On Friday, December 7, 2007, a mouse click launched a new website for the Diocese of California. Reclaiming the old diocesan web address – diocal.org – the new website provides ministry and administrative resources for congregations and lay and clergy leaders inside the diocese and beyond. Because of its dual service to administrative and ministry resources, some at Diocesan House have begun to call the new diocal.org the "Administry Site."

Constructed with the help of church website provider Elexio, diocal.org is a resource to all the working groups and ministries of the diocese. Ministry groups, congregations and organizations will be invited to have a presence on the site, and there are modules that will be added in the near future that will allow for a fully functional online directory, group calendars, HTML newsletters, podcasts, streaming video and other multimedia.

"This is the first of a number of new infrastructure developments that the Communications Working Group is rolling out for the Diocese of California in an attempt to better target the emerging ministry needs that our congregations face," said Communications Officer Sean McConnell of the new diocal.org. Improved data management and targeted communications are slotted for rollout in the near future, and the Communications Working Group is developing a network of congregational communicators to improve information flow between the diocese and its constituent organizations, congregations, schools and ministries.

Dear Brothers and Sisters;

I am writing to you only two days before your diocesan convention, at which it may well be that the majority of delegates to your convention, and your bishop, may ratify the first reading taken last year and move away from the Episcopal Church.

If this has happened, and you read this letter, know that there are many brothers and sisters in the Diocese of California who pray for you, as do I, and that we will support you in the rebuilding of your diocese under the direction of our Presiding Bishop.

I know that your individual reasons for remaining Episcopalian vary, that for some it is related to considered positions on issues that are disputed in our Church, and that for others it is a matter of Christian unity and the exercise of the virtue of stability. I honor all these, and even more your ability to live in what may be called Anglican comprehensiveness – something which has been a hallmark of our Communion’s way of being but which seems to have eroded in many places. To me, you manifest yourselves as true Anglicans.

Further, I see your adherence to Christian unity as having roots in central texts of the New Testament, particularly in works such as the Letter to the Ephesians. By peacefully and resolutely holding to Christian unity you continue to tend a flame that was ignited by the first people who followed the Way of Jesus the Christ. I thank you.

Sincerely,

Marc Handley Andrus
Bishop of the Diocese of California

On Saturday, October 27, a long-planned coalition peace march took place in San Francisco.

There were parallel marches all over the country, and although two other significant ones took place in Los Angeles and New York, the San Francisco march was by far the largest at 10,000 marchers. This was a coalition of 180 groups, including faith groups, students, labor, women’s groups and many more coming together under one banner only: Stop the war in Iraq.

“It is possible to move right through the middle of a great mystery and not even notice it,” begins a Sunday school story told being told throughout the Diocese of California at this time of year.  Guilty as charged, thinks the storyteller (who happens to be me) with chagrin. Just when my attention seemed utterly absorbed by the next thing on my “to do” list, an Advent narrative rendered in the deceptively simple language of Godly play upends my assumptions and leaves me breathless with wonder.

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion, The spiritual memoir of a twenty-first century Christian
by Sara Miles
(Ballantine Books, New York, 2007)

The day after I bought this book and had read about half of it, I experienced myself being fed with bread by this memoir. I wanted everyone to know this astonishing story even before I wrote this review, so I sought the author on the Internet, found an announcement of her book, and forwarded it to everyone on my e-mail list. In Sara Miles’ memoir, which spans over thirty years and several countries, you will find bread for yourself and experience what is involved in being bread for others.
 

Write for Life: Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit Through Journal Writing
by Sheppard B. Kominars
(Cleveland Clinic Press, Cleveland OH, 2007)

I’ve always had an uneasy relationship with journaling. Countless times in my life I’ve begun a journal, only to stop abruptly a few days later because I think I’m too busy or because I’m too bored by what I’ve written. Sheppard Kominars’ Write for Life comes as a refreshing tool for overcoming those kinds of obstacles.

The Water Will Hold You: A Skeptic Learns to Pray
by Lindsey Crittenden
(Harmony Books, New York, 2007)

I’m a huge fan of movies and books that are set in the San Francisco Bay Area. Watching the 1950 film “D.O.A.” gives me a thrill with its panoramas of a city that had been lain to waste only 44 years earlier. Reading those books by Christopher Moore that are set anywhere from Big Sur to San Francisco always gives me a sense that I might see the characters walking down the street at any moment.

In the Dr. Seuss classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch tries to stop Christmas by stealing all the presents. Thinking about an “alternative” Christmas — one that avoids the rampant consumerism encouraged by retailers — can make us feel a little like the Grinch. After all, Christmas isn’t really Christmas without some gift-giving.

Maybe that’s because Christianity is a deeply materialistic religion. The Eucharist, one of the defining features of Anglicanism, is a tangible experience of the faith found in the weekly handling of physical elements. Giving gifts at Christmas is an act of generosity and celebration, a small reminder of God’s gift to us in the birth of Jesus. It’s also a re-enactment of the scripture, as the Magi give gifts to the child Jesus; giving gifts to each other can be an outward sign that we recognize Christ within each one of us.
 

Aslam-o-alai-kum (Arabic for “Peace be with you”) is becoming a common greeting in Antioch, at least among parishioners in mainline Protestant and Roman Catholic parishes, as we build a network of support for our Muslim brothers and sisters. 

On August 12, Abdul Rahman, the chair of the Islamic Community of the East Bay (ICEB), received a phone call that there had been a fire at the mosque located in Antioch. At first he was not that alarmed because there had been several break-ins and a drive by shooting over the past year causing minor damage, but as the conversation ensued he realized that the mosque had been completely gutted. Abdul recounted, “I felt like I had just received a call that someone in my family had died.” The news became even more tragic when he learned that the cause of the fire was arson. Someone had tried to start a fire inside the mosque in four different areas before it finally blazed. 

In the months following September 11, 2001, the Rev. Jan Heglund, then a deacon at the Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, could no longer sit and watch what was happening in and around Ground Zero — she had to do something. After a conversation with her husband and a call to the Ven. Dorothy Jones, then archdeacon of the diocese, she volunteered as a chaplain at St. Paul’s Chapel, and within a short time, her trip was arranged.

This trip came a little more than two years after Heglund and a group of emergency responders she worked with founded the West Coast Post-trauma Retreat (WCPR) program. WCPR was established to help those who have suffered from some traumatic incident or incidents. For one week a month, Heglund and the staff of WCPR converge on St. Columba’s Church and Retreat House, Inverness, where they meet with seven clients. These clients come from a variety of backgrounds: they are police officers, fire fighters, dispatchers, crime scene investigators, members of the military, paramedics, doctors, nurses, chaplains — anyone who might have experienced a critical incident or who works with those who have may attend.

After the whirlwind of Advent has passed, when the Christmas decorations are losing their appeal, we joyfully anticipate another season in the church year. This is the season of Epiphany—the season of light. Christ, as our Morningstar, shed his light on the world to bring hope and comfort to those afflicted in mind, body, and spirit. We are called by our faith to follow in those footsteps and serve those in need locally and around the globe by reducing suffering. We have been given the tools of the Millennium Development Goals to help us with this task.

Following General Convention in July 2006, our diocese wholeheartedly embraced the Millennium Development Goals, and many Bay Area parishes responded with projects and aid. Our diocesan MDG Working Group sponsored an “MDG Summit” in March 2007.

I moved to the Bay Area in October of 1995. I am a cradle Episcopalian. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I was baptized and confirmed in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I was the third generation of my family to serve on the vestry of the parish where I grew up. I served in the District (Deanery) and attended many diocesan conventions. I was a member of the Board of Trustees of the diocese during the time the Rt. Rev. Alden Hathaway served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A year ago, at the National Cathedral at the Investiture of the Presiding Bishop, I ran into Bishop Hathaway in the nave and we had a very pleasant chat. Now retired and living in Florida, he was dressed in his bishop’s finery and had participated in the procession along with the other members of the House of Bishops. As I walked away, I wondered how the direction of the Diocese of Pittsburgh might be different if Bishop Hathaway were still in charge.

Isaiah 62:6-7,10-12

Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,

    I have posted sentinels;

all day and all night

    they shall never be silent.

You who remind the LORD,

    take no rest,

and give him no rest

    until he establishes Jerusalem

    and makes it renowned throughout the earth.

