Lisa Fox has published all but two of the names of the group studying same-sex relationships. For background here is the early June report.
See The Formerly Secret Panel (go to original source for live links)
So here are eight of the ten theologians serving on the panel to study same-sex relationships.
Co-facilitators:
* The Rt. Rev. Joe G. Burnett, Bishop of Nebraska (webpage here)
* Ellen Charry, Princeton Theological Seminary (webpage here)Members:
* Deirdre J. Good, General Theological Seminary (webpage here)
* Willis Jenkins, Yale Divinity School (webpage here)
* The Rev. Grant LeMarquand, Trinity School for Ministry (webpage here)
* Eugene Rogers, University of North Carolina, Greensboro (webpage here)
* The Rev. George Sumner, Wycliffe College, Toronto (webpage here)
* The Rev. Daniel A. Westberg of Nashotah House (webpage here; see page 3 of the newsletter)
The Chicago Consultation has issued this press release:
CHICAGO, July 1, 2009—Ruth Meyers, Hodges Haynes Professor of Liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, General Convention deputy from the Diocese of Chicago, and co-convener of the Chicago Consultation, responded to the news that the names of most members of the House of Bishops Theology Committee panel on same-sex blessings have been made public:
“Continued scholarly work, done with particular attention to the work of the Holy Spirit in committed, life-long, monogamous unions of faithful gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Episcopalians, can liberate the church to discern more fully the work of the Spirit in all life-long unions of fidelity and mutual love. We wish this panel well, and we call upon General Convention to enrich its theological work by establishing a common rite for the blessing of unions across the Episcopal Church.”
“We commit to praying for each of these theologians and their co-chairs by name, and we hope that the remaining two members of the panel will choose to come forward publicly so that we may begin General Convention next week with the spirit of openness and transparency that characterizes our polity and our common life…”
What is indeed the point of all this exercise? What did the good bishop think of? Did he expect this to last?
Before we all start lobbying these souls, I think we should pray for them. May they have the wisdom of Solomon and may the Holy Spirit give them a power of discernment.
Dare we hope that the 2 unnamed members of this secret committee are representative of the population most directly involved? While I certainly agree that we must pray for these people as we pray, I trust, for all Anglicans, I also think that is well past time that people who talk about GLBTQs finally make room to talking with the GLBTQs. The GLBTQ have been asking and aasking for this for years now. One of the most dysfunctional and abusive communication styles is to talk about people rather than to then. It’s called triangulation and it has been going on… Read more »
“Before we all start lobbying these souls, I think we should pray for them.”
Can I suggest we all do the latter and refrain from the former? That’s all of us, mind, not just the Evil Hell-Bound Liberals.
Charles Walmsley & Ford Elms, I heartily agree with you. I do not believe they should be “lobbied” or harrassed. I have not done so. Let them do the work set before them.
My objective was simply to get the names out there, despite Bishop Parsley’s efforts at skullduggery. By the bye, to the best of my knowledge, there has NEVER before been a TEC committee/panel whose names were kept secret. In this, Bishop Parsley was truly a revisionist.
Sister Gloriamarie, Bishop Parsley has stated that the panel includes some LBGT members. I will take him at his word.
I’m happy to have the membership of this oddly timed committee right out out, more in the open. Yet I confess I cannot quite get the jist of its mandate. Surely the time and effort (and money?) involved would be better spent having the bishops actually dig in a bit, personal reading, into a representative pros and cons reading list? Or, if the good bishes are already up on all that – a scholarly update on the ongoing science involved, corollary and tangential to the remaining key theological jousts? Or, some study-working subgroups, to prepare for General Convention, and what… Read more »