Monday, February 25, 2008

Integrity Launches "Canterbury Campaign"


All the details are available on the Integrity website, but here's the gist:
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The historic ties of mutual affection and common history that have bound the diverse, global Anglican family of faith together for generations are under assault by those who would replace communion with conformity as the criterion for a place at the Anglican table. It is critical that, at Lambeth 2008, those committed to the historic ethos of Anglican comprehensiveness stand together to…

  • Witness to our shared history;
  • Call our Anglican brothers and sisters in Christ to transcend the differences that some insist must divide us;
  • Focus on the common mission and ministry that will, in the end, unite us.

It is critical that the LGBT faithful, who have seen their lives and vocations reduced to bargaining chips in a decade-long game of Anglican politics, speak out together and give voice to the hope and the faith their witness to the Anglican Communion represents.

Integrity's message at Lambeth will be that God's mission includes all people, especially those marginalized by our societies. We work towards the day when all people are fully included in all rites and all orders of the Church and towards the realization of the Reign of God. Thus we stand within the "mainstream" of the Anglican ethos which is inclusive and tolerant of difference.

After thirty years of promising to “listen to the experience of gay and lesbian persons," the Anglican Communion is still content to listen to those who want to talk about us rather than talk to us. Lambeth 2008 is the end of that.

Integrity is working with two coalitions to have a unified, effective presence at the Lambeth Conference. Within the Episcopal Church we are working the Chicago Consultation—which is composed of some 50 inclusion activism leaders—gay and straight; bishops, clergy, and laity. Within the Anglican Communion, we are working with the St. Anne's Network—which consists of about a dozen LGBT organizations from around the globe—including Integrity Canada, Integrity Uganda, Changing Attitude UK, and Changing Attitude Nigeria.

4 comments:

bob said...

You almost have it right. There is the term "LGBT faithful" in the start of the post. It must be rephrased to the "LGBT *faith*" and then it will make sense. You have a *different religion*. Once that is figured out, everything else makes sense.

SUSAN RUSSELL said...

Hmmm ... the mystery of the faith I'm talking about is:

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

Is yours different?

Brian R said...

Well said Susan. I am afraid I would have been ruder, if I had allowed bob's post at all. Apparently to him, I am excluded from his Christian faith because I happened to be born 'gay'. He must never read the Gospels, just Leviticus and some doubtful passages in the letters from Paul

Jonathan said...

Bob, the difference is this -- if you came to my Episcopal church, you would be welcomed to participate in the life of the community. Apparently that's not how it works in your world.