Category Archives: Religious News

#Lutheran Eva Brunne consecrated as first lesbian bishop #ELCA

Brunne's consecration

Yesterday, Sunday the 8th of November, Eva Brunne was consecrated as the Bishop of Stockholm during an ordination ceremony at the Cathedral of Uppsala.   Swedish Archbishop Anders Wejryd conducted the ordination.  Not only was the ceremony historic because Brunne is a lesbian in a committed relationship with a female pastor (they are parents of a three year old child), but also because a second female was consecrated as bishop at the same time.  Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund was ordained  as Bishop of Härnösand in northern Sweden

The photo above is taken from a brief news account in the Local, an English language Swedish newspaper, and the photo below is of Bishop Bylund, copied from a Dutch forum, which quoted my Saturday blog post in its entirety.

Bishop Eva BrunneFor Brunne, her sexual orientation is a non-issue in her role as bishop, except for its symbolism:

Yes, it is important to many people who also live with a same-sex partner that a bishop can also do that. But it’s not a big issue at home in Stockholm. I have yet to be in a workplace where it has been an “issue.”

There have been those who’ve tried to make it difficult for me, but I have always lived openly. Had I chosen to hide parts of my life I probably would have had problems. As a bishop you must be allowed to be a whole person 24 hours a day, otherwise I would never have coped to be who I am and function the way I do. 

Radio Netherlands reports that the King and Queen of Sweden attended the ceremony.

Call to Action Progressive #Catholic Conference wraps up

The three day annual Conference of Call to Action (CTA) in Milwaukee is over.  I was unable to attend as I had planned, but Thomas C Fox, editor of National Catholic Reporter, offered several sympathetic blog posts over the weekend, and I pass on his insights here.

Call to Action seeks to reclaim the spirit of Vatican II in the face of a church that has tilted strongly toward the right since those heady reform minded days of the early 60’s.  Fox’s first post speaks to the need of these progressives to come together to rekindle their energy but especially to be healed:

The folks who come here have been hurt, really hurt, in many ways by their church, a church that has turned on them as they have tried to live out its call faithfully, a clergy who have virtually banished them for their care and compassion. Some CTA types have literally been driven out of parishes, others forced out of ministries and careers. Hurt, really hurt. And they come here, recognizing it or not, in need of healing. And the CTA weekend provides this healing. CTA as healer. I like it. Think of it.

Call to Action has a new executive director, Jim Fitzgerald, and he offered his inaugural address, which Fox reprinted in toto.  Here is a portion:

“I don’t think I would be Catholic if it weren’t for Call To Action.” It is a comment I have heard so many times in my 12 years with CTA. While I was a college student at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, I voiced my doubts about remaining Catholic to Sister Nancy Langhart, a Franciscan sister who was my campus minister. I told Nancy that I feel Catholic in my spirit, but I have such difficulty staying in the Church when the Vatican says other religions are deficient, that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are intrinsically disordered, and that the priestly women in my life are not suitable to be ordained or serve in official leadership because of their gender. Regardless of what the Vatican said, I knew in my heart and soul that it is not one’s sexual identity or gender that is disordered; it’s homophobia and sexism in the name of Jesus that’s disordered!

Nancy smiled compassionately as if she knew exactly what I was feeling, leaned over and asked, “Have you ever heard of Call To Action?” In 1997, Nancy drove me to Detroit and introduced me to the Call To Action conference experience and I was home! Tonight, I’m thrilled to say Nancy is here and once again we get to share together this wonderful gathering. Thank you Nancy for bringing me home.

The role of women in the church, including women’s ordination, is of prime importance to Call to Action.  Speakers and presenters at the Milwaukee conference included many Catholic feminists.  Fox blogged about a couple of them.

Akers (photo by David Hawlic)Sister of Charity Louise Akers filled in for scheduled keynoter Roy Bourgeois Friday evening because Bourgeois’ father took ill.  Fox reports that “Akers last August was told by Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk to publicly disassociate herself from the issue of women’s ordination or lose her ability to continue making any presentations or teaching for credit in any archdiocesan-related institution.”

