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MINNESOTA: Episcopal Bishop Nominees Include Leading Church Lesbian
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
August 1, 2009
The Rev. Bonnie Perry, a homosexual in a "partnered" relationship, is one of three nominees to be the next Bishop of Minnesota replacing the retiring Bishop James Jelinek.
The Diocese of Minnesota has clearly heard the siren call of the recently passed Resolution D025 at GC2009. Perry was one of two out gay individuals for nominee for bishop of California in 2006. Perry was ordained in 1990 by John Shelby Spong, Bishop of Newark.
Perry is the rector of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Chicago and has been in a partnered lesbian relationship for 22 years with the Rev. Susan Harlow.
The Rev. Dr. M. Susan Harlow, is with the United Church of Christ, and was recently hired as the director of congregational development and professor of practical theology at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
Perry has been at All Saints' since 1992.
Integrity officials immediately applauded the nominations for Diocese of Minnesota calling the slate of qualified candidates "stellar."
"The Diocese of Minnesota is leading the way for the rest of The Episcopal Church, as they move us forward into a future where the resolutions we passed at our recent General Convention become a reality," said Integrity President Susan Russell.
That reality--which was stated in Resolution D025--is "that God's call to the ordained ministry in The Episcopal Church is a mystery which the Church attempts to discern for all people through our discernment processes acting in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church." She said she hoped that the actions of General Convention "will put a sad chapter of discrimination against the LGBT baptized behind us."
The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe, Bishop of Central Florida, told VOL that if anyone thought that D025 did NOT mean the repeal of the previous General Convention's call for "restraint", the Diocese of Minnesota has moved quickly enough to demonstrate otherwise. "Both that diocese and The Episcopal Church as a whole have clearly chosen to repudiate the Windsor process, the appeals of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other Instruments of Communion, and those of the Primates of the Anglican Communion. "However loud TEC's protestations of desire to remain part of the Anglican Communion, Minnesota demonstrates that TEC will do so only on its own terms.
"I am grateful for Archbishop Rowan's Reflections four days ago envisioning two 'tracks' in the Communion and his clear encouragement that those within TEC 'who intend to remain loyal to the rest of the Communion' should 'be free to adopt the Covenant' regardless of the decisions of the Presiding Bishop, the Executive Council or the General Convention."
The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith Bishop of Springfield said this information is not surprising given the action of the last three General Conventions. "It is obvious to me that the secular, immoral, sexual agenda for many in TEC is more important than the Faith once delivered to the saints and communion issues within Anglicanism specially and Christianity generally."
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