5 important Church stories to look for in 2019

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, January 06, 2019

Episcopal Church vs. Diocese of Albany on Resolution B012

A procession at the installation service for the Rev. Michael Curry, first African-American Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, held at the Washington National Cathedral in the District of Columbia on Sunday, November 1, 2015. | (Photo: Washington National Cathedral/Danielle Thomas)

Last year, The Episcopal Church General Convention passed Resolution B012, a measure that allowed congregations to perform gay weddings even in dioceses where the leadership objects.

This stood in contrast to a resolution passed by the General Convention in 2015 that allowed bishops opposed to same-sex marriage to maintain a ban on such unions within their diocese.

In advance of the Resolution officially taking effect on Dec. 2, Bishop William Love of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany released a lengthy pastoral letter stating that the gay marriage rites approved earlier this year "shall not be used anywhere in the Diocese of Albany by diocesan clergy (canonically resident or licensed)."

"Jesus is calling the Church to follow His example. He is calling the Church to have the courage to speak His Truth in love about homosexual behavior – even though it isn't politically correct," stated Bishop Love.

"Sexual relations between two men or two women was never part of God's plan and is a distortion of His design in creation and as such is to be avoided. To engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage between a man and women, is against God's will and therefore sinful and needs to be repented of, NOT encouraged or told it is ok."

As the new year begins, the diocese and the national church remain in communication over Love’s refusal to implement the resolution.