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2004 Maryland Diocesan Convention Report

Dan Muth
May 17, 2004

After having a week to sort of recover from the 2004 Maryland Diocesan Convention, I thought I'd make a report. The theme was "Seeing the face of God in each other." It opened with a video of disparate faces set to a song apparently entitled, "It's in Every One of Us." They left it up to us to figure out what "it" is - obviously a veiled reference to the theme - but sufficiently subtle that the Supreme Court wouldn't bat an eye at letting it into a Public School (i.e. no mention of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, salvation, or anything to do with the constituting purposes of the Christian Church). We then prayed the Collect for the Human Family from the BCP. The Theme Committee informed us of the theme (whew - never would have figured it out otherwise) and pointed out the quilts on the wall behind the podium which I'm sure represented something, but I couldn't see them well enough to make out what it was. I was in the second row back. Anyway, I guess quilts are still in. Everyone was reported to be eligible for seating (though they're going to tighten up next year, apparently).

Bishop Ihloff then began his address. He informed us that the year was "the best of times" and "the worst of times." Funny, he never got to the latter. Lots of reactions to General Convention (I keep wanting to call it "General Hospital") but most don't see it as church-dividing. Some monies are down, others up, but none seems to have to do with last summer's issues. The bishops are working together despite disagreements. Oh, there's some international posturing, but they don't really mean it. He ran into a Ugandan bishop who was - get this - friendly to him. See, everything's OK. We're still one church and nobody's breaking up over anything. There's strength in diversity. Congregations are in dialogue. Some Christians have mistreated each other and we need to put the quietus on it. We just need to keep cool heads and stop pushing envelopes. Liberals need to back off with blessings others aren't ready for. Conservatives need to stop with the "orthodox" line. None of the verses about homosexuality have ever been defined as "core doctrines" (so there). We need to listen to the insights of homosexuals (I can't wait), who are more talked about than listened to in this debate. None of us will live long enough to see this matter settled. Most of all, let's be responsible and respectful. Our denomination won't collapse.

Wow, what a trip. I have no idea if the man is just "posturing" or if he really believes this stuff. I'm going to assume that he does. He's just too nice a person to say things he doesn't believe. Obvious what I think: is this guy whistling in the dark or what? We all listened politely, responsibly, and respectfully - some with more difficulty restraining our guffaws than others. I sincerely appreciate his desire for comity and forbearance. I'm sure we all do. He's right that this dispute won't get solved in our lifetimes: it was solved by the time of Christ's. It is not and never was God's intention to bless gay sex - and the Church has always known that. That some have insisted on pretending otherwise is obviously church-dividing. Shame on them.

Bishop Rabb (who, like Bishop Ihloff, I personally like better every time I meet him) got up next to let us know how dedicated he is to diversity. We are a diverse diocese. We need to include all the various cultures from our communities in our churches. In case you weren't aware, racism is bad. Real, real bad. Especially when it's covert. We're doing our darndest against it. We need to ask if all God's children are included at the table. He reminded us of the parable of the wedding feast where not all those called from the highways and byways were allowed to stay: remember the guy in the wrong suit. We need to remember this lesson in costly grace and come in wearing the wedding robe of anti-racism (so that's what the Lord was getting at).

You guessed it - the weekend was dedicated to opposing racism, which, as we're all aware, is such a problem for rich white liberals. The tactic appears to these eyes to clearly belie our Diocesan's claims about us being one big ol' diverse happy family. After all, what do you do whenever you have a group, tribe, nation, or other human organization that's coming apart at the seams? Sure, you find a common enemy - someone or something you all can hate and kill safely. These days, you can't go wrong despising racism - particularly when no particular individual or group of individuals is attached. It's like trashing Big Government, Big Tobacco, Big Oil, etc., ad nauseum. The more faceless the better. And it don't get more faceless than "institutional" racism.

Next came, ah…the pièce de résistance: Mary Glasspool on General Convention. She noted seven things: 1) it is impossible to convey the wonderful experience of community. It was truly a mountaintop experience. 2) ECUSA grew (it's amazing how much territory means to these people), adding Puerto Rico and Venezuela (we're still smaller than Kenya but have four times as many bishops). 3) They had a truly world-wide perspective (so that's how they knew the Africans would be so thrilled with Gene Robinson), hearing from 29 Service Corps participants (who are obviously up on the theological perspectives of their respective countries). 4) Youth presence and mission was palpable (I remember something about millstones which I won't say). 5) There was multi-cultural and multi-linguistic worship (no comment). 6) They held up a "both/and" vice "either/or" model (see, we're both heretics and orthodox), holding together diverse viewpoints: in Christ (yeah, He said stuff like this all the time), truth is to be learned from opposites (as C.S. Lewis' dufflepuds say in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: "Nothing like an opposite"). 7) She treated us to a bit of Sufi mysticism: "There's a field beyond right and wrong. I'll meet you there." (I'll reserve comment - suffice it to say this was one groovy trip.)