Go through, go through the gates,

    prepare the way for the people;

build up, build up the highway,

    clear it of stones,

    lift up an ensign over the peoples.

The date and time: October 29, 7 p.m.

The place: Pyramid Ale House, Walnut Creek

The subject: Is There a God Pill?

The speaker: The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus, Bishop of California

Our Bishop in a Bar? What is the world coming to? Theologically and historically speaking it makes perfect sense: Go where the people are, and in this case, where the 18 to 35 year olds are. In the Faith On Tap series, this evening’s talk with Bishop Marc was the second in a series titled “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll.” The goal of this series is to attract the 18 to 35 year old group that is generally missing in most congregations.

The Rev. M.R. Ritley, DMin, died of a heart attack on Wednesday evening, November 28, 2007, at Summit Hospital in Oakland.

Born to Charles Harold and Ella Ritley on August 22, 1941, in Cleveland, Ohio, M.R. was a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, and received her MDiv from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley, in 1993. She was awarded a DMin from CDSP in 2000. M.R. was ordained a deacon in the Diocese of Los Angeles by the Rt. Rev. Oliver B. Garver, Jr, on June 11, 1994, and a priest by the Rt. Rev. Fred Borsch on January 14, 1995.

M.R. was a priest associate at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Berkeley, and has served as an assistant at St. Gregory of Nyssa, San Francisco. She is the author of several textbooks on classical history and most recently of God of Our Mothers: Face to Face With Powerful Women of the Old Testament. M.R. was also co-author, with the Rev. Dr. L. William Countryman, of Gifted with Otherness.

M.R. was known throughout the Diocese of California and beyond as a storyteller, teacher, writer, and historian with a deep interest in spiritual narrative and the ways story shapes our inner lives. M.R. transcribed the record of diocesan conventions, and she served on the advisory board of Pacific Church News.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 29, 2007, at 1:00 p.m., in the Chapel of Grace at Grace Cathedral. Clergy are asked to wear white stoles.

O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of your servant M.R., and grant her an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Today we turn our attention to all the gifts  present in our lives at this moment: To family, friends, meaningful work, our bodies, our lives, the food that sustains our lives. We turn our attention to the many lives that have brought us to this moment: to the plants and animals that give us the energy to work, play, love, think, and pray; to the many people who labor to support our lives, largely unseen by us, perhaps even when they work in our presence. We turn our attention to the elemental forces that sustain the plants and animals, the human workers, and we among them all: to the sun, the water, the air, the soil. We turn our attention to the universe itself, unfathomable but entirely present in every constituent part. We turn our attention to God, the source, guide and goal of life. To all that is we say, Bless what is for being. We pray that all we have received from You, the Divine Source, may be used for compassion, for peace, for reconciliation. Amen 

On Tuesday, November 13, Major General (Retired) Orlo Steele (USMC – pictured left), senior warden and long-time vestry member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Grass Valley, came to Diocesan House to present the diocese with a home communion kit that is thought to have been originally owned by the Rt. Rev. William Ingraham Kip, the first bishop of California. Steele joined Mary Judith Robinson, great-great granddaughter of Bishop Kip (pictured right), to make the presentation to the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus on behalf of the Diocese of California.

The kit had been given to Emmanuel by the Rev. Donald Royer who received it from a parishioner whose brother, a priest, had received it from Kip. It was used for home visits by the Rev. Noel Porter (later Bishop of Northern Califonia) and the Rev. Frank Henriques.

Questions concerning the proposed new governance structure were solicited at Annual Convention on October 20, 2007, and given to the Governance Committee for response. Some questions have been combined or shortened.


Please explain the difference between the “Board of Directors,” “Diocesan Council,” and “Executive Committee.”

Under our current structure, the Board of Directors and Diocesan Council are separate decision-making bodies. Council’s powers, enumerated in Canon 8.06, include approving the Bishop’s appointments and (in connection with its Division of Program and Budget) developing and proposing the annual budget. The Board of Directors is primarily dedicated  to controlling and managing  Diocesan funds other than the operating fund— which is the responsibility of Council. (See Canon 16.03).

