Forced back

[jay]

I just talked to K, the rector of our parish... because of "lifestyle issues", specifically, I will not be allowed to be a vestry candidate, or a candidate for anything else that represents the parish. If I insist on running for any office, he will remove my eligibility by writing a disciplinary letter to the diocese, thus making me a member-not-in-good-standing. Poly-sensitivity outweighs any gain that the organization might get from my talents and skills. K justified having existing gay vestry members, but not poly, as, "people are of several minds on homosexuality within the church, but everyone agrees that monogamy is the biblical standard."

If I don't force the issue, I will continue to be allowed to participate as a member... allowed communion, but essentially nothing further. patgreene has asked me to not force their hand, if only to not make things harder on her and the kids. So I will probably retreat back to my corner...

Comments

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, I have no ties anymore to the clergy there, and could leave as far as that goes. But Pat and I have friends there in the congregation... that, plus not knowing how we'd be received elsewhere, has kept us at our current parish.

It's ironic that the same African churches that are possibly building alliances with the conservative anti-gay-clergy dioceses here in the US, are themselves lobbying to keep their converted poly familes intact (which would probably horrify those same conservative US dioceses).