Lambeth I.10 set to become a sticky wicket at Lambeth 2022

Traditionalists and conservatives tend to see things through a positive lens (pro), where liberals and progressives tend to filter things with negative bent (anti).

Conservatives write about “pro-life” issues, where progressives describe the same discussion as in “anti-abortion” … “pro-nuclear family” versus “anti-marriage equality” … Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill versus “Don’t Say Gay” bill … “pro-family values” versus “anti-LGBTQ rights” … “Freedom of Expression and/or Speech)” versus “hate speech” … “peaceful demonstrations” versus “violent protests” …

RESOLUTION I.10

In the crosshairs is Resolution I.10 on Human Sexuality, which came out of the 1998 Lambeth Conference. The Resolution clearly affirms the traditional marriage of one man and one woman in a lifelong bond.

The 1998 Lambeth Conference writes: “This Conference commends to the Church the subsection report on human sexuality … in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union, and believes that abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage …”

The legal community would call that “Black Letter Law.” Resolution I.10 is written in black ink on white paper and its meaning is absolutely crystal clear.

Resolution I.10 dealing with Human Sexuality was passed by a vote of 526–70 (a total of 596 bishops voted of the 749 bishops who attended.) This is also the first time that women bishops participated in Lambeth, which was hosted by then-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey.

In 1998, there were 11 female bishops in the Anglican Communion most of whom were from The Episcopal Church including: Barbara Harris (Massachusetts-suffragan); Jane Dixon (Washington, DC-suffragan); Mary McLeod (IX Vermont); Catherine Roskam (New York-suffragan); Geralyn Wolf (XII Rhode Island); Carolyn Tanner Irish (X Utah); and Catherine Waynick (X Indianapolis); Chilton Knudsen (VIII Maine). Other women Anglican bishops included: Canadians Victoria Matthews (IX Edmonton); and Ann Tottenham (York-Credit Valley in Toronto area bishop); and New Zealander Penny Jamieson (VIII Dunedin) rounded out the delegation of women bishops attending the 1998 Lambeth.

The 1998 Lambeth Resolution goes on to recognize: “that there are among us persons who experience themselves as having a homosexual orientation,” while assuring homosexual persons that “they are loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of Christ.”

However, the Resolution does reject “homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture,” but it further says it “cannot advise the legitimizing or blessing of same-sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same-gender unions.”

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