Under the proposal, the two bodies would be merged into a single Executive Council, which would have increased enumerated powers, as well as all powers given to corporate boards of directors by California statutory and decisional law. However, routine management of  investments would be the function of Executive Council’s Investment Committee; members of the investment committee would have appropriate expertise.

How does the possible appointment of an assistant Bishop affect or impact the governance plan and structure?

The current proposal does not refer to a possible assistant Bishop, and we do not expect his or her appointment to have any effect on the proposed plan.

Why give the Standing Committee power to revamp deaneries? Why not leave it to Diocesan Convention? Besides, we need to maintain the integrity of our geographical boundaries, don’t we?
The Diocese of California is unique among large dioceses in having geographically-based deaneries defined in the Canons. It is usual in other large Dioceses for the Bishop and the Standing Committee to have authority to determine the number and membership of Deaneries. (Sometimes these changes occur in response to parish requests.) This proposal would bring the Diocese of California into line with general practice.

Adoption of the proposal will facilitate change in the structure of the Deaneries, but any change would likely only be undertaken after extensive consultation. No plans for change exist at present.

Note that the proposal requires a 2/3 supermajority of the Standing Committee to effect a change; this majority amounts to six out of eight Standing Committee votes. In the event of controversy, Convention could overrule any Standing Committee action. Likewise, the supermajority requirement could, as a practical matter, induce Standing Committee to take any proposal to Convention for action.

Why is there no proposal to extend the franchise of electors for Executive Council beyond deanery representatives? What about the religious communities in the diocese?

Council membership is currently determined by the Deaneries. The proposed Executive Council has a broader membership, and includes members elected at large by Convention, more ex officio members (the Chancellor, Treasurer, and Secretary of Convention join the Bishop as members) and the Bishop’s appointees in addition to members elected by Deaneries. Members of religious communities could be elected by Convention and the Bishop can select his appointees to include any otherwise underrepresented constituency (e.g., geographic or ethnic groups, or Diocesan organizations). Further, it should be remembered that Convention may also approve changes to Council membership in the future, as appropriate.
The working group did not consider religious communities directly; one reason is that they fall under the care and supervision of the Bishop and are not among those primarily impacted by the decisions of Council.

Will there be a call for volunteers to be part of a new task force? How do the deaneries participate in the ideas for reorganization? Is there a budget for this study?

If you would like to make your voice heard in connection with the current proposals, you should be active in your deanery. Deaneries are forming their own task forces to study and comment on the proposals. The deaneries will report their suggestions to Standing Committee by the end of January, and these suggestions, of course, will form the basis for proposed additions, deletions and other amendments to the current draft. The Spring Convention will vote on the proposed amendments as well as the underlying draft. An additional budget line for this deanery work is unnecessary.

The proposed structure seems to reduce lay representation. Can you speak to this concern?

Under the current canons, the deaneries elect 18 members to the Diocesan Council. Of these, 6 must be clerics, while the remaining 12 are lay members. Under the proposal, the deaneries would elect 12 members to the new Executive Council, equally divided between clerical and lay representatives. An additional six members would be elected by convention, at least half of whom must be lay. We expect that many, perhaps all, of these at large candidates would be recommended by deaneries.

Thus, while up to six lay positions might be lost, a majority (or even all) of the members elected by convention could be lay. Beyond this, the Bishop has the right to appoint up to an additional five members. Clergy-lay balance on Council is a factor that he may consider.

The membership of the Executive Council received extensive discussion in the development of the proposals. The number of members has to balance broad representation with the effective and efficient transaction of business. The difficulty is that a large membership may be inclusive, but it seldom works smoothly: the result is the “real” decisions may end up being taken by an Executive Committee of the Council that is less representative than the whole.

The “mission of the diocese” is mentioned in the summary. Where is this mission detailed and discussed?

The proposals set out the elements of a governance process. It is the responsibility of the individuals and bodies in the process to define a mission of the Diocese-- if they think it’s a good idea! The governance process should be neutral in influencing substantive decisions.

How will the new governance structure increase the expectations of potential vestry candidates that they should be aware of?

The proposals have no direct effect on any vestry candidate. However, under the proposals, vestries would timely receive the Diocesan Budget and have a better opportunity to participate in the process of comment. Further, given the increased responsibilities of the Executive Council, we hope that Vestry members (and others) will see Deanery and Council positions as more interesting and attractive than in the past.

