Louie - Just a word to let you know that our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mary Adelia McLeod, has sent her article, "Let the Church Be the First to Issue an Emancipation Proclamation" to every church in our diocese to be read in a Sunday worship service some time in the next couple of weeks. In addition, she has also included her press release to be read publically.
As part of the Diocese of Vermont, I am thrilled with the visible and vocal support we have received not only from our Bishop, but also from many of the clergy and parishioners in our diocese. We have crafted an interfaith clergy statement that has been signed by over a hundred clergy across the state of Vermont representing eight different faith traditions. I am proud to say that the largest representation comes fom Episcopal clergy. Just thought you all might like to know what's happening here from an inside perspective. It's very exciting to be a part of history.
I'm also attaching a copy of the interfaith clergy statement in case anyone is curious about it. It is not up to date with signatures, but you can get an idea of the broad representation from it.
The Rev. Martha L. Dyson
St. Paul's Cathedral, Burlington VT
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. [Song of Songs 8:7]
As religious leaders from a wide range of faith traditions, we believe that marriage can only be strengthened by extending our understanding of marriage to include the faithful committed relationships of same-gender couples. Since marriage involves taking on responsibilities as well as receiving privileges, we support same-gender couples who choose to enter into such a commitment.
We believe that human beings are called to live in right relationship with each other and with God. Therefore legalizing marriage for same-gender couples will build community, support the well-being of children and families, and promote the common good.
We agree that when two women or two men make a loving commitment to one another and wish to assume the responsibilities of marriage, they exemplify a moral good which cannot be represented by so-called registered partnership. We support the Vermont legislature's passage of a bill that legalizes same-gender marriage.
This document has now been signed by the following 95 clergy from the state of Vermont:
1) The Rt. Rev. Mary Adelia McLeod, Episcopal Bishop of Vermont; 2) Bishop Susan Morrison, Methodist Bishop of Vermont; 3) The Rev. Marjorie Rebmann, Unitarian, Montpelier; 4) The Rev. V. Mitchell Hay, Methodist, Montpelier; 5) The Rev. Martha Dyson, Episcopal, Burlington; 6) The Rev. Catherine Cadieux, UCC, Saxtons River; 7) The Rev. Brendan Hadash, Unitarian, West Glover; 8) The Rev. Jane Dwinell, Unitarian, Irasburg; 9) The Rev. Christine Leslie, Disciples of Christ, Burlington; 10) The Rev. Carol Karlson, Unitarian, Brattleboro; 11) The Rabbi Joshua Chasan, Conservative Jewish, Burlington; 12) The Rev. Johanna Nichols, Unitarian, Middlebury; 13) The Rev. Dr. Patience Stoddard, Unitarian, Springfield; 14) The Rev. Richard H. Hibbert, Methodist, Williston; 15) The Rev. Richard Forcier, Unitarian, Barre; 16) The Rev. Thomas Mousin, Methodist, Brattleboro; 17) The Rev. Dr. Arnold Thomas, UCC Conference Minister, Vermont Conference; 18) The Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Retired American Baptist, Strafford; 19) Rabbi Michael Cohen, Jewish, Manchester; 20) The Very Rev. Kenneth Poppe, Episcopal, Burlington; 21) The Rev. Rebecca Strader, Presbyterian, Burlington; 22) The Rev. Michael Brown, Presbyterian, Burlington; 23) The Rev. David Hall, Episcopal, Montpelier; 24) The Rev. John Morris, Episcopal, Wilmington; 25) The Rev. Richard Bingham, Retired UCC, South Hero; 26) The Rev. Clark Callender, Methodist, Burlington; 27) The Ven. Catherine Cooke, Episcopal, Burlington; 28) The Rev. Paul Bortz, Unitarian, East Middlebury; 29) The Rev. Catherine Nichols, Episcopal, Middlebury; 30) The Rev. Beverly Boke, Unitarian, Hartland; 31) The Rev. Nicholas Boke, Unitarian, Chester; 32) The Rev. Molly Bidwell, Episcopal, Jerusalem; 33) The Rev. David Murphy, Methodist, Burlington; 34) The Rev. Stanley Corklin, Episcopal, Hyde Park/Enosburg; 35) The Rev. Peggy Crane, Episcopal, Bellows Falls; 36) The Rev. Dr. Lee Crawford, Episcopal, Northfield; 37) The Rev. Sarah Horton, Episcopal, Norwich; 38) The Rev. Jean Jersey, Episcopal, Brattleboro; 39) The Rev. Gary Kowalski, Unitarian, Burlington; 40) The Rev. Diane Root, Episcopal, Killington; 41) The Rev. Gunnar Urang, Episcopal, Norwich; 42) The Rev. David Smith, Methodist, Swanton; 43) The Rev. Phillip O'Hara, Methodist, Tinmouth; 44) The Rev. Dr. Nancy Crumbine, Unitarian, Norwich; 45) The Rev. Thomas Steffen, Retired UCC, Bennington; 46) The Rev. Mary Lee-Clark, UCC, Bennington; 47) The Rev. Dr. Larrimore Crockett, UCC, Dummerston; 48) The Rev. Jane Garrett, Episcopal, Diocese of Vermont; 49) Pastor Gail Holman, UCC, Putney; 50) The Rev. Janet Langdon, Retired UCC, Putney; 51) The Rev. Judith Arnow, UCC, Londonderry; 52) The Rev. Janet Brown, Episcopal, Barre; 53) The Rev. Hal Woods, Episcopal, So. Burlington; 54) The Rev. Robert Curry, UCC, Rutland; 55) The Rev. Jeanette Tweedy, Episcopal, St. Johnsbury; 56) The Rev. Elsa Walberg, Episcopal, St. Johnsbury; 57) The Rev. Morris Pike, UCC, Williston; 58) The Rev. Betty Berlenbach, Episcopal, Proctorsville; 59) The Rev. Ann Hockridge, Episcopal, St. Johnsbury; 60) The Rev. Ledlie Laughlin, Retired Episcopal, So. Woodstock; 61) The Rev. Murdale Leysath, Retired UCC; 62) The Rev. Susan Nixon, UCC, Braintree; 63) The Rev. Francis Hakenson, UCC, Shrewsbury; 64) Thomas Bassett, Burlington Friends Meeting, 65) The Rev. Edward Flower, Methodist, Brattleboro; 66) The Rev. Adrienne Carr, UCC, Burlington; 67) The Rev. David Wright, UCC, Burlington; 68) The Rev. Amelia Pitton, UCC, Rutland; 69) The Rev. Mark Follansbee, Retired UCC, Burlington; 70) The Rev. Diana Scholl, UCC, Middlebury; 71) The Rev. Robert Noble, UCC, East Corinth; 72) The Rev. Holly Noble, Presbyterian, Topsham; 73) The Rev. Jean MacDonald, Episcopal, St. Johnsbury; 74) The Rev. Mark Pitton, UCC, Rutland; 75) The Rev. Joan Smith, UCC, Cuttingsville; 76) The Rev. Charles Parsley, Retired UCC, Essex Junction; 77) The Rev. Bradford Clark, Episcopal, Arlington; 78) The Rev. Serge Hammon, Retired UCC, Peacham; 79) The Rev. Carl Hilton Van Osdall, Presbyterian, Barre; 80) The Rev. Gina Hilton Van Osdall, Presbyterian, Barre; 81) The Rev. Jacquelyn Arbuckle, Episcopal, Burlington; 82) The Rev. Rich Neal, Methodist, Middlebury; 83) The Rev. Arthur Hagy, Methodist, District Superintendent, Embury Dist.; 84) The Rev. Barb Lemmel, Methodist, Montpelier; 85) The Rev. James Olson, UCC, Hartford; 86) The Rev. Amy Zucker, Unitarian, S. Strafford; 87) The Rev. James Norman, Unitarian, Dist. Exe., NH/VT District; 88) The Rev. Dr. Robert Senghas, Retired Unitarian, Burlington; 89) The Rev. Ann Bachmann, Methodist, Morrisville; 90) The Rev. Dr. James Gray, UCC, Dorset; 91) The Rev. Henry McLeod, Episcopal, Essex Junction; 92) The Rev. Molly Comeau, Episcopal, Alburg; 93) The Rev. Marsha Hoecker, Episcopal, Swanton; 94) The Rev. Virginia Thomas, Episcopal, E. Fairfield; 95) The Rev. William E. Nelson, UCC, Norwich; 96) The Rev. Reed Brown, Episcopal, Vergennes; 97) The Rev. M. B. Handspicker, UCC, North Bennington;
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