August 14, 2003
General Convention 2003

Pastoral Letter August 14, 2003

Dear Friends in Christ:

On behalf of our Western Michigan deputation to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church held recently in Minneapolis, I want to thank you for your prayers and expressions of concern and hope that sustained us as we prepared for, traveled to, and participated in the deliberations of the convention. By now you have heard or read about the decisions that convention made, but perhaps what the media didn’t (or couldn’t) report was the powerful presence of prayer that nourished us as we debated and voted. I felt, and saw in others, the fruits of that prayer: that we could be a non-anxious presence in the midst of tension, that God’s hand is in all things, that we can rely on the power of God to transform our lives, and that in our community, in spite of our differences, we can communicate from the heart to the heart. It was the power of that prayer – yours and ours – that made the historic decisions of this convention spiritually significant. Regardless of our positions and perspectives, in the Episcopal Church, we are united in our common prayer. That is one of the reasons I love this church, because we can disagree on many issues, come together at the table, and walk away as friends respecting one another’s differences.

For the record you should know that I, along with the other eight deputies from Western Michigan, voted to confirm the election of Canon Gene Robinson to become the bishop of New Hampshire. I was able to support Canon Robinson’s election for two reasons. First the people of New Hampshire elected a priest they knew to have served them well and faithfully over a number of years and they followed a canonically approved process to reach their decision. Second by supporting Canon Robinson’s confirmation I felt that I was able to live into an aspect of our own diocesan vision statement that says we want to be known for inclusivity, to serve Christ in all people, and eliminate all biases that separate us one from another. The Church has always been steeped in controversy, and that is as it should be. It is in our struggles that we are challenged to grow into the people God created us to be. The Anglican Church was born in tension and we have wrestled with many issues that, at the time, seemed to threaten the fabric of our common life – slavery, the role of divorced persons and women in the church, civil rights, and now sexuality.

In some way the controversies that challenge us also define who we are as the people of God and how we live in relationship with God and each other. We view all situations through the lens or the icon of Jesus who embraces the whole world. In some of the mail I have received recently a small number of people have expressed the fear that the actions of convention will fracture the church – that we will lose people and financial support. While some may choose to leave, I don’t believe that the church itself will face major schism, primarily because Anglicans hold as one of our core values diversity in unity. Our bonds of common prayer, respectful conversation, and love for God who loves each of us by name, will link us in communion and fellowship.

Faithfully,

+Robert

the Rt. Rev. Robert R. Gepert VIII, Western Michigan