Akers remained defiant, and her address claimed that it was she, not Pilarczyk, who was following church teaching.

Fox also blogged about the Biblical reflections of Sister Dianne Bergant on Saturday.  Using the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, Bergant suggested we find the the ways God will bless us through the immigrant.

Finally, Fox blogged about Bob and Margaret McClory, founders and mainstays of Call to Action, and their recent visit with reform theologian Fr. Edward Schillebeeckx of Holland who is nearing his 95th birthday.

As the conference came to a close on Sunday, over 2,000 attendees unanimously approved a resolution of support for American nuns who are under pressure from the Vatican.  The resolution is reprinted below (from CTA’s press release):

Since January of 2009, the Vatican has investigated and sought to silence Catholic sisters in the United States. They have set a deadline of November 20th for the women religious’ communities to respond to its probing questionnaire. Now more than ever we must speak out against the few bishops who continue to wield the sword of division, rather than extend the hand of unity.

To our fellow Catholics in the United States and around the globe, women religious have taught us how to live the gospel and open our arms until they embraced all of God’s people. It is now our responsibility to put into action the lessons we have learned and ensure that our sisters in faith are not ripped from the church’s embrace,

To our courageous sisters, you who have been the bedrock of our church and country, know that the people you have faithfully served stand beside you as you have stood with us.

To those who are doing the investigation, your actions do not reflect the welcoming and embracing love that Jesus demonstrated in the gospels. We invite you to have a conversion of heart and join us in standing with the women religious.

In every generation God raises up prophets to point the way towards the gospel vision of inclusion. Women religious are these prophets. Today we stand not with those who cling to the gates of exclusion but with the prophets who open the gates and call us to live as one.

Swedish #Lutheran Eva Brunne to be ordained as first lesbian bishop #ELCA

Brunne in Stockholm Tomorrow, Sunday the 8th of November, the Lutheran church of Sweden will ordain Eva Brunne as a bishop in ceremonies at the Cathedral in Uppsala.  Swedish Archbishop Anders Wejryd will conduct joint ordinations of Brunne, as Bishop of Stockholm, and Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund, as Bishop of Härnösand in northern Sweden.

That two women are being ordained as bishops is noteworthy, but the real news is that Brunne is a lesbian in a long-term, committed relationship with another female pastor.  This ordination of an openly lesbian woman as a bishop follows the news a few weeks ago that the Lutheran Church of Sweden will conduct marriage ceremonies of gay couples, which has been permitted by Swedish law since May.

The ordination ceremonies follow the election of Brunne a few months ago.  A secular, gay, European blog, Eurout.com, commented at that time, in a post entitled, God Bless Sweden:

With 413 to 365 she won the runoff-election of the Lutheran Church in Stockholm, after she was already the favorite candidate of the majority of pastors during the nomination. “She has this natural authority,” said her fellow church members after the election in several TV interviews. “Her enthusiasm and the ability to see the whole picture, to not get lost in details makes her so precious for this position.”

I want to add, her sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. When Brunne, who was a pastor in Stockholm for 16 years, was asked what she does to relax in her free time, she answered, “I read crime fiction. And I carve. The things you do to conform to Jesus, huh?”

Her partner Gunilla Lindén, who’s also a pastor, gave birth to their now 3 years old son after they entered a registered partnership. International journalists addressed whether this is a problem for the Swedish church, but Eva Brunne only joked, “Um, why? The backyard of the bishop’s house is really big enough.”

There are conflicting reports whether UK Anglican representatives will boycott the ordination.  An Anglican cleric who blogs as Madpriest writes, with “embarrassment”:

Five bishops from various levels within the Anglican Church, including Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, have decided not to attend the November 8th ordination of the openly gay Eva Brunne to be the next Bishop of Stockholm.

“The Anglican Church has a moratorium right now concerning the ordination of bishops who live together with someone of the same sex,” Alan Harper, a bishop from Armagh in Northern Ireland, stated.

Back in July, two UK bishops warned that allowing homosexuals to be married in Swedish churches would lead to “an impairment of the relationship” between the Church of England and the Church of Sweden.

