights and responsibilities as couples who legally are able to marry. The Diocese of Vermont had both sponsored and encouraged dialogue on the questions facing the church with regard to human sexuality, and many Vermont Episcopalians participated actively in the statewide debate that led to the passage of the law. A number of congregations and clergy in the Diocese of Vermont have, since then, offered pastoral support to couples who wish to celebrate their civil unions in the context of their faith communities. These celebrations are liturgical services in which the church, as the community of faith, publicly pronounces God’s blessing on the couple, asks for God’s continued blessing on the covenant they make with one another, and offers support for the difficult work of maintaining a life-long relationship.

In this context, the Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Ely, Bishop of Vermont, wrote to the diocese prior to the 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church of his intention to appoint a task force that would move the church in Vermont forward in affirming “the full inclusion of gay and lesbian persons in the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church.” He charged the eighteen-member group appointed in the fall with the specific task of “finding a way to offer the Church’s blessing upon persons living in committed same-gender relationships.” Though such blessings had been taking place, the policy governing them was minimal, and there were no common liturgies that reflect Anglican theological and liturgical traditions.

The 2003 General Convention (Resolution C051) recognized that “local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions.” It reaffirmed the 2000 General Convention’s resolution (D039) that expressed the qualities the church hopes all relationships would exhibit: “fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God.” That resolution also stated that, “this Church intends to hold all its members accountable to these values and will provide for them the prayerful support, encouragement and pastoral care necessary to live faithfully by them.” Our recommendations are rooted in these resolutions.

Task Force Recommendations
Policy: The Diocese has a policy governing Holy Matrimony that outlines requirements couples and clergy must meet in order for a marriage service to take place in the church. The Task Force recommends that congregations and clergy be allowed to continue offering services of blessing for civil unions and that a new unified policy, to take effect on July 1, 2004, govern both Holy Matrimony (the solemnization of a civil marriage) and Holy Union (the blessing of a civil union). The terms Holy Matrimony and Holy Union are intended to emphasize the covenantal aspect of sacred trust and commitment witnessed through the liturgy of the church.

Resources: Episcopalians are a people of “common prayer,” with a Book of Common Prayer containing liturgical services for a variety of occasions: Baptism, Holy Communion, Holy Matrimony, Ordination, Burial and many more. The task force offers liturgies for trial use that will bring the celebration of Holy Union into the life of common prayer in the Diocese of Vermont. In addition, the task force will provide resources to assist congregations in continuing conversations about issues of human sexuality and intimacy, and it will provide resources for clergy and couples preparing for both Holy Matrimony and Holy Union.

Evaluation: To address the task force’s recommendation that a process be put in place to evaluate the revised policy, the liturgical and other resources and the experience of congregations, couples and clergy, Bishop Ely has asked the Diocesan Council to establish a committee that will report to the Diocesan Conventions of 2004, 2005, and 2006. The task force and the bishop hope to offer the fruits of this experience to the wider church.

The Anglican Context
Since 1976, every triennial General Convention of the Episcopal Church has included some consideration of the complex issues of human sexuality, primarily those related to homosexuality and whether the church should ordain persons living in same-gender relationships or pronounce God’s blessing on relationships of commitment between persons of the same gender. Each of those ten conventions passed some sort of resolution on the question, beginning with Resolution A69 in 1976, which stated “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,” and concluding with Resolution C051 of 2003.

The task force believes our recommendations are the appropriate pastoral steps for the Diocese of Vermont at this time in its common life and that they are in keeping with the ongoing work of the General Convention. While sensitive to the fact that not all in the diocese, the Episcopal Church or the Anglican Communion are in agreement, we believe the recommendations are consistent with both the biblical witness and with Anglican tradition.

Anglican theology: As it has developed from its earliest expression in the first Book of Common Prayer, Anglican theology is deeply rooted in an incarnational image of God as known to us in Jesus Christ and in a trinitarian understanding of God as profoundly relational. “Doing” Anglican theology means: taking Holy Scripture seriously as the primary source of our understanding of Christian faith; being consistent with the major creedal and doctrinal conclusions of the early church; honoring our liturgical tradition; and using our human capacity to learn about our world and to bring that learning into conversation with scripture and theological and liturgical tradition. We believe this is a dynamic and ongoing process in which we must always seek to be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This process has led the Church over the centuries to change its practice about issues such as slavery, usury and the ordination of women.

