Dear Sisters and Brothers of Good Shepherd,
Greetings on the day that the Episcopal Church USA celebrates, honors and remembers The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 87th Birthday. (Alternatively, we celebrate on April 4th, the anniversary of his death.) I was honored to represent our parish this morning at the Interfaith Breakfast in Honor of The Rev. Dr. King, hosted by the County Executive.
By now many of you will have heard that at this week’s meeting of Anglican primates, a decision was made to sanction the Episcopal Church USA for the decision at our 2015 General Convention to approve the blessing of same-sex marriage. (The meeting of Anglican Primates, the senior bishops of the 38 Anglican Provinces, joined by the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of North America, took place in Canterbury, England between Monday 11 January and Friday 15 January at the invitation of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.)
Below is the letter Bishop Dietsche wrote today, which introduces the letter from Presiding Bishop Curry. You may find additional information at the Episcopal News Service website: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens
With gratitude for our life in community, and for the continued inspiration of The Rev. Dr. King, whose words give hope as well as comfort: “The moral arc of the universe bends toward justice.”
In peace and prayer,
Rev. Gwyneth
The Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy,
Interim Pastor
(Shield of the Diocese of New York)
My brothers and sisters,
Following this message you will find today’s communication from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, commenting on the decisions made yesterday by the Primates gathered in conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury to sanction the Episcopal Church. Bishop Curry’s reflection is excellent, and puts our life in the Anglican Communion in the context of an organic, living, continually evolving network of relationships. I find his words helpful in accepting the disappointment of a discouraging meeting and decision without interpreting that as a failure or ultimate breakdown of relationships which have inspired us, enriched us, enflamed our missional desires, and made us proud by our common witness to the gospel across the globe.
Our communion is intact. In no way will this vote impair or diminish the commitment of the Diocese of New York to continue our own mission relationships and the work we are doing through our Global Mission Commission and through the many parishes of New York among the people and churches of Haiti, India, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and across the world. We have countless friends in myriad places, and I am confident that the depth and richness of those relationships across world and communion will continue to make us glad and rekindle every day our love of the historic communion we are happy to still claim.
I particularly want to speak to those of our diocese in the LGBT community. Please do not fear that the divisions in our communion expressed yesterday, or the consequences of those divisions for the Episcopal Church, will ever cause for this bishop or diocese a scrap of regret for the decisions made here to provide for all people, particularly for gay and lesbian people, the fullest possible inclusion in our common life and full access to the sacramental life of the church, notably the sacraments of marriage and ordination. We have seen God bless the whole church as the church has sought to bless those who had long been marginalized. We give thanks for the good learnings and gifts which have come to us as we have striven to love more expansively, to love as Christ loves. We will continue firm in our convictions and in our continuing embrace of the full and diverse community of brothers and sisters which is our life in New York, even as we continue to reach out to our sister provinces across the communion in continued fellowship. “I came among you,” Jesus said, “that all may be one.”
I am grateful for the leadership of Bishop Curry, and grateful that he sat for us in the Primates Meeting and remained brave and strong and faithful for the work and witness of that hour. I continue to be proud and grateful for all of you in the local witness and mission you make in the churches and communities where God has placed you. May God continue to shower his graces and blessings upon us, upon those who wish us well and upon those who do not. And as always, I remain
Yours,
(Bishop’s Signature)
The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche
Bishop of New York
Episcopal Diocese of New York
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York NY 10025
Statement by the Presiding Bishop:
Before I say a word about our gathering here at the Primates Meeting, I just want to say a word of thank you to you for all of your prayers: your prayers for this meeting, your prayers for me personally, both here and in my earlier sickness. We are well, and God is God, and I thank you.
Let me say a word about the meeting.
This is not the outcome we expected, and while we are disappointed, it’s important to remember that the Anglican Communion is really not a matter of structure and organization. The Anglican Communion is a network of relationships that have been built on mission partnerships; relationships that are grounded in a common faith; relationships in companion diocese relationships; relationships with parish to parish across the world; relationships that are profoundly committed to serving and following the way of Jesus of Nazareth by helping the poorest of the poor, and helping this world to be a place where no child goes to bed hungry ever. That’s what the Anglican Communion is, and that Communion continues and moves forward.
This has been a disappointing time for many, and there will be heartache and pain for many, but it’s important to remember that we are still part of the Anglican Communion. We are the Episcopal Church, and we are part of the Jesus Movement, and that Movement goes on, and our work goes on. And the truth is, it may be part of our vocation to help the Communion and to help many others to grow in a direction where we can realize and live the love that God has for all of us, and we can one day be a Church and a Communion where all of God’s children are fully welcomed, where this is truly a house of prayer for all people. And maybe it’s a part of our vocation to help that to happen. And so we must claim that high calling; claim the high calling of love and faith; love even for those with whom we disagree, and then continue, and that we will do, and we will do it together.
We are part of the Jesus Movement, and the cause of God’s love in this world can never stop and will never be defeated.
God love you. God bless you. And you keep the faith. And we move forward.
The Most Rev. Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church