Thanks for your Participation

by kevin kelly

Thanks to everyone who's keeping up with us on the blog, on wvmission, and by email. Just so you know, if you email one of us about the blog, we try to share that message with the rest of the deputation. We're really pleased to know that people are following our blog, and we appreciate the feedback we're getting. It really makes us feel connected to the diocese and to the people we're missing out here on the left coast. We're also pleased that we can say our blog is a global one. Well, that might be a bit of a stretch, but we know Zach Drennen is keeping up with us in Kenya, so we figure that counts as global.

One other thing - we're starting to get squeezed by the calendar. Friday is our last day, and we still have much legislation to get through, including a joint session this afternoon with the House of Bishops to hear the presentation from PB&F. That's not a new take on an old sandwich; it's Program, Budget & Finance, and you can guess from the title what they do. I think people are feeling the pressure from the long week behind, the little time left to us, and the amount of work left to accomplish. While it would be a stretch to say that the generous spirit of ubuntu that prevailed earlier in the Convention has been replaced with a less generous spirit, it is true that a certain amount of testiness has entered the tone of some members of the House. I'm happy to say that attitude has not manifested itself among our deputation.

Please keep the Convention in your prayers as we enter the home stretch.

Thanks,

kevin

FROM: Charles (Charlie) Hunsaker



I have been somewhat disappointed to see criticism of votes within the Diocese even before the close of the Convention. I voted in favor of Resolution “Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion" (D025) based upon my own personal journey of discernment on the matter and my overall view of what is next best for TEC.

I was an am comfortable with my vote.

However, I would never be comfortable criticizing another’s differing vote. Based upon my own analysis and the thorough respectful discussion of the matter within the House of Deputies, I am cognizant of the substantive reasons to vote differently from me. I known my vote may cause additional disunion between TEC and the Anglican Communion. I know that my vote may cause some in TEC, our Diocese and our Parishes additional pain and consternation. I witnessed first hand the loss experienced at my own Parish six years ago when a number of families left. I still miss them.

I urge all in our Diocese to move forward with love and respect. Much work is yet to be done. An environment of personal attack and disrespect will make such work more difficult or impossible to succeed.

from Donald Vinson

CLEARING SOME COB-WEBS
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from Donald Vinson

I hope it might be helpful to some to clear up some apparent misconceptions about activities out here in Anaheim.

ON THE GENERAL CONVENTION SCHEDULE:

For all of us, the schedule is tight. Sessions begin by 9:30 and run until at least 6:00, and there are always evening activities to attend. Just getting meals takes some time. Some of our Deputies are not assigned to committees, but for those who are, meetings take even longer. My committee is “Church in Small Communities,” and one thing we just did was change our name to “Committee for Small Congregations.” We had only three resolutions to deal with, and though a few members yammered heroically to fill the time with off-topic talk to make up for lack of business, we have completed our work. Deputies also have an alternate for each order (Beth Marquart and Richard Heller), and we take turns having a session or day off so that they can have time on the floor of Convention. That gives all of us some much-needed rest, and some time to reflect.

For Bishop Klusmeyer, there are no such mercies. He was assigned to “Program, Budget, and Finance” (“PB&F”), which meets from 7:00 a.m. until well into the night, in addition to the sessions of the House of Bishops. He has no Alternate to give him a break. I am certain he will report thoughtfully to the Diocese once he is able to gather any thoughts, but unlike some bishops on less active committees, he has had no leisure to do that yet.

ON REPORTING OUR DEPUTATION’S VOTES

“Votes by Orders” are a matter of public record and can always be found on a number of internet sites. However, our Deputies are committed to openness about our work, and have never declined any request for such information, despite implications to the contrary. If anyone asks us how we voted, we answer, to the best of our ability (things are flying by fast!) If reports on this blog are delayed a day or so, that is because we were busy working.

ON BISHOP AND DEPUTIES

In this I speak for myself only. Yesterday, I voted with the entire Deputation, clergy and lay, to affirm D 025 as it was amended by the House of Bishops, which resulted in its final enactment. (The text will be posted separately.) While I know there will be repercussions to that act in the United States and abroad, I would submit that we have already been feeling similar quakes and would be anyway, no matter what we did on that particular question. B 033 from 2006 did not spare us schism—it happened anyway. I am comfortable with my decision, and I believe the resolution was as amicably and non-aggressively worded as it could be, while still affirming the structural independence and moral imperative of our church.

I am told that Bishop Klusmeyer chose to vote differently in the House of Bishops, and I am comfortable with his decision, too. Since my election as Deputy, I have joined the Bishop’s staff, so he is now my boss. He has never, at any time, suggested or implied to me or, to my knowledge, to any other Deputy, that we ought to vote a particular way on any matter before the House of Deputies, or that our vote should ever conform to his. He has treated us all, as far as I can tell, with respect, affection, and generosity of spirit.

On this one matter, we have a difference of opinion, and it is an important one. However, to imply that Bishop Klusmeyer’s decision has been made thoughtlessly, carelessly, or immorally is presumptuous and unfair. I am honored to serve with a Deputation in which there is such a bond of friendship, mutual respect, and trust. I can testify to the Diocese at large that this Deputation does know how to agree and disagree without being disagreeable with one another.

ON CIVIL DISCOURSE

I do understand the disappointment of some that all of their leaders do not unanimously subscribe to their own convictions (though personally, I cannot remember that ever happening to me.) However, I would submit that even those of us who believe we have achieved perfect moral clarity should remember that even we have not always been so crystal clear in our own rightness, and should allow space for others to grow and evolve in their views as we have done. At the very least, aggressive provocation is a bad tactic and usually produces results opposite to those espoused. Beyond that, though, we owe to our brothers and sisters, who are traveling the same pilgrim road as we are, the respect and civil regard due to all people of good will. I am not asking anyone to agree falsely: I am asking that we express our disagreement without personal rancor and derogation.

On one hand....

Beth Marquart

Some of you have emailed about what D025 is and does in relation to B033, which was passed at the 2006 GC. A careful – or even a casual - read of D025 indicates that B033 has not been overturned and so on one hand we have a call for restraint and on the other agreement that God calls those whom God calls.

I’m also hearing from some of you about the abundance of response to our action from across the Anglican Communion and in the secular press as well. Some of what I’ve read is pretty accurate, other reports are way over the top and still others so restrained as to offer no insight. But, one of my favorites may be found here: http://www.sevenwholedays.org/2009/07/14/when-tom-wright-gets-it-totally-wrong/ as it pretty much reflects my understanding of our actions and where we are while responding to Bp. Tom Wright’s over-the-top op-ed in the London Times.

The only thing I can report for sure is this: I am the Anglican Communion. I am very comfortable with the action we took. I believe the Spirit of God was among us, encouraging us, loving us, enveloping us all in a spirit of grace, compassion and understanding regardless of how we voted. I pray that this spirit remains with us as we work through what this action means to our GLBT brothers and sisters, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. I pray for healing from the pain this action has caused some of our sisters and brothers.

We’ve passed and denied many other resolutions as well! Too many for this small space, but do keep track http://ecusa.anglican.org/ens/

PS: Resolution D025

Beth Marquart

And this afternoon we voted on D025 as amended by the House of Bishops. Again the vote was by orders, as follows:

Beth Marquart (in place of Debbie Short) - Yes
Charles Hunsaker - Yes
Amy Seitz - Yes
Sissy Poland - Yes

Cheryl Winter - Yes
Richard Heller (in place of Kevin Kelly) - Yes
Eric Miller - Yes
Donald Vinson - Yes

Debbie Short was off the floor this afternoon so I replaced her.

I was struck during the Committee of the Whole, and again as D025 was debated, by how respectful and attentive everyone has been of one another regardless of their position on this topic. I have also been struck by how articulate everyone is - but then again a whole lotta these folks are preachers and several more are lawyers - and then combine these two..... :)

Resolution D025

by kevin kelly

I sent this out to wvmission but thought i'd put it here as well.

I am taking today's sessions off, and Richard Heller is sitting in my place in the House of Deputies. In response to some questions about our deputation's vote on D025, i checked with Debbie, our Chair, who discussed the question with the rest of our deputation. They all agreed to let people know how we voted. It was a vote by orders, which means it's public record. The vote was as follows:

Debbie Short - Yes

Charles Hunsaker - Yes

Amy Seitz - No

Sissy Poland - Yes

Cheryl Winter - Yes

Kevin Kelly - Yes

Eric Miller - Yes

Richard Heller (In place of Donald Vinson) - Yes

Donald said to let you know that though he was not on the floor during that session, he would have voted in the affirmative. It was approved by greater than a 2 to 1 margin in both orders.

The House of Bishops approved it yesterday, with an amendment. I think their vote was 99-45, with 2 abstentions. At least, that's the report from episcopalcafe.com. Abstentions are not allowed in the House of Deputies, by the way. From what i understand of the amendment, i expect it to pass easily in the HoD.

You can find the text of the resolutions, along with a whole lot of commentary on what they mean just by googling "D025 general convention." There's a lot of debate about whether or not this overturns B033 from 2006. I'll leave that for you to decide. If you look at the two of them together, though, B033 and D025, i think you get a good sense of where our Church is at the moment.

Deputies Debbie Short, Beth Marquart and Sissy Poland on the floor of the House of Deputies