Episcopal Press and News
Convention Approves Continued Monitoring of Women's Ordination
Episcopal News Service. July 19, 2000 [GC2000-091]
Susan Erdey, Layout and Design Editor for RISEN in the Diocese of Rhode Island, Jan Nunley, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Rhode Island
(ENS) For the second time, General Convention has put its collective foot down and said "no more waiting" on the full access of women to ordination.
Although women have been ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church since 1974, and canons regarding ordination of women priests have been in effect since 1976, three dioceses -- Fort Worth, Quincy, and San Joaquin -- still have not yet fully complied with canon law.
At the 72nd General Convention in 1997, resolution A053a specified that the three dioceses had to submit a "progress report" on efforts to implement the ordination canons to the Denver convention.
This year's General Convention approved Resolution A045, which once again calls for the House of Bishops and Executive Council to continue monitoring the three dioceses' progress toward full acceptance of women priests. It also adds a provision for Executive Council to create a task force that will "visit, interview, assess and assist" the dioceses in their compliance with the national canons. The task force is to complete its work and report by September 1, 2002.
The three dioceses say they are in compliance with the canons because they have developed various ways of dealing with requests:
Fort Worth has entered into an arrangement with its neighboring diocese of Dallas, known as "the Dallas Plan." Women aspirants to the priesthood from Fort Worth enter the discernment process in Dallas, where, according to Fort Worth's Bishop Jack Iker, "they may eventually be ordained and placed by Bishop Stanton."
If a congregation in Fort Worth were to call a woman as rector, Iker said he would "relinquish episcopal oversight of that congregation to Bishop Stanton, so that he might license a woman priest to serve there. The congregation would remain fully a part of this diocese, and the woman priest would be fully a part of the Diocese of Dallas, while serving under this special pastoral provision."
When asked by a reporter for Issues why her parish (Trinity, Fort Worth) was not allowed to include women in its recent search for a new rector, the Rev. Charles Hough of Fort Worth replied, "Up front we say that the Bishop of Fort Worth does not license women [as priests]. No one [from Trinity] approached us officially" to ask for implementation of the Dallas Plan.
Quincy believes it is in compliance because there are two women deacons in the diocese, one of whom was ordained since the 1997 General Convention. But there are no women priests in Quincy.
At a press briefing following the House of Deputies vote, the Rev. H.W. Herrmann from Quincy said, "This saddens us...in that we believe we were taking the presiding bishop's words seriously on the year of Jubilee. We were under the impression that this would... be dealt with in another way, a kinder, gentler way than this resolution."
Nancy Salmon, deputy from San Joaquin, said she believes her diocese is in compliance with the canons because, of the 28 persons in various stages of the ordination process, seven are women; three are preparing for the diaconate, and four are on the priesthood track. San Joaquin has no women priests serving as rectors or priests-in-charge. There is one woman priest who has been functioning as an assistant in a Fresno parish, but she has not been licensed in San Joaquin.
Acknowledging the developments, resolution A045 commends "the progress made by the Diocese of San Joaquin."
Salmon echoed Herrmann's opinion, saying that "although I fervently support the ordination of women, [this] resolution is not in the spirit of Jubilee. It is mean-spirited."
In a vote by orders on July 13, the House of Deputies voted overwhelmingly in favor of A045. In the lay order, 90 dioceses voted yes, 10 voted no, and five were divided. In the clergy order, 95 dioceses voted yes, seven voted no, and three were divided.
The House of Bishops spent two hours discussing A045 on July 14, the final afternoon of General Convention. Although the eventual vote approving the resolution and concurring with the House of Deputies action was taken by voice vote and did not require a roll call, debate was intense.
Bishop John Howe (Central Florida) objected strongly to the task force concept. "This is the absolute antithesis of everything we have been hearing, celebrating, and attempting to cultivate these 10 days in terms of Jubilee consciousness, graceful conversation, and respectful listening. This says, 'We don't think you are making progress fast enough and we are going to come and straighten you out.' Assistance that is neither requested or desired is not assistance. It is imposition."
Bishops spent considerable time debating a substitute motion proposed by Bishop John Lipscomb (Southwest Florida) that would have given the presiding bishop responsibility for monitoring the three dioceses' progress toward implementation. The substitute also called for a dialogue with the dioceses on their acceptance of women into the ordination process. A number of bishops supported the substitute, citing the convention's Jubilee theme.
Bishop Ed Little (Northern Indiana) observed that "the Holy Spirit changes hearts. We cannot force compliance. We can encourage people to continue to listen to one another and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and trust that the Holy Spirit will transform."
Speaking against the substitute motion, Bishop Chet Talton (Los Angeles) likened "these kinds of unusual arrangements around the ordination of women" to "the arrangements around people of color. People who didn't want to receive the ministry of people of color made unusual arrangements then as they do now. ... It is time after 26 years to make this small, incremental step toward compliance with the decision the church has made. That is the difference between this matter and the other matters around sexuality we have been discussing. We may not be of one mind on those issues, but on this one the church has decided."
The substitute motion was eventually defeated in a close vote, but the bishops did approve it as a "mind of the house" resolution after they approved the original language of A045. A "mind of the house" resolution is intended to represent a consensus of opinion, but does not carry legislative weight.