You are here
COLORADO: Church ducks nuptials fight
State Episcopalians opt not to tweak marriage statement
By Eric Gorski
Denver Post Staff Writer
10/3/2004
Delegates to the 117th Colorado Episcopal Convention shelved a resolution Saturday that supporters called a timely reaffirmation of traditional church teachings on marriage but opponents termed unnecessary and potentially divisive.
By a vote of 262-231, lay and clergy representatives of the state's 35,000 Episcopalians indefinitely postponed a vote on a resolution that essentially restated the church's long-held position limiting marriage to between a man and a woman.
Though abstentions were not counted, as many as 125 people did not vote. In all, 618 delegates took part in the two-day convention, which ended Saturday at the Holiday Inn Denver International Airport.
The resolution stated that in the Colorado diocese, "Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between man and a woman in the presence of God."
Originally it stated, "Christian marriage is defined as a solemn and public covenant between one man and one woman only." But delegates amended the wording to better reflect the church's Book of Common Prayer, its guiding source on rituals and readings.
The marriage stance was championed by those in the Colorado diocese's conservative minority who argued clarification was needed, especially because of the diocese's emphasis on youth and family ministry.
"How can we speak of such an important ministry without speaking of marriage?" said the Rev. James Cavanagh of Boulder. "And how can we speak of marriage unless we know precisely what it is?"
Supporters hinted the resolution might curb a protest that contributed to a $340,000 drop in pledges this year. The revolt came after the Colorado delegation to the Episcopal General Convention last year backed the election of the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the nation's first openly gay bishop.
Those who spoke against the marriage resolution focused less on sexuality than on questioning the logic of voting on something already in the Book of Common Prayer, an exercise that might lead to a line-by-line dissection of the document.
The Rev. James Harlan of Denver, chairman of a diocesan task force that recently urged a "time of restraint" in matters of sexuality, urged caution in reading motivation behind the vote.
"I hope people don't leap to conclusions and invest meaning in that vote that's not there and then take action based on that," Harlan said. "We have to continue to work on it. We need to face our disagreements head-on, painful as that is."
Colorado Bishop Rob O'Neill lauded the climate of the convention, which also approved a $1.6 million budget, with support for youth ministry and new parishes.
"People are energized by the thought of looking ahead and engaging in ministry," he said.
END
