A Pastoral Letter on Reconciliation
The Diocese of East Tennessee
October 29, 2003

The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
III Bishop of the Diocese of East Tennessee

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

St. Paul wrote these words to the church in Corinth, words appropriate for us today: “God reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us” (II Corinthians 5:18-20a).

Since General Convention, the fabric of the Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion has been stretched and strained. We, who are parts of that fabric, have felt the results of such strain. Recent meetings of concerned Episcopalians in Dallas and of Anglican Primates in London witness to the reality of the stresses among us.

Our Lord calls us to the work of reconciliation. “Jesus said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets’” (Matthew 22:37-39). When love and good will are imperiled, our Lord’s call to be reconciled is most clear.

The area of life that causes many of our church communities significant stress in our day involves human sexuality. Surely that observation is true of the Episcopal Church since the General Convention last summer. In times of stress and strain, we do well to rely on directions from our Lord first and, also, to remember observations of our community made in less stressful times.

The statement following the recent Primates meeting quotes in part the report from the 1998 Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops from around the world. That report emphasizes the need “to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, and to assure them that they are loved by God and that all baptized, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ.” As the community of faith, we have work to do in this regard, and in part, that is the work of reconciliation.

As a practical response to our Lord’s call to be reconciled with one another, I have requested that the diocesan Task Force on Reconciliation facilitate the development and sharing of models to encourage reconciliation, especially within our parish communities. Such models will enable us – in practical ways – to respond to Christ’s call to love God, our neighbors, and ourselves, whether the issue at hand is human sexuality, racism, war and peace, or anything else that requires our attention as Christians seeking reconciliation. I encourage clergy and lay leaders to be in touch with my office to gain access to practical models for reconciliation.

The Prayer Book Catechism affirms that the ministry of all baptized Christians is “to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church” (BCP, p855). As people claiming to follow Jesus Christ, therefore, the work of reconciliation is basic to our calling. Our efforts to be reconciled to each other will demonstrate our faithfulness in following our Lord. The health of our souls is at stake, my friends.

In an effort to minimize anxiety among us – as we engage in the work of reconciliation regarding human sexuality – let me restate the diocesan policies to which I have referred several times recently. First, our clergy do not have the bishop’s permission to officiate at any rite of same-sex blessing. Secondly, we will continue to expect that candidates for ordination engage in sexual intimacy only within the marriage relationship of a man and a woman.

Dear friends in Christ, may we take seriously our Lord’s call to be reconciled to one another. Following that call provides a basic foundation for our identity as Christians. Indeed, the work of reconciliation is fundamental in identifying who we are and in defining what we do. May we dedicate ourselves, therefore, to the task before us – in prayer, in commitment, and in action – and that is the task of reconciliation and love for God, for one another, and for ourselves.

In conclusion, may we pray – fervently and frequently – the collect for the Sunday after Easter, as we live more and more into our identity as Resurrection people: “Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation; Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, p224).

Copyright © 2003 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee