"As one might imagine, our clergy are quite a diverse lot in terms of their views on same sex marriage: some are conscience-bound to uphold the traditional teaching of the church on marriage between a man and a woman; others hope to solemnize same sex marriages; still others do not believe the new rites are biblical marriage, but think a blessing of some kind is in order. (This last option is no longer possible, according to General Convention, for those who live in civil jurisdictions where same sex marriage is legal.) It is good for us to remember that theological diversity is honored in the Episcopal Church and "no bishop, priest, deacon or lay person should be coerced or penalized in any manner, nor suffer any canonical disabilities, as a result of his or her theological objection to or support for [same sex marriage.]"3

"After consulting widely with the diocesan priests-in-charge, I have decided to offer Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight (DEPO)4 to those congregations requesting it. According to the provisions of DEPO, if the priest- in-charge and two-thirds of the members of a vestry ask me, I will appoint another bishop to provide oversight for the three-year period between General Conventions.

"Contrary to what some have understood, DEPO has nothing to do with a congregation's relationship with the other congregations of the diocese. Rather, it has to do with the congregation's relationship with the bishop. A congregation receiving delegated episcopal pastoral oversight would still remain active in the life of the diocese. My office would pay for an annual visit by the DEPO bishop.

"In the course of these months of consultation, I have been re- minded by some that the traditional view of marriage I hold is a "minority" one in the Episcopal Church. This may be true, as it is for other declining churches of Western secular cultures, but the fact remains that the traditional view of marriage between one man and one woman for life remains the teaching of our own Book of Common Prayer,5 as well as the teaching of the vast majority of the Anglican Communion, and global Christianity in general. Just weeks ago, the primates of the Global South, representing the majority of Anglicans wrote:

"We grieved one more time at the unilateral decisions taken by the last General Convention of the Episcopal Church (TEC) in the USA to redefine marriage and to accept same-sex marriages (Resolutions A036 and A054). We see these latest resolutions as a clear departure from not only the accepted traditional teaching of the Anglican Communion, but also from that of the one Holy, Universal, and Apostolic Church, which upholds the scriptural view of marriage between one man and one woman. (Lambeth Resolution 1:10, 1998.)6

"Each of us one day will be called upon to give an account before God for what we have done or not done during this life, as we stand before the "great judgment seat of Christ."7 At this time in our history, I am keenly aware of the scriptural warning of the letter of James: "Not many of you should become teachers ... for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). May the Lord have mercy on all of us whose responsibility it is to teach the Christian Faith."

Sincerely,
+Michael G Smith

1 http://www.ndepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ July-August-2015-sheaf-2.pdf
2 Resolution A054: http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/2015- resolutions/A054/current_english_text
3 Ibid.
4 Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight: http://www.collegefor-
bishops.org/assets/1145/revised_depo.pdf
5 The 1979 Book of Common Prayer, p. 861.
6 http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2015/10/communique-of-
the-global-south-primates-cairo-egypt-14-16-october-2015.aspx. 7 1979 BCP, p. 122; 2 Corinthians 5:10.