I once worshiped and sang in a parish that was presided over by a
brilliant gay priest who preached against gays. I knew he was gay; I knew
his sub rosa partner well. Like so many people, I remained silent about his
homophobic preaching since I believed (and still do) that one's sexuality
and personal life are just that — personal. I was disturbed as he
cemented a "traditional, conservative" parish, based on the primacy of men,
the unsuitability of women for the priesthood and other policy roles in the
Church, a hypocritical disdain for homosexuals, and stunningly beautiful
liturgy and music. Then an Anglican bishop at the Lambeth Conference said
he was appalled and called the Church heretical for allowing a Native
American priest to celebrate the Mass in his own language and use the
language's word for Great Spirit as a translation for God. That did it for
me. I could no longer associate with a view of the world and the deity that
was essentially — although the parishioners would never have seen that
— fundamentalist. I left that church — and all organized
Christianity — after that.
I applaud your quest. Reading your columns and editorials is now my only
connection with active Christianity. Thank you.
I understand your feelings and in large measure share them. There is an
appalling dishonesty in the Church about gay people. We have more than one
gay bishop in our church at this moment. The Bishop of New Hampshire Gene
Robinson is not our only gay bishop; he is our only honest gay bishop. We
have had gay bishops who led the homophobic charge against homosexuality in
both the Episcopal Church and the Church of England. It is disillusioning.
However, that does not lead me to the conclusion that I will leave this
institution. I think the Church is worth fighting for and I intend to do
just that. I do not expect the Church to be perfect. It is made up of
human beings. I do ask you to note, however, that it is the same Church
that has so deeply alienated you that has also produced gigantic leaders in
the past and in the present. This is the Church that made Gene Robinson a
bishop, the Church that made Katharine Jefferts-Schori our presiding bishop.
It is the same Church that has raised up great leaders today like John Chane
in Washington, Michael Curry in North Carolina, Jon Bruno in Los Angeles,
Mark Beckwith in Newark, Catherine Roskam in New York and Steve Charleston,
formerly of Alaska, and now dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in
Cambridge. In previous generations, we produced giants like John Hines in
America, Robert Runcie in the United Kingdom and Desmond Tutu in South
Africa.
I believe we can call this Church to honesty. I believe we can weather
the storms of our traditional small minded critics of today and shape a new
reformation, and I believe that the church can still be helpful in shaping
the new reformation. That cannot be done, however, unless there are people
like you who raise these issues as voices inside the church who demand to be
heard. Institutional change always comes from those who are inside the
church's walls not outside them
Everyone's witness is different. I, for one, would welcome your witness
at my side working to change this Church of ours.
John Shelby Spong
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