Yesterday July 13th Resolution D025 “Commitment and Witness to the Anglican Communion” was amended and passed in the House of Bishops by a vote of 99 to 45 with 2 abstentions. Today, July 14th Resolution D025 came back before the House of Deputies where again it was acted on by a vote by orders (the most conservative way for the Episcopal Church to vote in convention). After several attempts to amend it and after a full compliment of debate the vote was taken and the result is that the House of Deputies concurred with the House of Bishops. The votes in the affirmative to concur were 78 votes in the Lay order and 77 votes in the clergy order. So the Resolution passed by 2/3 vote by all Bishops, Clergy Deputies and Lay Deputies attending the 76th General Convention. Some here are saying that Resolution D025 is a response of our church to Resolution GC2006 B033. Some here are saying that Resolution D025 is really a statement of where the Episcopal Church is today. All I know for now is this. In September of 1985, just after I was ordained to the diaconate in the Diocese of Ohio, the General Convention also meeting in Anaheim elected the Rt. Rev. Edmund Browning as our 24th Presiding Bishop. At the time of his election Bishop Browning made the following now famous statement: “There will be no outcasts in the Episcopal Church.” Now, 24 years later, the 76th General Convention also meeting in Anaheim reiterated and reaffirmed this policy by a 2/3 vote in all orders. Thanks be to God. I’m very grateful to be a part of the Episcopal Church at this time and grateful to be in the Diocese of Ohio. Thanks be to God.
Faithfully
Brian K. Wilbert
C2 from Ohio
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