First, the House of Deputies has concurred in the version that was previously approved by the bishops.
Here is the final version of the Resolution. It’s worth reading the text in full, including the Explanation.
ENS reports this (taken from the PDF file of the Convention Daily, inexplicably this story is not yet on the ENS website):
Convention passes Resolution D025
By Melodie WoermanThe House of Deputies July 14 concurred with the House of Bishops in their action on Resolution D025 and passed it as amended.
The resolution affirms that ordination is available to anyone in the church through the discernment process outlined in the Constitution and Canons of the church. It also said that God’s call to ordination is a mystery and reaffirmed the Episcopal Church’s participation in the Anglican Communion, while noting that the communion is not of one mind on this matter.
The resolution passed in a vote by orders called for early in the debate. The final vote in the lay order was 78 yes, 21 no and 9 divided. In the clergy order the vote was 77 yes, 19 no and 11 divided. A simple majority – 55 votes among laity and 56 among clergy – was required for the resolution to pass.
This vote followed previous action on D025 July 12 that was passed by deputies with a 2-1 majority. Because the resolution passed with an amendment by the bishops July 13, deputies had to vote on the amended version in order for the resolution to be adopted.
In the debate leading up to this vote, the Very Rev. Philip Lindner (Upper South Carolina) said the time for this action had arrived. “I saw our passage of D025 as our acknowledgement of what is – a way forward that is not perfect but is nonetheless a way for us to state boldly that we as Anglicans, as Episcopalians, are now recommitting to our faith and love in Jesus Christ now with a desire to fully focus on mission and ministry in his name.”
Grace Aheron, a member of the Official Youth Presence from the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, noted that the house already had spoken and needed to reaffirm that vote. “It is time to move past this resolution,” she said. “This house has already decisively spoken. I ask you to quickly pass this resolution again. There are many other issues requiring our attention, and we have delayed this long enough. The debate is over, and it’s time to vote. As we say in Virginia, let’s get ‘er done.”
Two other members of the Official Youth Presence urged the resolution be defeated. Michael Sahdev of Southeast Florida said, “I am extremely worried about the future of this church and what will happen to it. We already have lost so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Please, I beg and plead of you, don’t leave me and my generation with half a church or no church at all.” Zach Brown of Upper South Carolina said, “I fear more conservative members will leave our church. My fear is that parishes and dioceses will leave our church. Without the communion’s unity, the Episcopal Church will gradually diminish.”
However, ENS has published this roundup of responses to the action of the bishops: Resolution D025 draws mixed responses. This reveals a variety of opinions about what the resolution does and does not do with reference to the B033 “moratorium” resolution of 2006.
Kendall Harmon has an opinion, see Kendall Harmon on D025.
Mark Harris also has an opinion: The Vote, Canterbury’s uninformed reaction.
See also Terry Martin D025: An Honest Statement.
Some comments from a person who attended most of the debates in the House of Deputies and House of Bishops regarding D025: First, can we all please get down from the ramparts and stop the shouting, the leaping to unwarranted conclusions, and the threats? It is unseemly and unChristian. D025 is a simple statement about who we are and where we are, at this time in TEC. We cannot enter into a Covenant pretending to be who others may want us to be. Communion relationships must be based on integrity, not just authoritarian contraints, as is the case with the… Read more »
Beautifully put, Karen. Thank you. What more can the Communion ask of us indeed.
I can assure you that at least one bishop who voted “Yes” told me that he did not interpret D025 as rejecting B033 — any diocesan or standing committee can use whatever criteria they wish in giving or withholding consent.
FWIW, I was present for all the debates on D025 in both houses & am willing to answer any specific questions that anyone might have to the best of my meager abilities.
You have done well, Karen, but I fear it will not satisfy those who don’t want to be satisfied. And that will vex them even more…
The headline on the BBC radio 4 news at 7 o’clock this morning said that this decision made it likely that TEC would be excluded from full membership of the Anglican Communion. Huge numbers of people in the Church of England who don’t follow the specialist coverage will have heard this. I think it is right that this is the way it is going. It may or may not be fair, but we shouldn’t delude ourselves. And surely those attending General Convention didn’t really doubt that this resolution would have a seismic effect on their relations with the rest of… Read more »
I agree with you, badman, and, like you (I presume and hope), I welcome what TEC has done. But that shouldn’t prevent one claiming (a) that the resolution is as decently and unprovocatively worded as it could be; (b) that hostile reactions from the usual suspects have been indecently expressed and generally dishonest in their one-sidedness.
Suddenly it dawns on me that the whole IRD conservative Anglican realignment is utterly predicated on being able to turn church life into a fight club. If this or that difference cannot be exploited and spin doctored to get believers fighting, then surely queer folks will always be a red hot provocation. KH reveals this, and do other leading AngConRealign figures. Journalists often have not been helpful, since after all the church being a fight club is a familiar trope to them, especially when it comes to controversies about modern queer folks. On another blog, somebody posted some clues from… Read more »
The Episcopal church cannot be removed from the Anglican Communion and they know it only to well.
A couple of definitions: Communion: … 3. association; fellowship. 4. interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication: communion with nature. 5. the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation. [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/communion] Agreement: 1. the act of agreeing or of coming to a mutual arrangement. 2. the state of being in accord. 3. an arrangement that is accepted by all parties to a transaction. 4. a contract or other document delineating such an arrangement. 5. unanimity of opinion; harmony in feeling: agreement among the members of the faculty. [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/agreement] I think we can all acknowledge that one can be… Read more »
A couple of definitions: Communion: … 3. association; fellowship. 4. interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication: communion with nature. 5. the act of sharing, or holding in common; participation. [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/communion] Agreement: 1. the act of agreeing or of coming to a mutual arrangement. 2. the state of being in accord. 3. an arrangement that is accepted by all parties to a transaction. 4. a contract or other document delineating such an arrangement. 5. unanimity of opinion; harmony in feeling: agreement among the members of the faculty. [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/agreement] I think we can all acknowledge that one can be… Read more »