Ellen Wondra, editor in chief of The Anglican Theological Review, writes:
When the 78th General Convention of the Episcopal Church convenes on June 25, those gathered will meet, discuss, debate, and act on any number of legislative matters. Three major issues for Convention to wrestle with are: (1) (re)structuring the church for mission; (2) considering the Episcopal Church’s understanding of marriage; and (3) selecting a new Presiding Bishop and passing the budget, which is crucial in implementing any decisions made by the Convention — and in not implementing them.
… The interaction of church and society is one of the things the discussion of marriage is about. What is the good of marriage, after all? And what is the church’s role in fostering that good? Why are church and state entangled at precisely this point? What are the foreseeable ramifications for disentangling church from state-for mission as well as for ministry and pastoral care? These questions are raised not only by multiple states’ decisions to allow legal marriage of LGBT persons, or the Episcopal Church’s provisional authorization of the church’s blessing of such unions, though these are so significant as to precipitate the larger discussion. Just as important are high divorce rates, domestic violence, and committed couples’ lack of interest in marriage.
