The Question was Not "If," but "When"

     It is exciting to hear the diocese of Los Angeles has elected both their first female suffragan bishop, the Rev. Canon Diane Jardine Bruce, and also the first lesbian suffragan bishop, the Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool. They now enter the process where a majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must consent to the elections. You can read the full coverage in Episcopal Life.

     It was not a question of "if" we would elect another gay bishop, but "when". It is now the turn of standing committees and bishops of the Episcopal Church to live up to our stated value of respecting every human being set forth in the Baptismal Vows. It is also time to live up to the reaffirmation of this vow made at last summer's General Convention specifically as it applies to this very situation. The General Convention affirmed in Resolution D025 that ordination is available to anyone in the church through the discernment process outlined in the Constitution and Canons of the church.

     I am convinced that some of the signers to the Anaheim Statement, which was basically seen as a dissent to the actions of the General Convention, did so not because they would automatically oppose consecrating another gay bishop, but as a sign of support for those bishops who had to return to dioceses where the summer's actions would cause them heartburn. It will be interesting to watch the consents as they come in over the next four months.