In addition to bishops from the Churches of England and Ireland, the churches of Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have also elected to skip the ordination, although without providing any specific reason.

Representatives from the churches of South Africa, the Philippines, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Germany are among the international representatives who have accepted the Church of Sweden’s invitation to attend Sunday’s ceremony.

But Swedish Archbishop Wejryd denies a boycott, according to the English language Swedish newspaper and website entitled The Local.  Wejryd indicated that officials from other countries and other denominations are often invited but seldom attend Swedish ordinations:

“We send invitations to those with the highest rank. That’s why the Archbishop of Canterbury received an invitation, but no one expected him to say yes.”

He added that the Church of England would be represented by the Reverend Karen Schmidt, who serves as the Bishop’s Chaplain for the Portsmouth Diocese, with which the Stockholm Diocese has a twinning relationship whereby church leaders from both diocese conduct reciprocal visits with one another.

“The bishop, David Bingley of Portsmouth, couldn’t make it but will attend Eva Brunne’s reception the following Sunday,” Wejryd told the newspaper.

A blog entitled Thinking Anglicans also reports on the controversy, imagined or real, with many interesting comments such as: “So what’s stopping us (the North Americans) from joining with the Church of Sweden and the ELCA and telling the C of E to go get stuffed?”

Call to Action Progressive #Catholic Conference opens today

Over 2,000 progressive Catholics are expected to gather today in Milwaukee for the opening of the annual Call to Action (CTA) conference.  The CTA slogan is “Catholics working together for Justice and Equality,”, and the conference theme is “Everyone at the Table: Rejoicing as People of God!” 

The day will be filled with arrivals, registrations, miscellaneous workshops and seminars, a hall full of exhibitors, and an opening liturgy this evening.  Today’s keynote address will be offered by Maryknoll priest Roy Bourgeois who has been ordered by the Vatican to recant for his unrelenting support of women’s ordination, but he has refused.  His address will be entitled, “A New Model of Being Church”.

The exclusion of women from the priesthood in the Catholic Church is a grave injustice against women and a grave injustice against the God who calls women to be priests. In his keynote address, Bourgeois will explore the roots of sexism in the Church’s history and how an all-male clergy has led to a crisis in our present-day Church. Since justice is an integral part of our faith, Bourgeois will reflect upon what each of us can do to reform our Church and create a new model of being Church.

Here are links to blogs that reference Call to Action:

YoungAdultCatholics – a blog of NextGen at Call To Action

Catholicism in the 21st Century

Local Catholic Reporter (St Louis)

Bridget Mary’s Blog

Criticism of #Lutheran Core #ELCA

Pretty Good Lutherans blog offers several links to blog posts or articles critical of Lutheran Core (one of these was to my own post yesterday).  With a hat tip to blogger Susan Hogan for her list, this post will dig into each link a bit.

In a letter to the editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune entitled “A continuing reformation”, David Weiss suggests the ELCA’s new policy on gays is “a huge change for the better.”  Without naming Lutheran Core, Weiss concludes his op-ed piece with these words:

So, to those who say that the ELCA betrayed its own Lutheran heritage last August, I beg to differ. The heart of the Reformation is about grace and welcome offered as a free gift to people otherwise made anxious by social and religious forces. And this year, at long last, from the heart of the Reformation I’m saying to my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, “Welcome home.”

A second op-ed piece is offered by former bishop of the St Paul area synod, Rev. Lowell Erdahl.  Writing on MPR news, Erdahl suggests “Unlearning the things that used to be obvious”.  He uses the analogy of the rejection of Copernicus five centuries ago: 

Convinced by what was obvious in nature and clearly proclaimed in the Bible, Luther called Copernicus a fool. Calvin asked, “Who will venture to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?”

Erdahl then suggests that he “was wrong in my understanding of both homosexual humanity and the Bible.”  Erdahl argues that the Biblical texts cited by the opposition “relate to lustful, exploitive same-sex activity, such as temple prostitution, abuse of prisoners and pederasty, but say nothing about homosexuality as we understand it today,” and such texts should not dictate the church’s policy toward the “significant segment of humanity who, through no choice of their own, are attracted to, fall in love with and desire to live in lifelong partnership with persons of the same sex.”

