Oh dear, a revisionist straight out of the commune. He adds,

“The Pride weekend was said to have been the best yet at Saint Mark’s.”

Also on their web pages under “Adult Programs at Saint Mark’s—-20s/30s—LGBTQ—Small Groups” you can find,

LGBTQ Ministry at Saint Mark’s
The Saint Mark’s LGBTQ Ministry is a welcoming, faith-based group that celebrates equality, inspires justice, integrates spirituality, and nurtures wholeness for youth and adults.
Saint Mark’s Cathedral is a warm and welcoming community with many LGBTQ members and allies.  Through our monthly meetings, we plan events of support and outreach for our members and the greater Twin Cities community.

Nuturing wholeness?

Run children, run…

To be truthful, I find the current TEC fad for adding “intentional” to any positively valued, purposive activity to be risible. (Reminds me a little of the “100% real genuine leather” stamped on the bottom of my shoes).

Nevertheless my query here would be this claim:

Belonging has to be intentionally cultivated. It involves a commitment to listening skills, reconciling skills, fellowship skills, forgiving skills. In the New Testament, the Greek word for community is ‘Koinonia’. It means nurturing the presence of Christ in each other with affection, even in difficult times.

The Dean writes as if belonging is an end that ought to be or even can be cultivated in itself. On the contrary, belonging, comes through pursuing shared ends and common goods. (Thus the virtue of any particular “belonging” will be judged against the shared ends being pursued). Like human happiness, belonging flourishes, so to say, just out of the corner of ones vision. The Dean ought not to be so concerned with “belonging’ in general (that is pursuing any shared ends however far from God’s will) but “belonging to Christ”. That is, cultivating a thick sense of the human good, revealed in Scripture, that will captivate hearts and craft an obedient Spirit filled community.