There are several things I want to say to you in the wake of our controversial and highly publicized General Convention. As I have written elsewhere it was a very intense experience that has left many Episcopalians confused and discomforted. I have received over one hundred messages expressing a wide variety of opinions about what occurred in Minneapolis, many of them expressing great distress at the direction our Church is taking. In the midst of great uncertainty there are several things I need to share with you.

1. I thank you for your prayers and words of support for me and the deputies and alternates from this diocese. We did our work diligently and to the best of our ability, always mindful of the limits or our insights yet relying upon the guidance of the holy Spirit.

2. A great deal of important legislation was accomplished at convention which will benefit the work of the Church. Much of it has been buried under the avalanche of reports on the big issues. However, commitments to such things as increased attention to children, youth and young adult ministries, accepting new dioceses into the life of ECUSA and taking positions on important social and global issues will strengthen our common witness in the world.

3. The matter of giving consent to the ordination of the bishop-elect of New Hampshire turned out to be even more divisive than any of us had imagined. You have read the reports of how the House of Deputies affirmed the election with a 60% majority, and the House of Bishops by a 62 to 45 margin. The vote was much closer than expected. It means that a little less then half the dioceses of our church were not in agreement with the election of Gene Robinson. I was strongly opposed to the election of a candidate who left his wife and children because of his attraction to another man. In simple terms the bishop-elect of New Hampshire cannot be the "wholesome example" referred to in the ordination service.

4. The consequences of the action of this convention in this matter will have significant ramifications in our church and throughout the world. The fact that consent was given prior to a careful theological and biblical determination on human sexuality is deeply offensive to many Anglicans. I feel we have accomplished through the election process what we have not yet agreed upon through resolution and debate. You need to know that I signed a letter decrying such precipitous action prior to going to convention, and, after the decision was announced, I stood with some twenty bishops who lamented the decision and wished to be disassociated from that decision.

5. I am appalled by the indifference of many in ECUSA to the thoughts and feelings of our brothers and sisters throughout the Anglican Communion. We are a very small part of that body -- about two million in a family of seventy-five million -- and we have dismissed the consequences of our actions on others. The Archbishop of Canterbury has responded to the call of many Anglican Primates to have a special emergency meeting in mid-October in response to what the American Church has done. I do not wish to speculate on the outcome of that gathering but I think it is a certainty that there will be some realignment in the life of the Anglican Communion.

6. I am sure your major concerns revolve around what will happen here in the Diocese of San Diego. For better or for worse I am committed to being a part of ECUSA though I will watch with interest the global developments on this matter. What pains me most is that I have heard from several dozen people from the congregations of our diocese who feel they can no longer be part of the Episcopal Church. To those who have reached this conclusion I would say that I understand your frustration, but I beg you to remain with us as God leads us through these testing times. Others in our diocesan life are encouraged by what has transpired. I pray that we continue to struggle and live together in Christ’s love until such time as a clearer picture emerges.

7. To some extent it is good we belong to a church with is open and forthright in its struggle with homosexuality. In some ways I appreciate being able to deal with these complicated issues more directly rather then experience the hypocrisy and secrecy that previously existed throughout our church. Above all else I want you to know how wounded and confused I feel about what has transpired and how much I dislike being a lightening rod for the violently differing opinions that the people of our diocese have n

8. these matters.

9. So where do we stand? The Diocese of San Diego will continue to be an integral part of the Episcopal Church, though sadly we will lose many faithful individuals from our lives. I will continue my policy of refusing to ordain any candidates for the ministry who are sexually active outside of marriage, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. I will continue to refuse to authorize any requests by the clergy of this diocese to bless same-sex unions, because the Anglican Communion is no where near clearly understanding what such a blessing would mean. At the same time I will call upon every member of this diocesan family to be welcoming and respectful to our gay and lesbian fellow Christians who are part of our congregational life.

10. Throughout and beyond this difficult time I pray that the energy of this diocese will be focused on our common love of our ord Jesus and the desire to proclaim and grow God’s Kingdom, both through the life of our individual congregations and also as a diocesan family. Now more than ever we need to redouble our efforts in that regard. Now more than ever we need to have every congregation of the diocese strongly represented at The Big Event at St. Margaret’s, Palm Desert, on September 27th. Now more than ever we need to gather, not in disagreement, but as one people in Christ, committed to serving the world in His name.

I crave your prayers. You can be sure that each of you are in mine.

In the service of Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Gethin B. Hughes

Bishop of San Diego