Why use the term “Executive Council,” which would create confusion with the National Church’s body of the same name?

The name was much debated, and “ Executive Council” was suggested by the Bishop. The Standing Committee concurred.

How would the Bishop’s responsibility to the Episcopal Homes Foundation and similar organizations change under the proposal?

The Bishop’s responsibility to the Episcopal Homes Foundation and other 501(c)(3) organizations affiliated with the diocese would be unchanged.

Will the assessment formula be reviewed as part of the governance review?

No.

How will the proposal impact paying for the Beloved Community?

The Executive Council will be responsible for funding the efforts. Our hope is that the Council will be more effective and efficient than our current processes.

Currently, the corporation sole has legal responsibility for maintaining mission properties, among other matters. How will this be accomplished under the proposed structure?

Although the corporation sole holds title to certain mission and other properties, operational responsibility for them rests in the Diocesan Department of Missions. Executive Council will oversee the Department of Missions and the department will continue its role in relation to mission properties. However, title to mission properties would be held in the name of the diocese.

Can the incorporation of the corporation sole into the diocese actually be accomplished?

The final determination rests with the Bishop. There are many advantages to effecting the change including a reduction in audit expense.

If a gift restriction prevented the transfer of a particular asset to the diocese, some vestige of the corporation sole might have to remain to hold that asset for the benefit of the diocese.

The graphic of the organizational structure poorly illustrates feedback lines, especially from mission churches. Will a more complete graphic be prepared?

The lines in the graphic should imply two-way communication. It is possible that we could develop a matrix approach that would show interactive patterns more clearly.

 

1.  Appointment of an Assistant Bishop

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California hereby approves the creation of the position of Assistant Bishop and authorizes the Bishop of California to appoint a Bishop for that position, whose appointment is subject to the consent of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of California.


2.  Sudan Divestment

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California urges the Executive Council to exhort the Church Pension Fund (CPF) to divest all holdings of companies that are doing business in Sudan from any retirement plan, directly or indirectly controlled by CPF; and also exhort CPF to employ the Episcopal Church’s Sudan Investments Screen for all further investments.


3.  Protection for Immigrants and Their Families

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California condemns the U.S. government’s singular focus on immigration enforcement without any corresponding reform to allow undocumented aliens a reasonable opportunity to pursue permanent residency, and further to condemn the mounting efforts at every level of society to remove all undocumented immigrants from this country and to deprive undocumented immigrants of their livelihood, Constitutional rights and human rights;

Resolved, That the Convention lauds the efforts of jurisdictions and organizations which act in the spirit of Resolution A017 (passed by the 75th General Convention in June, 2006) and the Resolution on Migration and Immigration Issues (passed by the 157th Convention of the Diocese of California in October, 2006) in order to mitigate the suffering which is caused by the lack of comprehensive immigration reform, and offers these jurisdictions and organizations support in their efforts to treat undocumented immigrants with the respect and dignity due to every human being;

Resolved, That the Convention encourages wide participation by Episcopalians in educational events and forums, such as those developed by the Diocesan Migration and Immigration Task Force, to learn about the plight of immigrants, to listen to people’s experiences of enforcement and its impact on their lives and their families, to learn about the root causes of migration, and to discuss long-term solutions to the immigration crisis; and

Resolved, That the Convention calls upon Episcopalians, including congregations, deaneries, diocesan groups and individuals, to assist undocumented immigrants who find it impossible to make a living and support their families, or who seek protection from detention and deportation, by the provision of support such as shelter, material support, legal assistance, pastoral support, and participation in the New Sanctuary Movement, and by visible expressions of solidarity through participation in actions such as vigils, fasts, marches, and advocacy campaigns for long-term solutions to the crisis brought about by the need for reform to immigration policy.

 
4.  Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California encourages each congregation and diocesan institution with a building or buildings to change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent light bulb by December 31, 2007;

Resolved, That each congregation and diocesan institution encourage all of its members to change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent light bulb by December 31, 2007; and

Resolved, That the Pacific Church News report on the impact it would have on the environment if every congregation and every Episcopal household changed one light bulb.


5.  The Five-Year Strategic Plan for Ethnic and Multicultural Ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of California, 2008-2012

Resolved, That the 158th Diocesan Convention adopts the Five-Year Ethnic and Multicultural Strategic Plan, concluding with the 163rd Convention, to grow vigorous ethnic-specific, multicultural, and multi-ethnic ministries by re-building vitality in our already existing ministries; planting at least two vital, new ministries; fostering reconciliation to help heal the history of marginalization of these ministries; nurturing leadership for these ministries at every level of the Diocese; and building advocacy and support for immigrant and indigenous communities and all in need in the Bay Area;

Resolved, That the Convention commends the diocese in the establishment of a position of Ethnic and Multicultural Missioner and calls upon the office of the Bishop to appoint and install an incumbent by June, 2008, and make this position permanent;

Resolved, That the Diocese of California further implement General Convention Resolution A-047 adopted in 2000, by requiring that all those studying for Holy Orders, Clergy in Training, and clergy in transition receive anti-racism training, and that those heading these programs be charged with ensuring such training is incorporated into their curricula;

Resolved, That the Diocese of California strongly recommends that all clergy of the Diocese, lay professionals, and lay leadership of all committees throughout the Diocese attend at least two successive sessions of anti-racism training in the next 5 years and that the Diocese continue to discern ways to encourage adherence to this resolution; and

Resolved, That the Diocese explore developing intensive weeks of cultural and linguistic immersion in the Bay Area for lay and ordained leadership.


6.  Liturgical Covenanting, Blessing, and Sending Forth of Couples in Committed Same-Gender Relationships

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of California commends to the Bishop of California the lectionary, rubric entitled “Concerning the Service,” and three rites endorsed by the Commission on Marriage and Blessing, and urges the Bishop to approve the trial use of these forms as resources in the Diocese of California for formalizing the blessing of same-gender unions.

 
7.  Building the Beloved Community in the Spirit of Transparency, Communication, and Mission

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California calls upon the Bishop to convene a Special Convention on May 10, 2008 to consider and give final approval to proposed changes to the Canons of the Diocese of California;

Resolved, That consideration of all proposed changes to the Canons of the Diocese of California submitted to the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California be postponed until said Special Convention;

Resolved, That amendments to the proposed changes to the Canons shall be in order at the Special Convention only if they have been submitted to the Standing Committee and the Committee on Canons no later than January 31, 2008; and

Resolved, That the Standing Committee and the Committee on Canons shall report all proposed amendments to the Special Convention, unless withdrawn, along with their recommendations and such revisions and substitutions as they may deem appropriate.


8.  Approval of a Companion Relationship Between the Dioceses of California and Curitiba, Brazil

Resolved, that the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California endorses the formation of a Companion Relationship between this diocese and the Diocese of Curitiba, beginning upon approval of this resolution and subsequent ratification by Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, and continuing until the 2012 Convention of the Diocese of California or until terminated by mutual consent; and

Resolved, that the Diocesan Council, with the advice and consent of the Bishop of the Diocese of California, be empowered to set up a representative Companion Relationship Commission to implement this relationship, including the recruitment of persons and congregations in the diocese to participate in this relationship.

 
9.  Response to the House of Bishops’ Statement

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California considers the statement made by the House of Bishops at their September 2007 New Orleans meeting to be non-binding on The Episcopal Church unless adopted by General Convention;

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California affirms the unanimous decision of the Standing Committee to refuse to discriminate against partnered gay and lesbian bishops-elect in the consent process as called for in General Convention 2006 resolution B033;

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California deplores the lack of access to adequate pastoral care and liturgical rites for the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in most dioceses of The Episcopal Church, and the refusal of the majority of our bishops to make provision for it, and calls upon the House of Bishops to publish guidelines for such care;

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California commends the House of Bishops for its call to increase implementation of the Communion-wide listening process as a real process of engagement, and calls upon the Presiding Bishop and her staff to develop such a process within the Episcopal Church, recognizing that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people continue to be marginalized in many parts of our Church;

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California commends the House of Bishops for its call for the full participation of the Bishop of New Hampshire in the 2008 Lambeth Conference, and acknowledges the basic contradiction between support for Bishop Robinson and the implementation of B033; and

Resolved, That the 158th Convention of the Diocese of California commends the House of Bishops for its support for the civil rights, safety, and dignity of gay and lesbian persons, and calls upon the General Convention to work to resolve speedily and justly the basic contradiction between such support in civil society and the absence of such support within the Church’s own pastoral and sacramental life.

