[ASAP] what you can do

[Walker, Henry]

      Several of you have asked recently about what, if anything, can be done in response to  the Bishop's decision. Let me reiterate a strategy that was suggested here a week or so ago.

         The attached resolution, which was posted on this site earlier,  is going to be presented to the Diocesan Convention on January 22 and 23.   It  suggests that the Bishop's decision is not consistent with the Baptismal Covenant  and asks that a task force be appointed to continue this conversation and report back to the next annual convention.  The resolution does not directly  ask the Bishop to change his mind  but implies that his policy ( if not his convictions)  could change as a result of further "prayer, study and conversation."  Finally, the resolution calls upon all clergy and lay members of the Diocese to "maintain the unity and support of the diocese and to stand in continued solidarity with our Bishop" if he "reverses or revises" his policy.

          As you can see,  the resolution was  carefully drawn to be respectful of the Bishop and to attract  the support of as many delegates as possible, even those who privately agree with the Bishop but are willing, for the good of the church, to consider a more inclusive policy that allows each parish to make its own decision,  similar to what the Bishops of East and West Tennessee have done. See, for example, http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3214811/SameSexMarriageLetter11-17-2105.pdf

      The resolution is sponsored by the Vestry and Rector of St. Ann's and has been co-signed by dozens of St. Ann's  parish members. Anyone in the Diocese  who wants to co-sign the resolution may do so by emailing St. Ann's at www.office at stannsnashville.org<http://www.office@stannsnashville.org> . (Just give us your name and parish; we will compile a master list.)  We hope to have hundreds of co-signers  from throughout the Diocese by the time of the Convention.

         What do we hope to accomplish?  There has been much debate over the last few years as to  whether a decision to permit same-sex weddings in this Diocese would drive members, if not entire parishes, out of the church. However, as  many of you on this site have suggested, opinions are changing rapidly. As Paula Wade  reported, the Bishop was likely surprised at the comments from members of St. David's. He will  be equally impressed if this resolution is adopted by the Convention.  To put it another way, we want this to pass   first, to assure  everyone in the Diocese that this conversation is not over and second, to let the Bishop know  that a majority in the Diocese (as represented by the delegates) believe that his policy should change. We think this  is the least ---and probably also  the most---that we can do at this time.

        Please forward  this resolution  to members of other parishes, especially delegates to the Convention. (Each parish was supposed to send a list of its delegates to the Diocesan offices by December 11.)   As Senior Warden of St. Ann's, I will also  be sending a personal email  to every other Senior Warden in the Diocese.  While other parishes  may also submit resolutions for consideration at the Convention, any resolution filed after December 8 requires a majority vote   in order to be considered.  Aware of that deadline, St. Ann's managed to get  this resolution  filed on the afternoon of the 8th. In other words,  this is likely our best shot.

    Spread the word.

    Henry Walker,  St. Ann's Senior Warden.

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