Copyright © 2003 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee

Ascenson rector attended
‘A Place to Stand’ in Dallas

The Rev. Ladson Mills III, rector at Church of the Ascension in Knoxville, said he was the only East Tennessean to attend the conference of 2,600 Episcopalians in Dallas, sponsored by the American Anglican Council and Christ Episcopal Church of Plano. He said his impressions were quite positive about the people who attended and their reasons for being there. He agreed to be interviewed for the East Tennessee Episcopalian.

On the people who attended and why: “After all the years of hearing it, I really did begin to believe the party line and think this was just a good old southern angry white man’s issue – until I saw the female clergy and saw the Hispanic clergy and laity, and all the African-Americans. You had 20 percent wearing the AAC [Anglican American Council] buttons, and then 80 percent saying, ‘that’s nice, but that’s not why we’re here.’

“That’s quite different from what we read about. In fairness, I thought there were some people there who acted like homophobic jackasses, just as General Convention had its extremists, but I thought 80 percent of the people there were there for the same reason I was.

“In the words of one clergyperson, ‘I am here because I am trying to pastor my sheep through difficult terrain to safe pasture.’ That’s an image I like. I’m not here to support AAC; I’m not here to tear down the Episcopal Church; I’m here to see what safe pasture there is for my sheep.

“The best thing for me was to sit among the clergy and laity of the church who love our church and don’t want to see it conflicted and were not there trying to lead a revolution but were there asking for answers.”

On the issues: The primary issue is that the Christian standard of blessing in human relationships is male and female. If you want to be a priest and bishop of the church, there’s a standard. Lay people can get away with stuff that I can’t get away with. I can’t go down to the local kit-kat club and tell everybody I’m a chaplain to the dancers. I think there is a standard of behavior that Gene Robinson did not meet. His qualifications for bishop are not an issue: He’s not even qualified by virtue of his lifestyle for ordination in most dioceses.”

He said a longtime clergy colleague told him at the meeting that this was not a liberal-conservative issue; it was an issue of Anglican orthodoxy. “He was absolutely right. ... I think the case can be made – if the church had become of one mind on blessing of same-sex unions and then [Robinson] had been elected, we’d be hard-pressed to be critical from the standpoint of canon law.” He added that the vote to consent “changed the Christian tradition. We are now a faith of affirmation, not transformation.”

On conference content: “Some [content] was very good,” he said, then described one segment in which a sociologist looked at church leadership and how leaders see the General Convention decision as an extension of the civil rights movement — which had great impact on their young adult years. “It wasn’t ‘these poor misguided fools don’t get it,’ it was, ‘this is how they lived and were raised and why they think the way they do.’ That was one of the most helpful lectures I heard.

“I am a product of The Citadel and the Marine Corps. It marks who I am as a person. [This presentation] helped me get a handle on how I can have a conversation with someone [different] and [why I may] wonder if we’re on the same planet.”

On being asked to sign two documents: “Originally, when I registered, I signed ... a statement of orthodoxy, [which] was just really what we say in our ordination vows.

“When they asked us to sign the letter going to the Archbishop, they asked for six things. I did not sign that document because I believe the American church needs to be under the discipline of the greater Anglican Communion. … I believe that when you place yourself under somebody’s spiritual direction and discipline, it has to be across the board. By that statement, I felt like they were saying, ‘if you do it our way, we’ll come to you,’ just like I think on the other side that ECUSA’s saying, ‘if you do it our way…’. I think we need to say, ‘we’ve gotten ourselves into a mess, and we can’t figure it out.’

“The most difficult moment was not being able to sign the document. I felt like, by signing it, ... we were giving people permission not to do their duty, financially and otherwise. I felt a tremendous amount of responsibility to this diocese and my bishop; I also felt a tremendous amount of responsibility to the greater church, and I was conflicted by that. I still am.

On diocesan impact: “If you’re unhappy with ECUSA, that’s one thing. But I don’t think our bishop should be punished. As I told someone, our bishop voted against [Gene Robinson’s election]. Why are we punishing the diocese? That doesn’t make sense. ‘Congratulations for taking the stand we agreed upon. Now let’s see if we can’t ruin your ministry.’ Our bishop took a stand, so I’ve been very clear with folks ... I’ve asked them to rethink that. I’ve said to the people in this diocese: ‘Why would you want to leave East Tennessee when the bishop voted the way you say you believe? Why would you desert him? Why would you honor his stand by undercutting it?’ What he thinks is what he voted.”

On predicting what’s to come: “I think there is going to be some sort of realignment. I see no reason to leave the Episcopal Church or the Diocese of East Tennessee, but I think we’re going to see a diocesan entity outside geographical areas.

“If I were asked the perfect plan, I would do what the English have done with ‘flying bishops’ ... If it were up to me, I’d say each province has a ‘flying bishop’ who would be under the direction of the local diocesans and work with them.

“If the Episcopal Church doesn’t help model this, they’re going to lose people. Time is really on our side; if we were to manage this and make it part of our structure, we could work together until such time as we come to one mind. That’s what I would see as the perfect solution for those who are conflicted.”

Related stories in this issue:

• Feelings mixed as first openly gay Anglican bishop is consecrated
• Anglican Communion's response biting, bitter, generous, jubilant
• Executive Council addresses the church
• Bishop’s letter emphasizes reconciliation
• Diocese comes to the table to speak, to hear, to pray
• Changes pondered at Integrity mini-retreat
• Reconciliation resources available