FINAL VERSION
Resolution:C031
Title:Rites of Holy Union for Same Gender Couples
Topic:Liturgy
Committee:13 - Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music
House of Initial Action:Bishops
Proposer:Diocese of Vermont

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That 76th General Convention direct the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to prepare rites of holy union for same-gender couples for consideration by the 77th General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That such rites should reflect the legal contexts in which such holy unions might take place; and be it further

Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music devise an open and transparent process for the conduct of its work, inviting participation from dioceses and individuals who have already engaged in such liturgical and theological work and inviting theological reflection from all interested parties in The Episcopal Church and the provinces of the Anglican Communion.


EXPLANATION

Anglican theology has traditionally had its deepest roots not in abstract theory but in practice, the practice of prayer and sacramental worship. In other words, Anglican theology is incarnational; its truths are both found in and expressed by forms of prayer and worship adopted for use in particular contexts by particular church communities.

To some extent, Anglican prayer is common prayer, but since new churches began to form outside the Church of England, many of those churches have adapted the mother church's forms to meet the developing traditions of theology and worship practice in their own cultural contexts.

Today, the Anglican Communion is experiencing conflict over the role of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in its various churches and particularly over whether some churches of the Communion should celebrate in a formal way the relationships of gay and lesbian couples. Many who are critical of The Episcopal Church claim that the theology has not been done that could support such rites of blessing. Many who support such rites claim that the theology has been and continues to be done by those engaged in the creation and use of rites of blessing.

This resolution acknowledges the incarnational and liturgical foundations of Anglican theological reflection by proposing that The Episcopal Church continue the work and conversation begun at the 65th General Convention meeting in Minneapolis in 1976, placing that work in the context of the preparation of resources for worship. It is based on the assumption that this practical approach is the best way for The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion to move beyond stalemate on the question of a theology that may support the blessing of same gender couples.

The resolution does not represent a rejection of the concerns expressed by The Episcopal Church¹s partners in the Anglican Communion. Rather, it is a response to calls for continued conversation, and it proposes that such conversation be placed in the context of an open and transparent process that invites participation by all interested parties, including those from other provinces in the Anglican Communion. Given the diversity of cultural contexts in the Anglican Communion, there is little likelihood of Communion-wide consensus in the foreseeable future. However, in the context of many parts of The Episcopal Church, there is a pastoral need to move forward, while not expecting that other parts of the Communion will choose to follow.