This was evident at the 1985 General Convention when neither resolutions permitting nor resolutions barring the ordination of avowed homosexuals won approval.
The Episcopal Church, which has around two million members, is likely to vote on divestment resolutions at its general convention in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
In the Episcopal Church alone, official delegations have gone to U.N. climate conferences, our General Convention has passed dozens of environmental resolutions, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants have gone to local projects.
The nomination of the priest, the Very Rev. Tracey Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, came as a surprise because the Episcopal Church passed a resolution at its last general convention calling on dioceses to "exercise restraint" by not consecrating any more openly gay bishops.
A month later the triennial Episcopal General Convention met in Anaheim, Calif., and adopted a resolution affirming that gay men and lesbians were eligible for "any ordained ministry" in the 2.1-million-member church.
The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, one of two main governing bodies of the 2 million-member denomination, appointed a committee to review the church's 1985 policies on alcohol and drug abuse and to propose new resolutions to be considered at the church's General Convention, in Salt Lake City from June 25 to July 3.
He transitioned in 2002 during his ordination process and has been an instrumental player in guiding the passage of four resolutions supporting trans rights during the US Episcopal church's 2009 general convention.
I urge swift adoption of this resolution so we may send it to the House of Bishops for concurrence and leave this 77th General Convention with a strong, prophetic statement that we are a church that stands for a Protect Marriage movement that protects all marriages and for Family Values that value ALL families.
There are state conventions, and a general convention is held annually.
It is this Seventy-fourth General Convention that has left us, betrayed us, undone us.
