When St. Mark's Cathedral, Minneapolis, officially became a center for the Community of the Cross of Nails on January 11, 2004, its dean, the Very Rev. Spenser D. Simrill, told the congregation, "If asked to help, there is no issue we will shy away from."
"Today," he said, "we are taking the plunge into the baptismal waters of reconciliation and we know not where this journey will take us."
Already the Episcopalian mayor of Minneapolis, R. T. Rybak, has asked the cathedral to play a role in easing racial tensions in one section of the city.
"Whatever the issue or task," said Simrill, "we will strive to make this great cathedral a 'safe place' where people on opposing sides of an issue can come together and work toward love, respect and reconciliation with each other."
Next month the cathedral will put its new goals to the test as it will seek to be a safe place for persons who hold opposing views on human sexuality, yet who want to work toward reconciliation around the issue. On June 18 and 19, St. Mark's will host a national conference, sponsored by the Community of the Cross of Nails-USA, entitled "Reconciliation and Sexuality: Youth, Families and Children."
The Community of the Cross of Nails-USA is part of an global network of reconciliation ministries and centers that have grown out of the internationally-renowned reconciliation ministry of Coventry Cathedral in England. There are over 240 Cross of Nails centers around the world.
"This groundbreaking conference offers tools for people who want to be reconcilers concerning the issue of sexual orientation," said the Rev. Canon Scott E. Erickson, professor and chaplain at St. Paul's Episcopal School, Concord, New Hampshire. Erickson is a member of the board of directors of the Community of the Cross of Nails USA and the conference coordinator.
"There is something badly broken when inflammatory language defines much of what we hear," said Erickson. "As Christians, Jesus calls us to the incredibly difficult task of reconciliation. This conference will provide a process for healing and a safe place to grapple with how we enter into reconciling our differences about sexual orientation among youth, within families, and in all institutions."
'Nothing is resolved by avoidance'
Two Episcopal bishops will headline the conference program. The Rt. Rev. Don Johnson, Bishop of West Tennessee, did not vote to approve the election of the Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire at last summer's General Convention in Minneapolis. Yet, on Friday evening, June 19, Johnson will literally sit at the table with Robinson as the two bishops, with opposing viewpoints on human sexuality, will discuss how a worshiping community can continue to live together in light of the dilemma that the actions of General Convention has created in the Episcopal Church. The discussion will be moderated by the Very Rev. Martha J. Horne, president and dean of Virginia Theological Seminary.
"Nothing is resolved by avoidance," said Johnson. "This conference is a God-given opportunity to listen and share with one another. Whatever the outcome, these steps are necessary if we are to stay in contact, live in hope and strive for faithfulness. Gathered in Christ's name, we are assured of his presence among us. I pray we will hear and heed his voice."
Opposing viewpoints on the meanings of biblical texts related to sexuality will be presented during another conference segment. Dr. Dan O. Via, professor emeritus of New Testament at Duke University Divinity School, and Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, hold differing views but have authored a book together, Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views (Fortress Press, 2003.) The two will discuss how to deal with this complicated topic and live with differing views in our congregations.
Dealing with family pain and healing
Another conference segment will focus on homosexuality and the experience of families. Joseph Bjordal, communications manager for the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, and his three grown daughters will share their experiences about confronting this issue in their family and what steps they took to achieve reconciliation.
"Sometimes a decision to be honest causes the worst kind of pain," said Bjordal. "My decision to be honest about my sexuality simply shook the foundation of our family. It was an extremely painful time, but, in the end, love won out and reconciliation, peace and unimaginable personal growth came about. Our experience was that by giving into love, not even understanding how we could survive or where the journey would take us, healing came about. God honored that commitment and we are all better persons for the experience."
Also participating in the segment on families will be former presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Rev. Dr. Herbert Chilstrom, and his wife, the Rev. Corrine Chilstrom, who have worked as reconcilers with many families who have dealt with this issue on a national level.
Other conference presenters include Patrick Guerriero, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, on the political debate; students from St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire, who hold differing viewpoints on the topic; the Rev. Dr. C. John Weborg, professor emeritus, North Park Seminary, Chicago, on the topic "listening is made hard when convictions are made strong," and Canon Scott Erickson speaking "towards a theology of generosity."
Conference planning predates General Convention
The Very Rev. James A. Diamond, dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Cincinnati, Ohio and president of the Community of the Cross of Nails-USA, reports that the conference has been two years in the planning and predates the actions of the 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which thrust the issue of human sexuality to the forefront.
"The Community of the Cross of Nails in the United States is dedicated to projects in international and domestic reconciliation. In January of 2002, the CCN board chose reconciliation on the issue of sexual orientation as one of three domestic projects for the coming four years. Teaching the skills of reconciliation is one of the goals of the CCN especially regarding sexual orientation which is a potentially divisive issue for several Protestant denominations," Diamond said.
"St. Mark's Cathedral, through the hosting of historic gatherings, such as the first World Anglican Congress, in 1954, and the Presiding Bishops Forum on Global Reconciliation, in 2003, has given the larger church significant gifts of hospitality and healing," said Simrill. "It is our fervent hope that we may give such a gift again this summer."
Information about the conference and registration materials is available at:
http://www.ccn-usa.org/conferences.html or by calling 603-229-4654.
