Submitted by:
The Rev. Beatrice M. Billups
The Rev. James R. Crowder
The Rev. Frank E. Fortkamp
Christina Harris
The Rev. Eleanor Holland
The Rev. Alice Jellema
The Rev. Mary Jayne Ledgerwood
The Rev. T. Stewart Lucas
The Rev. Martha Macgill
Louise E. Miller
The Rev. Ronald H. Miller
The Rev. Dr. Victoria R. Sirota
The Rev. Scott Slater
The Rev. P. Kingsley Smith
The Rev. Lee Ann Tolzmann
The Rev. Kathryn A. Wajda
The Rev. Lauren M. Welch
The Rev. Tammy Wooliver
RESOLVED, that the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, meeting in Convention May 6-7, 2005, requests the Bishop of Maryland to appoint a task force of lay and clerical members to study issues of marriage, unions, and civil rights; to create a collection of resources and a study guide suitable for use in parishes to further conversation about appropriate Christian responses to questions about who should have access to civil marriage or unions; and to recommend appropriate pastoral responses to couples regardless of sexual orientation living in committed relationships other than marriage. The task force should report its findings at the 2006 Annual Convention of this diocese.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the task force appointed should reflect the diversity of the diocese with respect to age, race, order of ministry, marital status, sexual orientation and the diversity of opinion surrounding these issues.
The 74th General Convention, meeting in Minneapolis, passed resolution C051 which stated, in part, “That we commit ourselves, and call our church, in the spirit of Resolution A104 of the 70th General Convention (1991), to continued prayer, study, and discernment on the pastoral care for gay and lesbian persons, to include the compilation and development by a special commission organized and appointed by the Presiding Bishop of resources to facilitate as wide a conversation of discernment as possible throughout the church.”