Note from The Wizard: I will be keeping this post at the top of 'OZ' for a while... new posts follow it...
Reverend Shawn Sanford-Beck was recently subject to not getting his pastoral license renewed by the bishop due to his stance on the blessings of Same-sex marriages/Unions. A copy follows:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHURCH
Conversion of St. Paul, 2007
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As you are no doubt aware, our church finds itself in a turbulent, confusing, and painful time. Many issues are involved in our current struggles: authority, hermeneutics, ethical and theological visions and convictions, and the complex relationships of gender, power, and patriarchy. Though the "presenting issue" is the place of LGBTT folk in the Body of Christ, the roots of our conflict go much deeper.
As a priest in the midst of this struggle, it has become clear to me after much prayer and soul-searching, that my spiritual conscience can no longer abide by the laws which I am required to uphold in regard to the blessing of same-sex unions and marriages. It is my conviction that our current ban on such practices is theologically problematic and fundamentally unjust. Upholding such a position (even unwillingly) forces me to bend severely (if not break) my priestly vows, my baptismal covenant, and the Word of God inscribed within my heart. I therefore publicly declare that I will, when requested, officiate at same-sex marriages and offer blessing upon committed same sex unions. I will no longer discriminate against homosexual people when it comes to the exercise of my priestly duties.
I am aware, of course, that the stance I am taking will likely lead to serious consequences, and I am prepared to face these consequences openly and publicly. It may be helpful to consider my action a form of ecclesiastical civil disobedience. With conflict and rhetoric rising in the worldwide communion, too many queer brothers and sisters are being further marginalized and excluded. In some parts of the world, this takes the form of outright violence: as I write, the coordinator of Changing Attitude (a sister organization of Integrity) in Nigeria is living under a death threat from his "fellow Christians". Here at home, it is often a more subtle form of oppression: exclusion rendered invisible. As a priest and leader in the church, my complicity in upholding our current law makes me at least partially responsible for the ongoing suffering of LGBTT Christians, and I can no longer take part in that. If my current action helps render visible that which has been made invisible, then I will be happy to bear the consequences. I too will stand "outside the gate", where so many other queer Christians have been sent.
To be clear, there are three main reasons for my choice of taking this stance. On one level, this is a clear issue of justice, solidarity, and human rights. On another level, this is an issue of evangelism: our church's continuing discrimination against LGBTT people is a scandal which keeps many of my peers from being able to hear the good news of Jesus. And finally, this is an issue of personal integrity: I can no longer, in good conscience, uphold a law which I consider unjust, as well as theologically deficient.
Some might say that my actions sidestep the legitimate process of discernment underway in the church. I understand that concern, and I have wrestled long and hard over what to do, working within our established canons and structures to the best of my ability. However, I also see my current course of action as being part of the wider church's discernment. We have heard many arguments about the cost of blessing same-sex marriages and ordaining unclosetted queer folk; we also need to recognize that there is a cost as well to not moving in this direction. The cost is a huge amount of suffering for LGBTT Christians who are pressured to remain silent. The cost is that some of us, straight and gay, will no longer be able to abide the status quo, and we will simply cease to obey an unjust law. The cost is that others will quietly leave. That reality needs to be part of our church's discernment. In this, I am not leaving the church, nor relinquishing my orders. Instead, I offer my current action, with all its consequences, for the ongoing discernment of the Body.
Yours in the unquiet peace of Christ,
The Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck
Please pass this info on to whomever can benefit from this news. It is very sad as Reverend Shawn is a good friend of mine and also the GLBTTQ community. Please note that he is also no longer able to serve at the Native Ministry of which he was so involved in.
On a related story....
Priest loses licence over gay marriage
Betty Ann Adam
The StarPhoenix, Saturday, March 10, 2007
A Saskatoon Anglican priest is losing his licence to minister because he refuses to abide by a church policy prohibiting priests from performing gay marriages.
Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck said his conscience does not allow him to discriminate against same-sex couples who have asked him to bless their marriages.
"I felt unable to say no to those requests," he said in an interview.
- Anglican church policy goes against priest's morals "That goes against everything else I'm about in my ministry and everything else that the church stands for," he said.
"I'm feeling at peace. I've been wrestling with this for a long time and I feel that I've made a faithful decision and I'm willing to go with whatever comes." Bishop Rodney Andrews cancelled Sanford Beck's licence in January and issued a temporary licence that expires at the end of March.
In a statement Friday, Andrews said he is unable to give Sanford Beck permission to perform same-sex marriages and has encouraged him to reconsider.
"The Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada have agreed to a moratorium on same-sex blessings and same-sex marriages. During the moratorium, permission will not be given to Anglican clergy to perform same-sex marriages.
"Shawn has declared his intention to step outside the guidelines and requirements of our church at this time. . . .
I have offered to extend his licence beyond March 31 if he is willing to refrain from performing same-sex marriages," Andrews said in the statement.
Sanford Beck, who has been a priest for three years, said he considers his position an act of civil disobedience.
"I have no desire to get myself off the hook. I'm trying to send a very strong message to the gay and lesbian community, and to other communities that have been alienated from the church, that we don't all think the same and there are people willing to go to the wall.
"I'm convinced that the future of the Anglican church will unfold in this direction. The church is going to come to this perspective at some point. . . . I remain a priest, but now a priest without a parish, without a licence, but somebody who is still there to support people in their struggle. That was why I got into the priesthood and that's why I remain." He will have to resign from his job with the innercity Saskatoon Native Ministry, which requires a licensed minister. The Native Ministry is run by the Lutheran Church, which has an agreement allowing Anglican priests to work in their churches.
Sanford Beck intends to continue working with Integrity, a gay and lesbian support and worship group within the Anglican church, and continue teaching one course at St. Andrew's College.
*The StarPhoenix
No comments:
Post a Comment