Erdahl concludes: “It will be a great day when homosexual humanity is as clearly understood and as fully affirmed as Copernican astronomy is today.”

The third link is to blogger Joelle Colville-Hanson, an ELCA pastor in Iowa, who confronts Lutheran Core directly, based on comments on Core’s website.

CORE Encouraging Congregations to Oust Pastors who Don’t Agree with them
 

Lutheran CORE is playing dirty. Got a pastor who agrees with the churchwide assembly decision or simply refuses to make a big old issue out of it? Get rid of them. Yup that’s their suggestion…

This was originally on their resources of “What to do now” You won’t find it on their webpage anymore because they have altered it –but for now it is still here: CORE Suggestions -don’t be surprised if they cover their ass and change that.

In an earlier post on her blog, Pastor Joelle took Core to task for their call for a funding boycott of the ELCA, mocking their stance as “”Well we will stay, call ourselves members of the ELCA, keep our jobs as pastors and other positions in the ELCA, vote in conference and synod assemblies, insist bishops and other leaders in the ELCA listen to us, scold and lecture the ELCA but will not sully our pure wallets by supporting the ELCA with our gold and silver.”

In the next link on Pretty Good Lutherans, Pastor S. Blake Duncan of Illinois also criticizes Core for withholding funds.

When we give as Christians, we are giving of ourselves – our time and our financial resources – out of a sense that everything we have and everything we are is given to us from God. So we give back to God what is already God’s so that the love of Christ can be proclaimed through the ministry of the church. The money I give to my congregation pays for the ministry of the whole church: for the hospital visits, the food pantry, the worship services, the bread and wine of communion, the Sunday school, confirmation. Besides funding our local ministry, a portion is sent to the synod as benevolence. This benevolence pays for Lutheran Social Services’ work of feeding and helping those in need; it pays for synod staff such as the new outreach coordinator who is now working directly with the Wartburg Parish; it provides resources to keep struggling congregations open and serving their communities in places where the need is great but resources are few – such as Trinity Lutheran Church in Kankakee; it pays for the First Call continuing education program for new pastors. A portion is also sent on to the ELCA, where it pays for churchwide youth events, disaster response, new congregational start-ups, campus ministry, Lutheran World Relief, and on and on. The money I give to my congregation each week does all of this! And this is possible only because my congregation is a partner with both the Central/Southern Illinois Synod and the ELCA. To stop giving is to imperil these ministries and risk hurting the most vulnerable programs and people. (Emphasis added)

The final link is to a brief letter to the editor of Star News in Elk River, Minnesota in which an ELCA parishioner notes, “when I heard an emotional plea from the pulpit last Sunday to urge the congregation to vote to leave the ELCA,” that parishioner and others began to work to ensure all views are heard in their congregation.

What’s your point, Lutheran Core? #ELCA #Lutheran #CWA09

At the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, voting members adopted revised ministry policies and a human sexuality statement.  Changed ministry policies will soon allow clergy in a lifelong, monogamous same-gender relationship, and the sexuality social statement recognizes the positive in both gay and straight relationships.  Both actions were supported by Goodsoil and opposed by Lutheran Core.  That is, Goodsoil was the pro-LGBT advocacy group present during the 2009 Convention while Lutheran Core was there as the opposition advocacy group.  Goodsoil was the coalition of several LGBT groups, especially Lutherans Concerned / North America (LCNA), and Core is closely affiliated with the WordAlone Network. 

Since the Convention, Lutheran Core has continued to agitate against the ELCA decisions, and their website / blog provides an outlet for their views.  Today’s Core blog post reports that a well-heeled private foundation, Arcus, provided significant financial support to LCNA in the past few years.

This is hardly surprising since the website of Arcus states: 

The Mission of the Arcus Foundation is to achieve social justice that is inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity and race …

The following is my response to Core’s post:

And your point is?

