A Recent Statement from the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles

Posted by Kendall Harmon

(Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ):

As we approach the nativity of Christ, we need to remember the admonition of the angels to the shepherds: “Be not afraid.”

The Episcopal Church, a member of the Anglican Communion, for more than the past 30 years has been working on gradual, full incorporation of gay and lesbian people. We have worked to be people of gracious restraint for all these years and have now come to a place in our lives that is normal evolutionary change which compels us to move from tolerance to full inclusion.

As with racial and cultural divides, we can look to the great words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who calls us not to fall prey to the insidious drug of gradualism. Indeed, as he said in his speech titled “I Have a Dream”: “This is no time ... to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism .... Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

We must move forward and respect the dignity of all human beings which is called for in our Baptismal Covenant and canons.

The Diocese of Los Angeles has acted in good faith and is moving forward in supporting the full inclusion and full humanity of all people in the Church. Thus, we celebrate the elections of Diane Jardine Bruce and Mary Douglas Glasspool as our next Bishops Suffragan called to share in the work of a strong episcopal team serving this Diocese and all of God’s people.

--(The Rt. Rev.) J. Jon Bruno is Bishop of Los Angeles

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • TEC Bishops • TEC Conflicts • TEC Conflicts: Los Angeles • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings

9 Comments
Posted December 19, 2009 at 7:14 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. teatime wrote:

There is just so much wrong with this letter that it’s stunning but I must say that invoking the Nativity narrative for what they’ve done is way over the line. Is this their way of trying to claim Scriptural support? And do I detect some fear behind their “Be not afraid” or are they HOPING for self-imposed “martyrdom” for their cause?

December 19, 11:02 am | [comment link]
2. Anastasios wrote:

I guess the bishop gave up on trying to fit in a truly Advent theme:
“Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

December 19, 11:15 am | [comment link]
3. driver8 wrote:

How very weird. So the gracious restraint extends apparently from 1979 - even though 1979 mark the year that so far from being restrained over 20 bishops declared that they would ignore a resolution of General Convention on human sexuality. The dilemma is surely that that facts have been again again placed on the ground by TEC bishops who decided to ignore General Convention resolutions, their own Canons and the views of the wider Communion. Surely only in the fictional world of 1984 in which the Party believes it can rewrite not just history but language could such actions be described as “gracious restraint”.

December 19, 1:02 pm | [comment link]
4. William P. Sulik wrote:

This is the theology of Mary Baker Eddy - be not afraid - there is no need to go to a doctor for rabies treatments - you will fine.

December 19, 1:22 pm | [comment link]
5. Undergroundpewster wrote:

Why did he need to bring in the “Be not afraid”  (I prefer the “Fear not” from the KJV) admonition?

Is he setting himself up as an angelic messenger? Or have some of his sheep actually expressed their fears to him?

December 19, 2:41 pm | [comment link]
6. Choir Stall wrote:

Apparently, if one wants to serve “all of God’s people” they have to come from a representation of all kinds?  Was Jesus ever that? The mind of the quota system has nothing in common with the New Testament Christ. This bishop is an apostate reaching for an excuse to be called “right” by a very self-absorbed constituency. To challenge that impetuous homogenital crowd will mean that JJ will not be invited back to their parties and will not have a job.  What do we call that?  Hireling?

December 19, 4:24 pm | [comment link]
7. Tom3 wrote:

It is possible that +JJB is telegraphing that there will be 2 consecrations in DOLA regardless of the final tabulation of the requisite approvals. With due respect teatime, I do not see any “fear” between those lines.

December 19, 6:40 pm | [comment link]
8. Michael Grace wrote:

I received this very strange statement from Bruno.  The Bishop of LA is obsessed with this subject.  I’m a cradle Episcopalian, Episcopal boarding schools, etc., and gay but I’ve never seen a diocese that spends more time on revisionism.  Most of the churches are empty, few parishioners but TONS OF CLERGY.  The administration of the diocese is so top heavy one has to ask who is paying for this?  Bruno should have never been elected.  As for the two women - actually the gay woman had a lot of experience.  The one from San Clemente was ordained less than a decade ago.  But so was the PB.  Unfortunately, what use to be the Episcopal Church of my youth is now nothing but the National Organization of Women in ecclesiastical drag.  Why any man would go into this church is mind boggling.

December 19, 8:39 pm | [comment link]
9. tragic christian wrote:

It’s just a continuation of the usual “hate and fear” liberal meme, i.e. “WE are people who love. THEY are people who hate and fear.”  Don’t support gay marriage?  That’s your hatred and fear talking.  Don’t like President Obama?  You would, if you weren’t soaking in your hatred and fear of the black man.  If they can say that their point of view is washed in love, then they don’t actually have to resort to, you know, facts or arguments.

December 20, 2:04 am | [comment link]
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