The Diocese of Toronto
The Church of St. Stephen, Downsview
A Memorial to General Synod
We the undersigned members of The Church of St. Stephen, Downsview, in the Diocese of Toronto, have been made aware that the Council of General Synod (CoGS) has recommended to General Synod that the majority to pass the resolution on the blessing of same-gender unions be reduced from the usual two-thirds to 60%. This is being done in an effort not to “create an impasse in a church already exhausted with the divisive issue that has dragged on for decades”.
We do not believe that the fear of an impasse should be the reason for such a decision. It is clear that CoGS recognises that the church is not ready to deal with this matter by way of a vote.
We understand that it has been suggested that the reason for lowering the bar on this issue was in response to perception that it may be difficult to secure the two-thirds majority in all three houses. If this so, it constitutes an effort to manage the vote in a manner that not only denies the view of the greater majority (the accepted two-thirds) but also raises serious questions regarding not only the integrity of General Synod, but also that of the church as a whole.
We ask General Synod to consider this question as they address this critical matter. How can we, as a church, challenge government, the private sector, or any other institution to honour their rules and regulations and bring justice to bear in all their dealings, when our governing body chooses to change the rules to determine a desired outcome?