D026 Create a Task Force on LBGTQ+ Inclusion

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,

That it is the intention of The Episcopal Church to continue our becoming “The Beloved Community;” a charism of which is a church that functions with equity and care for the whole body, including its LGBTQ+ members; and be it further

Resolved, That the 80th General Convention direct the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies to appoint jointly a Task Force on LGBTQ+ Inclusion, consisting of not more than 14 people, who represent the diversity of the LGBTQ+ members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Task Force initiate a churchwide audit of how The Episcopal Church has lived into its 1976 commitment to provide full and equal claim to the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church to its LGBTQ+ members; and be it further

Resolved, That the Task Force begin the process of creating an archive of the history of the work for LGBTQ+ inclusion in The Episcopal Church; and be it further

Resolved, That the Task Force report and make recommendations to the 81st General Convention, ending its term at that time except by further action of General Convention; and be it further

Resolved, That the General Convention request the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance to consider a budget allocation of $100,000 for the implementation of this resolution.

Explanation

In 1976, the 65th General Convention of the Episcopal Church asserted in a resolution 1976-A069 that ”homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance and pastoral concern and care of the Church.“ In the decades since its adoption, faithful witnesses to God's inclusive love have been working to make that resolution a reality in the Episcopal Church for all members of the human family, wherever they fall on the continuum of sexual orientation or gender identity. As the Episcopal Church continues the work of Becoming Beloved Community, it is time to bring that work from the margins into the center by archiving our history, auditing our present and recommending steps forward into our future.