Monday, October 12, 2015

Letter to Bishop Smith from Dan Rice and Amy Phillips

St. Stephen’s members, Amy Phillips and Dan Rice, wrote the following letter to Bishop Smith regarding the acceptance of same-sex marriage rites in the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota.

Bishop Smith’s response follows, followed by Dan and Amy’s response.



TO:                 Michael Smith, Bishop, Diocese of North Dakota
FROM:           Daniel Rice & Amy Phillips, Members, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Fargo
DATE:                        October 7, 2015
RE:                  Marriage Equality in the ND Episcopal Diocese

Greetings, Bishop Smith. Thank you for taking the time to read this message, particularly since we are new members of the Episcopal Church (and St. Stephen’s specifically).

We were heartened by the news that the General Convention recently passed a Resolution (A054) which reflects and forwards the Good News of God’s love and acceptance of all people.  One of the reasons we decided to become Episcopalians and join St. Stephen’s was the leadership the Episcopal Church has often provided in matters of inclusivity and social justice. Resolution AO54 helps the Church continue to provide this leadership.

We are writing to ask that you, as the Bishop, also exercise your leadership to support the inclusive and forward-thinking message manifest in A054. As you know, marriage rituals in the church proclaim both a sacred commitment on the part of the couple and support for that commitment on the part of the congregation. We feel strongly that this two-fold proclamation should be available for same-sex/same-gender couples.  Further, we do not believe this sacrament should be subjected to officiation or oversight by “stand-in” clergy or bishops, thereby indicating the “unacceptable” nature of the union in the minds of some people. Such policy reminds one of anti-miscegenation laws and has no place in the Church. 

 We are writing to request that you:
1)      Provide to the entire Diocese, as soon as possible, the two A054 liturgies;

2)     Authorize, as soon as possible, priests and congregations to use the liturgies, if they so desire; and

3)     Let your heart be opened to the idea that there is no unchanging “order established in creation,”[1] but that creation is continuous (creation continua),[2] that through continuous creation God is doing something new,[3] and that God’s creation is a renewing unfolding of love, inclusivity, and justice.[4]

Thank you for your attention to this letter and for your inclusive leadership in the Diocese.

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From: Michael Smith
Date: Thu, Oct 8, 2015 at 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: letter


Thank you, Daniel and Amy, for sharing your thoughts on same sex marriage in the Diocese of North Dakota. I have been consulting widely and will answer your concerns more fully in the November issue of The Sheaf, our diocesan newsletter.

In the meantime here's a link to an article I read just this morning. It may be of interest to you. http://livingchurch.org/covenant/2015/10/08/a-way-forward-together-2-ecclesiology/

I would appreciate your prayers. There are very few congregations in North Dakota for whom this is not a contentious, very divisive issue. My job as bishop is to try to hold folks together. It's a tough job to say the least.

Peace to you. I look forward to meeting you in person.

+Michael

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From: Dan Rice and Amy Phillips
Date: Fri, Oct 9, 2015 at 7:51 AM
Subject: Re: letter
To: Michael Smith

Hello, Bishop Smith.  Thank you for your response to our letter. 
The history of the church is one of increasing inclusiveness and equality. We are reminded of St. Paul advocating for the church to include both Jews and gentiles, and Martin Luther advocating for the laity's access to the scripture. The church has faced the same question with regard to slavery, race, the role of women, and other issues.  In each of these instances, there were those in the church who argued for the status quo and the preservation of the church's unity above justice and inclusion.  These voices in the church were unable to see God doing anything new in their time.  As our Bishop, we hope you will lead the Diocese to a more open and inclusive understanding of what God is doing in our time.
Thank you.

Daniel & Amy




[2] The Episcopal Church, Network for Science, Technology & Faith http://episcopalscience.org/theology-creation/
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:17; Book of Common Prayer, p. 861 (“God does not limit himself to these rites. There are countless ways by which God uses material things to reach out to us.”)
[4] Luke 4:18-19

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