Bishops Drop Sexual Issues Debate

Bishops of the Episcopal Church defused explosive debates over sexual morality by voting at the denomination’s biennial convention here to abandon new proposals on marriage, homosexuality and premarital sex.

“I think this puts the matter to rest for a while,” Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning, head of the 2.5-million-member denomination, said in an interview.

The voice vote to put off consideration of a variety of measures on sexual issues upheld for at least three years the church’s traditional teaching that only married people should engage in sex.

Bishop William Frey of Colorado told a briefing that the church would continue studying proposals for liberalizing its teachings on sex in view of divisions over how to deal with homosexuality and extramarital and premarital sexual relations.

‘Not Ready’

“There is a group calling for a radical re-statement” of traditional morality, Frey said. “The House of Bishops is not ready to make such a re-statement.”

In another major action, 900 priests and lay deputies from dioceses nationwide narrowly voted to allow parishes to call in a visiting bishop to perform confirmations and ordinations, sacraments reserved to bishops. It followed an overwhelming endorsement the previous day by the House of Bishops.

The action was taken in anticipation of the consecration of a woman as bishop in the near future and intended to prevent a schism in the church.

Under the approved measure, if a parish questioned the validity of confirmations or priestly ordinations by a woman bishop, a male bishop from outside the diocese could be invited to perform those sacraments.

Reach a Compromise

It culminated an effort to reach a compromise between the church majority supporting women’s ordination and a minority faction that has warned of possible schism if it feels forced to accept the ministry of any future women bishops. No woman priest has been elected a bishop yet, but it is considered inevitable.

Despite arguments that the “Episcopal visitor” concept was a slap in the face of ordained women, some proponents believe that the step would reduce resistance to the election of women bishops. The bishops’ action on sexuality came after they earlier in the week effectively disowned a controversial sex education study guide, “Sexuality--A Divine Gift,” produced under national church auspices that had angered many church conservatives and moderates, who charged that it tolerated sexual permissiveness.

Applauded by Factions

The actions on sexuality were applauded by church factions on both the right and left.

“I think the liberal juggernaut has been halted at this convention,” said the Rev. John Throop, director of Episcopalians United, a new Ohio-based conservative group.

Kim Byham, national president of Integrity, a church gay rights organization claiming 1,500 members, said he is satisfied that a conservative backlash had not materialized, noting that the church will continue to accept homosexual members and will expand its ministry to victims of AIDS.

While no change was made in the church’s 1979 policy opposing ordination of practicing homosexuals, Bishop Frey pointed out that diocesan bishops remain free, in practice, to ignore that declaration, as many have.

Outreach to AIDS Victims

Earlier in the convention, Browning, 59, announced that he will establish a personal pastoral relationship with an AIDS victim as part of the church’s outreach to people suffering from the deadly disease.