Shocking, I say, shocking, that a rich person(s) with a pro-LGBT attitude helped pay the salaries of LCNA staff, Goodsoil Headquarters suite rental at the Mpls Convention Center, printing of literature, etc., etc.

Was the Lutheran Core hospitality room at the convention free? Who paid for the drinks and hors d’oeuvres and handouts and video presentations?

Your post contains a lot of quotes but no premise. Is one implied? Are you whining that Core did not receive equivalent financial support? Are you envious of the Goodsoil efforts? Is this a fundraising post? If so, perhaps you should include your “Donate” button.

Do you imply something sinister? Perhaps now would be a good time to repeat Nestingen’s [Core spokesperson] false claim, quoted on your website, that “the hallways and the back of the assembly fill up with gay advocates bussed in to influence the voters using, commonly enough, intimidation up to and including physical threats.” You know what they say about repeating a lie often enough.

Again, I ask, what’s your point?

Bowed but not broken: the quest for marriage equality continues

I am not a gay person, but I am what is referred to as a “straight ally”.  Thus, while I can sympathize with and support LGBT causes, I cannot empathize.  I cannot feel the brutalizing affront to my essential human dignity that is all too often the gay experience.  Thus, I defer to the voices of others to name the feelings following election night victories and losses.  Popular blogger Andrew Sullivan offers his succinct response to the narrow defeat in Maine and the narrow victory in Washington:

But I do want to point out that, from the perspective of just a decade ago, to have an even split on this question in a voter referendum is a huge shift in the culture. In Maine, where the Catholic church did all it could to prevent gays from having civil rights in a very Catholic and rural state, gays do have equality but may now merely be denied the name. The process itself has helped educate and enlighten and deepen the debate about gay people in ways that never happened before the marriage issue came up.

I am heart-broken tonight by Maine, and I’d be lying if I said otherwise.

Somehow losing by this tiny margin is brutalizing. And because this is a vote on my dignity as a human being, it is hard not to take it personally or emotionally. But I also know that the history of civil rights movements has many steps backward as forward, and some of those reversals actually catalyze the convictions that lead to victories. A decade ago, the marriage issue was toxic. Now it divides evenly. Soon, it will win everywhere.

I know for many younger gays and lesbians, this process can seem bewildering and hurtful. But I’m old enough now to be able to look back and see the hill we have climbed in such a short amount of time, and the minds and hearts we have changed. Including our own.

Know hope.

The Johannine account of Jesus’ call to follow me haunts me this morning.  Why should we follow?  Come and see, Jesus says.  Come and see, repeat his followers, one to the next.  But I wonder what the world sees when the Mormons in California and the Catholics in Maine work so stridently against human rights. 

Vox Clamantis in Deserto.  A voice crying in the wilderness.  Against the shrillness of the powerful Vatican and much of American evangelicalism, the voice of progressive Christianity sometimes seem so still and so small.  Yet, You will see greater things than these, promises Jesus.  Forward we go.  Forward we must.

Election Day 2009: spotlight on Maine

In this off year, there are not a lot of elections of import across the country.  There are hotly contested governorships in New Jersey and Virginia, and an interesting Congressional race in upstate New York, but many eyes will be on the state of Maine as the latest battleground regarding marriage equality. 

Here’s the background according to the Associated Press:

Maine MoosePORTLAND, Maine — Bolstered by out-of-state money and volunteers, both sides jockeyed Monday to boost turnout for a Maine referendum that could give gay-rights activists in the U.S. their first victory at the ballot box on the deeply divisive issue of same-sex marriage.

The state’s voters will decide Tuesday whether to repeal a law that would allow gay marriage. The law was passed by the Legislature and signed by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci last May but has never taken effect.

The contest is considered too close to call, and both campaigns worked vigorously — with rallies, phone calls, e-mails and ads — to be sure their supporters cast votes in the off-year election.

If voters uphold the law, it will be the first time the electorate in any state has endorsed marital rights for same-sex couples, energizing activists nationwide and deflating a long-standing conservative argument that gay marriage lacks popular support.

Conversely, a repeal — in New England, the corner of the country most receptive to same-sex marriage — would be a jolting setback for the gay-rights movement and mark the first time voters overturned a gay-marriage law enacted by a legislature. When Californians voters rejected gay marriage a year ago, it was in response to a court ruling, not legislation.

Religious activists are on both sides of the issue.  Roman Catholic Bishop Richard J Malone of the Portland Diocese (which includes the entire state) has been particularly active according to the National Catholic Reporter and quoted in Talk to Action blog:

Besides spearheading a parish-based petition signature drive, assisted by local and national socially conservative groups, Malone also padded church bulletins with anti-gay marriage messages — on six consecutive Sundays. He required that pastors throughout the diocese preach on traditional marriage.

Malone has produced a DVD, in which he stars, explaining why marriage matters, and directed that it be shown in all parishes. (See Marriage: What the church teaches.)
Last month, Malone called for a second collection to be taken up during Sunday Masses, with proceeds going to Stand for Marriage, the organization leading the repeal effort.

The second collection netted $86,000. In total, the Portland diocese has given $550,000 to the effort to repeal the same-sex marriage legislation.

But many Catholics resist their bishop, including Governor John E. Baldacci who signed the legislation.  The Bangor Daily News reports that many Catholics joined four recent statewide  rallies sponsored by the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry in Maine.

After Mass on Sunday morning, Ed Oechslie left St. John Catholic Church and walked alone to Hammond Street Congregational Church.

The Brewer man wore a sign made on his computer and pinned to the back of his jacket. It showed a cross in the foreground with a rainbow rising behind its base, arcing across the background. Above the cross were the words, “Maine Catholics for Marriage Equality.”

“I think it’s important for Catholics to speak up,” Oechslie said before the Bangor service began. “The bishop has taken a stance that, in my view, has nothing to do with the teachings of Jesus.”

The Talk to Action blog post quotes other progressive Catholics who oppose their Bishop’s overt politicking.  William H. Slavick of Portland, a retired college professor and long-time coordinator of the Pax Christi Maine chapter,

favors keeping the civil marriage law, saying that the church is wrong to try to impose a Catholic view of marriage on society.

Catholic attorney, Anne Underwood, in public testimony before the legislature, stated:

As a practicing Roman Catholic and attorney, I thank each of you for your daily work on behalf of our democratic form of government. A government based not on Halachah (Jewish), Shari’ a (Islamic), or Canon Law (Roman Catholic), but on Civil Law.

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to marry includes a diverse group of religious leaders including Rabbi Darah Lerner of Congregational Beth El, Bangor’s Reform synagogue, who said her religion required her to speak out at the rally.

“I am participating because my tradition calls me to pursue equality and justice for all people,” she said. “Full equality under the law for gay men and lesbians requires the legal recognition of monogamous domestic gay and lesbian relationships. All loving couples should be included in the civil right and the responsibility of marriage.”

Pam’s House Blend blog has voting instructions and an open thread for comments throughout the day.

Voice of the Faithful: Progressive #Catholic Conference a success

This past weekend, the progressive Catholic group called Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) held its annual convention on Long Island.  Their slogan is “Keep the Faith, Change the Church.”  I reprint their press release below:

NEW ENERGY AT VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL CONFERENCE

October 31, 2009

Sr. Joan Chittister and Fr. Tom Reese inspire VOTF members at LI conference

Melville, NY – Over 500 members of Voice of the Faithful were encouraged to see the good within in the institution of the Catholic Church. It was the message given by Father Tom Reese, one of the distinguished speakers at this year’s event held at the Huntington Hilton on Long Island. He also asked members to avail themselves of the social justice opportunities within Church, to be mindful of the importance of prayer and scripture reading, and recognize the importance of being welcoming community within their own parish.

The day began with Sr. Joan Chittister offering a new insight into the nature of leadership within the Church. She emphasized that power and leadership are not synonyms and that people should lead they way the wish to follow. Sr. Chittister said, “real reform brings people together, does not pit one group against one another,” a message taken to heart by the VOTF members in attendance.

