Update on San Diego convention, Part II [Updated]

Update: Check out Part I here.

I also want to thank Fr. Andrew Green, St. Paul in the Desert, Palm Springs, who was instrumental in writing language that all could agree to, and Fr. Tom Phillips, interim rector at St. Dunstan's San Diego, who offered much appreciated clergy support.

Original: So now we come to the resolution that I wrote and the St. Michael's vestry (my parish) sponsored - Resolution 08-07 on the Episcopal Church and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. I want to thank everyone very much for their prayers, and special thanks to my rector, Fr. Neal Moquin, and senior warden, Greg Gleason, for their support on this.

My original resolution was (this is just the Resolved part that would be voted on - I've left off here the "whereas"s and explanation since those are not official):

RESOLVED that the 2008 Convention of the Diocese of San Diego (34th Annual Diocesan Convention) dissociates our Diocese from that action of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church which affirmed the affiliation of the Episcopal Church with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and from any participation in or support of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

After hearing from others - some of whom saw this as a procedural/process problem (Executive Council making a decision for TEC as a whole) and did not want to see the resolution dissolve into an "abortion" discussion - I decided to let the resolution be rewritten, and submitted as a substitute resolution the following, which was adopted by convention on Saturday:

Resolved: The 34th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego requests that the 76th General Convention meeting in Anaheim, California, end the officially sanctioned affiliation of the Episcopal Church with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

Explanation: The Episcopal Church has a clear position on abortion articulated in General Convention resolutions in 1988, 1994, and 1997. However the decision to officially sanction affiliation with the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice was made by the Executive Council. The Episcopal Church is the only denomination so affiliated. This resolution directs the General Convention in 2009 to study, discuss, debate, and decide if our affiliation is appropriate.

Do I like this? Not really, but at least this puts San Diego on record as requesting that TEC end its affiliation. Can this be tabled, killed, ignored at GC09? Yes, but I'm trying to stay positive here.

I hope that this, on top of the other six or so dioceses that have voted to dissociate, helps create a real movement to end the association with the RCRC.

Prayers were definitely answered in two main areas for me:

• I led two resolution hearing sessions on this resolution that I think were very productive in educating those who had no idea that TEC was connected to the RCRC - the word is absolutely getting out and people are very troubled by the Executive Council decision. I also am not good at and don't like public speaking, but I was very relaxed and at peace during the sessions; and


• God put in place people at the sessions who became committed to getting something through convention and who supported and worked with me, in particular Brian from St. Thomas in Temecula, whom I had never met before - a real answer to prayer.

Also, I believe that Bishop Mathes was very interested in getting something passed on this issue (but not my resolution as originally written) and that interest was essential in getting certain clergy and delegates behind this.

More on other activity at convention later. . .