Into the Highways and Hedges
Louie Crew
of the Presiding Bishop's visit to lesbigay in the highways and hedges.
It was a notice I posted about that upcoming visit that began this
chain some time back.
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The Episcopal Church's presiding bishop told gay and
lesbian members not to lose hope despite ongoing
division in the 2.5 million-member denomination over
homosexuality.
"The gay and lesbian community is tired of being
treated as an issue. They want to be treated as people,"
the Most Rev. Edmond L. Browning said during a
special Integrity convention forum Saturday at Palmer
Memorial Church.
His remarks came during a national meeting of
Integrity, a 2,500-member group for gay and lesbian
Episcopalians. It was the first time a presiding bishop
preached and gave communion to the group....
In his role as bishop, Browning said he remained as
committed as ever to being an advocate for an open,
inclusive and compassionate church. He told about 100
women and men on Saturday to share their personal
stories with others and stay involved in church affairs.
"You are contributing to the health and well-being of
the whole church. You are part of this church,"
Browning said. "It sounds patronizing, but you've got to
know how important it is for you to hang in."...
He celebrated an opening Eucharist service of about
450 people at Palmer, assisted by six ministers,
including the new dean of Christ Church Cathedral, the
Rev. Walter Taylor. Episcopal Diocese of Texas Bishop
Maurice M. Benitez did not attend, as he had
announced earlier.
Reconciliation was Browning's sermon topic....
"It's going to depend on you. You have to be willing
to press your diocesan bishops. You need to see that
this (study) material is used and be involved so your
voices can be heard," Browning said.
..Speakers included a lesbian
priest forced from her clergy position, the director of a
Newark, N.J. outreach ministry, Diocese of Texas lay
members and Integrity founder Louie Crew.
The Rev. David Norgard, who heads up the Newark
Diocese's Oasis center, said his ministry brings new
people into the church. Browning later said critics who
contend the church will be destroyed by programs like
Oasis are wrong....
Crew, a Rutgers University professor who is involved
in prison ministry in Rahway, N.J., summed up the no-
nonsense faith of speakers on Saturday.
"Jesus is always with the people in need," Crew said.
"We are not here to ask into the church. We are the
church. We are the body of Christ."
From:
The Houston Post, Sunday, July 12, 1992, page A-30
Episcopal bishop tells gays, lesbians not to lose hope
By Steve Brunsman
Post Religion Reporter
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Louie Crew, Assoc. Prof., Academic Foundations Dept., Rutgers U./NWK 07102
lc...@andromeda.rutgers.edu 201-485-4503