Resolution 4: Accomodations for persons with disabilities. - WITHDRAWN

But for those who practice a way of life condemned by scripture…

Resolution 5 AND 6: Inclusion of all persons regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression as full and equal participants in the life of Christ’s church. (ordination and development of liturgies for blessing of same sex unions). PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY (well, I don’t know about the overwhelmingly part)

Also, note the ending of the companion diocese relationship with a couple of dioceses in Nigeria (resolution #11). Spiteful. Let us cut ourselves off from people that could show us true Christianity.

Is it bad to gloat that the diocese has lost 31.3% of membership in the past 10 years, lost 21% of ASA since 2000 and income is basically flat since 2000 (so decreasing in real dollars)?

Apparently in MI you are not loved and wanted by God if you are in a wheelchair or the victim of some other such disability.  Tell me again how it is the right that is fixated on sex. . .

Can you imagine devoting a perfectly good fall Saturday afternoon to passing resolutions like these in the Senate of Lilliput?

According to the Bishop’s Address (which Kendall posted earlier) the Nigerian dioceses have chosen not to be involved in the relationship. Even if we approve of the reasons for their boycott (as most of us do), how can one cut oneself off from someone with whom one is not in communication? If conservatives believe that mission relationships can only exist between those of like theology, then we can’t grudge liberals the same freedom.     

The first has to do with our establishing a link relationship with another diocese in our communion. For more than 20 years we have been honored to partner with our sisters and brothers in the dioceses of Ikiti and Ilesa in the Church of Nigeria. I believe the church in each of our three dioceses learned a great deal from each other. However, times have changed and my brother bishops in those dioceses have not responded in over five (5) years to my attempts to communicate with them. I believe ministry partnerships must be two way streets. It is time to seek an opportunity where we can nurture a new relationship and enter it with our hearts and minds wide open in addition to our pocketbooks. I pray that in the coming year we will explore this notion of mission partnership and prepare ourselves for a new living relationship. To that end, the bishops of the dioceses of Michigan, and one other
representative per diocese are travelling together in March to the Dominican Republic on behalf of the All Michigan Episcopal Network (AMEN).

Bishop’s Address

The resolution on accomodations for those with disabilities was withdrawn because Diocesan policy ALREADY affirms this, and we were assured by House of Deputies Pres. Bonnie Anderson (who is a diocesan convention rep here in Michigan) that it is already Executive Council policy as well.

No need to discuss and debate a resolution when the policy is already in effect.  It would have been better if those proposing it had done some research ahead of time.

But it is sad to see how quickly we jump to conclusions that something nefarious happened when we read them on paper (I am sometimes as guilty as the next).

Thanks, Jeremy Bonner. Consequences of broken communion.

And thanks, St John’s rector. But the approved resolutions certainly show that what is important to the diocese of Michigan - homosexuality!

robroy -it is true. 
The diocese has certainly gone the way of all flesh. 
Objections to the new agenda on human sexuality were few and far between, and the number of clergy in the diocese in an active homosexual lifestyle is not small.