The Lambeth Conference

During July and August 1998 the bishops of the worldwide Anglican Communion met in Canterbury to deliberate on issues of import to the Church. This conference takes place every ten years and only advises the worldwide Church through its resolutions and pronouncements.

Gay and lesbian Episcopalians were shocked and saddened to find that the bishops passed a very conservative Resolution on Sexuality. We are happy to report that both our Diocesan Bishop at the time, Fred Borsch and Suffragan Bishop, Chet Talton, voted against the measure. The resolution passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 526 to 70, with 45 abstentions, and 100 bishops not voting at all. Below is the resolution, along with Bishop Borsch's and other bishops responses, and the pastoral letter which has been signed by Bishops Borsch and Talton.

At its Diocesan Convention in December, 1998, lay delegates to the Convention voted two to one to repudiate the language of the Lambeth Resolution on Sexuality stating that the section of the resolution which marked homosexual practice "incompatible with Scripture" as not received in this Diocese. We are thankful to God, to the delegates and to our bishops for their leadership on this issue.