Priest of Integrity Awards were given to Fr. Joseph Fowler of Louisville, a tireless advocate for victims rights in Kentucky, and Fr. Donald Cozzens, a noted author and a long-time advisor to Voice of the Faithful. Both priests were greeted with a hearty reception.

Jason Berry, an author and investigative journalist, received the St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Lay Person award for his work in bringing the sexual abuse scandal to light and his persistent quest for justice for survivors.

VOTF members were also asked by Margaret Smith of John Jay College, a dedicated researcher on the “Causes and Context Study,” for their help in solving the mystery around the abuse crisis: how could such a moral lapse not have been recognized at the time? Ms. Smith also reported that the dimming number of clergy abuse reports were a positive sign of change.

President Dan Bartley said to the members, “I am encouraged by your support. We have so much work to do, especially with new Voices in Action campaign. Your presence here is a testament to your hard work and dedication.”

VOTF is restructuring and expanding.  FY 2009 budget of $450,000 will be increased to $600,000 for 2010 and $700,000 for 2011.  It hopes to expand its membership by 30% to 45,000.  The organization plans to become more collegial, collaborative, and grass roots, emphasizing lay involvement, an expanded role for women, and actualization of the spirit of Vatican II.  Here is a web based slide show with voice that outlines their plans and goals of their “Voices in Action Campaign”.  If you don’t care to watch and listen to this fifteen minute presentation, the highlights include a five pronged plan that includes:

Meanwhile, another progressive Catholic group named Call to Action will hold its annual convention in Milwaukee next weekend.  Over 2,000 persons are expected to attend, and I plan to be one of them with live blogs from the convention floor.

Minnesota #Episcopal Diocese elects new Bishop (#Anglican)

The Rev. Brian Prior of Spokane, Washington has been elected only the ninth Bishop of of the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota since the 1850’s.  Five diverse nominees each had strong support on the first ballot with vote totals ranging from 71 to 115.  Prior was the leader on the first ballot and received the highest vote totals on each of the five ballots, finally realizing the majority of laity and clergy support as candidates dropped out through succeeding ballots.

In addition to Prior, the other candidates included:

Rev. Marianne Budde of Minneapolis who finished second, Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago (a lesbian in a committed relationship), Rev Douglas Sparks of Rochester, Mn, and Rev Doyle Turner of Park Rapids, Mn (a Native American).  The website of the Minnesota Diocese issued the following statement.

Prior has been the Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Spokane, Washington since 1996. Among the manybrian prior photo slight crop boards and committees on which he serves, Rev. Prior is the Vice President of the House of Deputies of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. He received his M.Div. from Church Divinity of the Pacific in Berkeley, California in 1987. Rev. Prior has been married to Staci Hubbard Prior for 21 years. They have two teenage sons.

“I am thrilled to have the privilege of being among the first to welcome Rev. Prior as our new bishop,” says Scott Crow, chair of the Standing Committee, which is charged with overseeing the election. “Our process has been filled with prayer, discernment, and the movement of the Spirit in our midst. It has been a powerful experience to witness the church at work and I look forward to the joyful Ordination and Consecration of our new bishop on February 13, 2010.”

Susan Russell, recent past president of Integrity, USA, the Episcopal LGBT advocacy group, offered her congratulations to Bishop-elect Prior and kudos to the Minnesota Episcopalians for their process.

I believe at this point in the life of the church it is a sign of GREAT good news that a diocese has had the opportunity to choose from a slate of qualified candidates the one they and the Holy Spirit have discerned to be the BEST bishop to lead them into God’s future. A slate that included men and women, gay and straight, Anglo and Native American. This is our Episcopal Church at its best.

The Diocese of Minnesota has elected a new bishop. Let us rejoice and be glad with them!

Current Integrity President, Rev David Norgard, offered similar sentiments:

“What we have seen in the Diocese of Minnesota during these weeks and months of discernment is our church at its best,” said the Reverend David Norgard, President of Integrity. “By including an openly gay, partnered candidate, they have led the Episcopal Church to one step closer to reaching the reality of ‘all the baptized in all the sacraments’ in the Episcopal Church – not just a resolution of General Convention. We owe them our thanks and gratitude for their visionary leadership.”