I certify that the above nine resolutions were adopted by the 158th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of California, meeting at Grace Cathedral on October 20, 2007, substantially as presented, with only minor corrections having been made to put them in proper form.

Saturday, October 27, people from all walks of life will gather in 11 cities around the country in a national expression of the breadth and depth of antiwar sentiment in this nation. For many people, it will be their first step in transforming their antiwar feelings into antiwar action.

All Episcopalians, our friends and families are invited to join Bishop Marc Andrus at 10:00 a.m. at the steps of San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, to march to the larger march forming at the San Francisco Civic Center at 11:00 a.m.

Congregations are encouraged to bring banners, signs and musical instruments. For more information and to download signs, visit the website of the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq.

The 158th Convention of the Diocese of California, held at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20, passed nine resolutions, and elected diocesan officers and deputies to the 2009 General Convention of the Episcopal Church to be held in Anaheim, California.

The week leading up to convention included a Taizé service for diocesan unity held at St. Paul's, Walnut Creek, and town-hall meetings around the diocese featuring the Most Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane, Archbishop of Cape Town, and primate of the province of Southern Africa. Members of St. Paul's, Walnut Creek, held a reception following the Taizé service welcoming Ndungane to the diocese. The reception included proclamations from the mayor and Contra Costa County supervisors, and a short speech by the archbishop.

Bishop Marc Andrus invites members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities in the Diocese of California, and their supporters, to participate in an open conversation about the House of Bishops' recent "Response to Questions and Concerns Raised by our Anglican Communion Partners." The statement was a product of the House of Bishops meeting held September 20-25 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The conversation will take place this Wednesday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 1661 Fifteenth Street (@ Julian Ave.), San Francisco. All members of the diocese are invited to participate in this conversation. Members of the press are welcome to attend, but the conversation will be between members of churches in the diocese and their bishop.

St. John the Evangelist is located one block west and one block north of the 16th Street/Mission Bart station. 

Following is the statement delivered by the Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church; 20 September 2007.
 

Most Reverend Sir, Honored Guests from the Communion,
I am Marc Andrus, Bishop of the Diocese of California. I have been given the grace of serving a diocese that encompasses enormous diversity, both in what we call the natural environment, and also in what we might call human ecology. I grew up in the American South where to my consciousness human diversity was cast in terms of Black and White.

In the California Bay Area the societal parameters for inclusion, outside even the concerns of the Church, are wide ranging: gender, ethnicity, economic, and sexual orientation. All of these parameters have received intense attention in the civil society, and have also been the concerns of the Episcopal Church in the Bay Area.

With respect to sexual orientation, it must be said that the Episcopal Church is the main refuge for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people who are seeking to lead a Christian life. These people are primarily not natives of the Bay Area, they come from all over the United States and indeed the world.  They have come to San Francisco and the Bay Area seeking a life where they are not subjected to discrimination and violence, where they can lead normal lives, and in some cases, Christian lives. It is my responsibility to provide a context for this search for holiness of life.

It is also important to say here that the Episcopal Church in the Bay Area is immeasurably enriched by the presence of LGBT people in our parishes and missions. These are gifted, faithful Christian people, lay and ordained, passionate about their faith and church. It is hard to imagine what the Diocese of California would be like without these great people, but I can get something of a picture by remembering the many places I’ve  lived from which they have come to the Bay Area, places where they were barred from employment, pushed out of their homes and families, and yes, found cold welcome in churches, and tragically in some instances, were subjected to physical violence. For every one of these men and women enlivening the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of California there are empty places all over the United States where their graceful presences are missing.

This is also true for me regarding Gene Robinson. He has helped this body of bishops of the Church with intelligence, passion, humility and great courage over the past four years, and I know he has served his diocese in the same manner. I hope, simply, that there will not be a Gene-shaped space at the Lambeth Conference where the living child of God Gene should be.