To Our Bishops

From the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham, AL via TitusOneNine:

Following the conclusion of the 2009 General Convention of The Episcopal Church, the Vestry of the Advent sent a letter to our Bishops, expressing our concerns about several resolutions that had been adopted by the Convention. Bishop Parsley asked to meet with the Vestry in order to respond to the letter and to engage in a conversation on the issues raised in it. The Vestry was glad to have this opportunity, and was able to change its regularly scheduled meeting date from September 17 to September 10, to accommodate the Bishop. During his initial remarks at the September 10 meeting, the Bishop stated that he was grateful for the letter, and for the Vestry's expressing of its opinions so clearly. He presented his views on the issues, and then opened the floor for questions and comments. The Vestry now desires to share its letter with the parish:


August 6, 2009

Dear Bishop Parsley and Bishop Sloan,

We write to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ and ask you to pray for us, as we do for you.

We want you to know that we have followed carefully the activities of the 2009 General Convention, and especially your votes cast on resolutions D025 and C056 and the Anaheim Statement. We believe the General Convention’s actions show that The Episcopal Church is departing from the uniform teachings of the Bible and the apostles. In particular, we believe that D025 overturns the 2006 Resolution B033, which called us to "exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church". At the House of Bishops Meeting in New Orleans in 2007, the Bishops acknowledged that the word "candidate" in 2006 Resolution BO33 referred to non-celibate gay and lesbians as well as any other persons "whose manner of life may present a challenge to the wider church." D025 expresses the mind of the General Convention today and removes the effect of B033. We are both saddened and appalled by these actions, in D025 and also in C056, which further indicate to us the current direction of TEC.

Moreover, we want you to know that we support Dean Frank Limehouse’s decision to join Richmond Webster in expressing their views on this matter in the Birmingham News.

As you know, in his July 27, 2009 "'Reflections on the Episcopal Church’s 2009 General Convention. . .," the Archbishop of Canterbury discussed the possibility of a "two-fold ecclesial reality in view in the middle distance. . .[whereby] there may be associated local churches in various kinds of mutual partnership and solidarity with one another and with ‘covenanted’ provinces." God willing, should there come an opportunity for this Diocese, and likewise for the Advent, to remain aligned with the orthodox Anglican Communion and at the same time distance ourselves from the current direction and decisions of TEC, we prayerfully believe that you will take all necessary actions to remain aligned with the Anglican Communion.

May God be with both of you, and grant us all His wisdom.

The undersigned represents the unanimous vote of our Vestry, and also the Emeriti present on August 6, 2009.

//s// Nina J. Botsford, Senior Warden

//s// James L. Goyer III, Junior Warden

//s// Bruce A. Rawls

//s// James A. Bradford

//s// Emily Curran

//s// Kathleen Doss

//s// Bing Edwards

//s// John Goodman

//s// Victor Hanson III

//s// Frank Jones

//s// Carolyn Lankford

//s// David Tanner

//s// Mary K Wilson

//s// Frances A. Cade

//s// Russell W. Chambliss

//s// C. Harold Doss

//s// Matthew B. Menendez

//s// Lee M. Pope

//s// Frank D. Taylor

//s// James D. Williams
//s// Sara Jane Ball

//s// Samuel S. Everette, II
I
//s// Joseph M. Farley, Jr.

//s// Harold H. Goings

//s// John W. Hargrove

//s// Winston T. McCalley

//s// J. Benjamin Patrick

//s// Elizabeth C. Sharman

//s// L. Stephens Tilghman

//s// Louise W. Yoder
//s// Thomas Wilson, Sr.
//s// Wm. Pritchard, III
//s// Hatton C.V. Smith
//s// George B. Elliott
//s// Henry Seibels, III
//s// Lee Thuston
//s// John Bingham
//s// Hampton Smith
Robin Anderson (with express permission)
Bill Pradat (with express permission)
Frank H. Bromberg Jr. (with express permission)
Margaret Aderholt (with express permission)
Mary Margaret Hendry (with express permission)
David S. McKee, Jr. (with express permission)
Bayard S. Tynes, Jr. (with express permission)
J.D. Brown (with express permission)
Jim Gorrie (with express permission)
Bill Tynes (with express permission)
Chip Mattison (with express permission)
Hewes Hull (with express permission)
Joseph M. Farley, Sr. (with express permission)