Our chaplain then got up and immediately had us tick off her qualifications on the diversity checklist: she's black (check!), female (check!) old (check!), and lay (check!). That done, she let us know, in no uncertain terms, that racism is really, really, really bad. I tell you, our diocese means business. She prayed some prayers, one or two of which actually mentioned God, and then we had lunch.

The Treasurer informed us that the latest audit was OK. The diocese has a $21 million portfolio. The Diocesan Council next stated their vision of modeling "Love and Justice in community sustained by God." The Anti-Racism Task Force (you're shocked to be hearing from them, aren't you?) was next. They provided a timeline on racism and Episcopalians (interestingly, it starts in 1623, before there was an Episcopal Church). They noted that, well, maybe things have gotten a little better since 1960, but that's only made racism sneakier. It's a fascinating approach, really. The better things look, the worse they are, and you know things have gotten worse precisely because you can't prove it. But, of course, none of this was ever up for discussion anyway. The point was to rally the faithful. And rallied they were.

We were then treated to three resolutions involving changing the deadline for turning in names of delegates, adjusting clergy/musician salaries, and adding Rev. Joseph Richey to the Lesser Feasts and Fasts calendar. This last was probably the nicest part of convention. I would only note that the convention rallied around him when he could be shown to have been fighting racism in his time. Even our saints (or perhaps particularly our saints) have to meet the agenda. Our keynote speaker then regaled us with a rollicking assault on - you guessed it - racism. No religion in it, but who needs that? Remember what our Bishop said: the Church's beliefs regarding sodomy are not "core doctrine". Yeah, Anti-racism is.

The next morning saw presentations on planned giving, the capital funds campaign, and Claggett. We were next. I introduced the Statement of Conscience and Roger Bair read it. The audience listened politely, responsibly, and respectfully - some, no doubt, having more difficulty restraining their guffaws than others. I didn't see how many folks came to stand up with us as we presented, but it was most welcome. This was not easy to do.

There followed an announcement about a diocesan youth caucus. I'm getting leery about the focus on youth. It sounds too much like the rest of our culture. Shouldn't they be learning something from us adults instead of us always asking them what they want? Shouldn't they first learn the right things to want? Anyway, next came Sr. Theresa Irene of the Carmelites to talk a whole lot more about herself than I would have expected of a habited nun. All the world then rejoiced as a resolution passed recommending the use of "triple certified" (the farmer is paid more, it's organically grown, and it's shade grown) coffee. Our keynote speaker then finished his presentation, getting us to really try hard and oppose racism.

The real fun of convention followed next. We were to vote on a resolution creating a task force to study reparations for slavery. I see no need to insult anyone's intelligence rehearsing the various arguments, most of which showed up during the day (once whites have coughed up the dough, they'll feel off the hook; the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland doesn't exactly have a stellar track record of influencing Congress; how much do recent immigrants/Hispanics/American Indians owe? etc.). The interesting and ultimately hopeful thing in all this - and remember hope is not optimism - is that the committee might, just might, see things from a Christian perspective. They might, if they are truly paying attention, see that no amount of money, nothing that any group, nation, race, or civilization could possibly do will ever suffice to atone for 300 years of slavery. The one and only answer to injustice of this magnitude is to prostrate ourselves, White, Black, and otherwise; before the cross of our Lord.

Expecting Whites who never owned slaves, who have no awareness of receiving any advantage from the color of their skin, who are getting tired of having to feign obsequiousness while others indulge in unctuousness during conversations of this sort; expecting these people to assuage the stain of their fathers is to make an idol of them. In an odd way, reparations hold the great danger of idolatry of Whites. To make an idol of the other is to invite ultimate disappointment and further rancor. Charging reparations is ought but another form of peddling indulgences (it might make an interesting study to examine the similarities between the views of the champions of reparations and the Catholic doctrine of remitting the temporal consequences of sin. Somehow, I doubt that the Roman Church's "treasury of merit" is comparable to White America's supposed treasury of advantage from slavery). On the other hand, the discussion could be immensely helpful if it is carried on in a Christian manner as it may point up the futility of reparations and brings us all before the cross. If racism is truly a sin (it's actually a combination of pride, anger, and envy - just as it's ideological opposite too often consists of the same ingredients of pride, anger, and envy combined into self-pity and peddled as a virtue), then it necessarily follows that we mortals are powerless against it. Only God's forgiveness and the atoning sacrifice of Christ can help.

And so convention ended with the overwhelming passage of this resolution. The faithful were rallied. The elephant in the living room wasn't completely ignored... Our group made a faithful witness. Trusting that the above will be of help, I remain,

Yours in Christ,
- Dan Muth