"Episcopalians continue to be divided on this issue. Last year, we appointed a diocesan task force to promote prayer, reflection, and conversation about these matters," said Bauerschmidt, in an email to The Tennessean.

Gay marriage remains divisive issue in Episcopal Church

The first resolution encourages the bishop to lift his ban. Bauerschmidt made the decision in November 2015, months after the national Episcopal Church authorized clergy to perform same-sex marriages. The national church's decision came in the wake of the June 26 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the U.S.

However, the national church gave bishops the ultimate say on whether or not the religious marriage ceremonies could occur within their diocese. Bauerschmidt did not grant permission, but referred any same-sex couple who wished to use the trial marriage liturgies to the Diocese of Kentucky. Couples also can ask clergy in other dioceses to officiate.

Pete Trenchi, a member of Otey Memorial Parish in Sewanee, submitted the resolution, urging the bishop not to forbid same-sex marriages on church properties and leave the decision to officiate the wedding up to each minister. He added that clergy already get to make the call on whether or not to marry opposite-sex couples.

"There are people whose needs are not being met by an inflexible position," Trenchi said. "I'm trying to find decision space that will allow things to occur, but not compel anybody to do anything that goes against their own personal standards or goes against what they know to be correct for their parish."

Regardless of the support Trenchi's resolution receives, the bishop has the ultimate decision on the matter, he said.

Like Bauerschmidt, other bishops in the U.S. have prohibited same-sex marriages in their dioceses, but the Bauerschmidt is the only bishop in Tennessee that restricts it. The bishops of East and West Tennessee dioceses permit them.

The divisiveness of the matter goes beyond the state and the U.S. The Anglican Communion voted to censure the Episcopal Church, its American branch, in January 2016 for permitting same-sex marriages.

The second resolution tackles the issue at a national level. It would allow Tennessee's Annual Convention to petition the General Convention, the governing body of the Episcopal Church, to make the trial marriage liturgies available to all clergy who want to celebrate same-sex weddings. The rector and vestry a St. Ann's Episcopal Church in East Nashville, a long-time support of same-sex marriages, submitted the resolution.

"We felt that this was the best way to address this issue and implement any change in the practice in our diocese," said the Rev. Richard Britton, St. Ann's rector. "There are members of the diocese who would like the bishop to change his mind."

The General Convention meets every three years and convenes in 2018 in Austin, Texas.

"In 2018, the General Convention will have an opportunity to re-authorize the Trial Rites and establish the parameters for their use," Bauerschmidt said.

On Friday and Saturday, the Tennessee diocese's Annual Convention also will consider a resolution to show "Christ-like hospitality" to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Also, diocesan representatives, or deputies, for General Convention will be selected.

VOL FOOTNOTE: The former Bishop of Tennessee Bertram Nelson Herlong would never have permitted this. Sadly he is the last orthodox bishop of this diocese.

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National LGBTQ Task Force to Review TN Episcopal Same-Sex Marriage Ban
Decision to create task force taken after Tennessee bishop bans same-sex marriages in his diocese despite official permission by Church at national level

By NATHAN GROVER
http://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/national-lgbtq-task-force-review-tn-episcopal-sex-marriage-ban
Jan. 24,2017

The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee has turned to the National LGBTQ Task Force to review the Church's ongoing issues with ministers officiating at same-sex marriages. Although The Episcopal Church at the national level has given official permission in 2015 to all Episcopalian churches to accept gay marriages, it had also allowed bishops to choose whether or not they will accept same-sex marriages at the diocesan level or not.

It was under this provision that the Bishop of Tennessee, John Bauerschmidt, banned the clergy in his diocese from officiating same-sex marriages. Although he hasn't said he diocese won't be accepting these couples, members of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee feel that the ban is an impediment to the progress The Episcopal Church has been making.

Bishop Bauerschmidt has asked same-sex couples who want to get married to do so in another diocese. As the power to allow same-sex marriages rests with the bishops, same-sex couples are forced to look for dioceses where same-sex marriages are allowed and get married there. The Bishop himself refers the couples to neighboring Kentucky.

Clergy and lay people from the diocese desired the bishop to lift the ban. Instead of the usual submission of a proposal to the National Church, the Episcopalians selected a task force which would study same-sex marriages closely; possibly with an aim to come up with a way to encourage the bishop to lift the ban. The decision to create a task force was approved by over two-thirds of the delegates who attended the Annual Convention that was held at Christ Church in Nashville on January 21, 2017.

The resolution to create a task force was taken in place of three others, which directly dealt with same-sex marriage itself. Two of the resolutions asked to expand the power of deciding whether or not to officiate at a same-sex marriage to all ministers. One was directly aimed at encouraging the bishop to lift his ban. Those who supported the resolutions that asked to extend the power to all ministers believe that the power to allow same-sex marriages has already been given, and that they seek only to extend this power to all the representatives of God at the Church.

Susan Huggins, co-chair of the task force, has announced the members who will be part of the task force. The task force will be able to give their recommendations to the panel at the 2018 Annual Convention.