Scripture: With Richard Hooker and many Anglican theologians through the last five centuries, we believe scripture is brought to life for contemporary believers through interpretation. We are suspicious of claims that there can be any one right reading, for all readers see through the lenses of their own backgrounds and cultural circumstances. We understand the genius of scripture to lie not in a “clear meaning” that is the same throughout history but rather in its ability to speak holy wisdom to peoples of differing cultures over the passage of centuries. We believe the Church should, and will, come to an understanding that the few biblical passages that seem to address same-sex sexual activity do not speak to the reality of faithful, loving relationships between persons of the same gender who identify as gay or lesbian.

Blessing: At ordination, Episcopal priests receive the authority to “pronounce God’s blessing.” To do so is not to be the agent of blessing, but it is to recognize and name that which already shows forth as a sign of God’s grace and presence—or it is to ask for God’s grace and presence. Blessing is thus profoundly relational, for it is asking God to be in a relationship of grace with a person or persons. In offering to bless those making a covenant of Holy Union, the church is not blessing a sexual relationship or particular sexual behavior. It is blessing a couple who manifest in their life together the grace of God.

Tradition: A variety of strands, or traditions, of Christian living and believing—ranging from the evangelical to the Anglo-Catholic—have been embraced within Anglicanism, and they have remained in a lively tension, informing, enriching, and sometimes conflicting with one another. Each has had times or places in which it held greater influence than the others, but none has been able to claim that it was the tradition, exclusive of the others. We speak of “Anglican comprehensiveness,” or Anglicanism as the “via media,” not because we are wishy-washy or overly inclined to compromise basic principles, but because we value the ultimate goal of Christian unity and St. Paul’s understanding of the Body of Christ, in which no part may say to the other, “I have no need of you.”

Unity: In spite of significant disagreements in the past, our Anglican tradition has allowed us to remain together, not because we are always like-minded, but because we endeavor to be open-hearted. We are all indebted to God’s grace, and we believe that, as long as we keep our hearts bound to that grace, we can keep our lives in communion with each other, no matter how sharp our disagreements.

Task Force Members

Anne Clarke Brown, Co-chair
P.O. Box 67
Plymouth, VT 05056
802-672-5250

The Very Rev. Ken Poppe, Co-chair
Cathedral Church of St. Paul
2 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05401
802-864-0471 (O)

Stan Baker
356 Acorn Lane
Shelburne, VT 05482
802-985-9452

The Rev. Canon Thad Bennett
6641 Windham Hill Rd.
Windham, VT 05359
802-874-7086

Peggy Bresee
4117 Hollister Hill Road
Marshfield VT 05658
802-454-7854

The Rev. Brad Clark
St. James’ Episcopal Church
46 Church St.
P.O. Box 25
Arlington, VT 05250
802-375-9952 (O)

Wayne Cook
P.O. Box 1967
West Dover, VT 05356
802-896-9446

Dr. Helen E. Daly
P.O. Box 176
Chesterfield, NH 03443-0176
603-256-6011 (H)
802-258-3768 (O) Mon-Wed-Thur

Cheryl Elinsky
749 Hartford Ave.
White River Junction, VT 05001
802-296-6647

The Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Ely
Episcopal Diocese of Vermont
5 Rock Point Road
Burlington, VT
802-863-3431; 800-286-3437

The Rev. Jean Jersey
217 Woodhaven Dr. Unit J
White River Junction, VT 05001
802-295-6182 (H)

The Rev. Mary R. Mansfield
St. John’s in the Mountains
Luce Hill and Mountain Roads
Stowe, VT 05672
802-253-7578 (O)
802-229-4243 (H)

The Rev. John C. Morris
St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
Lake Morey Road East
Fairlee, VT 05045
802-333-9725 (O)
802-439-6599 (H)

Nene Riley
PO Box 228
Peacham, Vt. 05862
802-592-3303

The Rev. Diane Root
Church of Our Saviour
316 Mission Farm Road
Killington, VT 05751
802-422-5153 (H)
802-422-9064 (O)

Steve Swayne
1706 Gabert Road
Woodstock, VT 05091
802-457-4561

The Rev. Gunnar Urang
1095 Bliss Rd
Montpelier, VT 05651
802-223-9029

Kathy West
283 Locust Hill
Shelburne, VT 05482
802-985-2214

Return to Diocesan Organizations Page