This Week from Mitch
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In September 1976, The Episcopal Church USA, through a resolution at General Convention, officially welcomed all LGBTQ+ people into "full inclusion, love, acceptance, and concern" of the church. At that time, many denominations and a large part of society were mostly unaccepting of LGBTQ+ folks. For the Episcopal Church at the time, this move toward inclusion was considered controversial, and as with any church controversy, a group threatened schism. This threat of schism persisted until 2003, when, after the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, the Anglican Church in North America finally gathered the resources to break away. This, of course, is something our State of South Carolina knows a lot about, as churches from Columbia to Charleston joined ACNA and attempted to take their property with them. Holy wow—so much drama.
Sadly, as human nature often dictates, the threat of schism and the subsequent property fights took all the attention. What could have been a celebratory moment turned into conversations over property valuations and nervous debates about how many people the church would lose. It's sad how, even in inclusion, we can miss so much.
I thought about this history this week when someone asked why we celebrate Pride as a church, and I wanted to share how I answered them with all of you.
We at St. Martin's celebrate Pride because we know we are richer and more vibrant as a community when we welcome all people. We celebrate the fact that by respecting the dignity of every human being and loving all as Christ loved us, we grow in love. We celebrate because our faith calls us to this truth: that love builds love, and God is love, and where love is, God is.
Secondly, as a church, we know that somewhere someone has grown up in a place and faith tradition that has labeled them as less than because of who they are and who they love. We celebrate Pride because our faith calls us to see everyone as a child of God, preciously made in God's image. We celebrate Pride because, once again, we are called to love, and in order to love someone, we need to see them and be seen by them. We celebrate Pride because someone somewhere needs to witness our celebration. Safe Space dinners show us the consequences of faith traditions that exclude, expel, and label. We celebrate Pride to show, without a doubt, something different.
For 50 years, The Episcopal Church USA has participated in Pride celebrations across the country. For a long time, Episcopal Churches in South Carolina did not. Sadly, we feared losing more than we were excited about what we might gain. I'm glad that's changed because I believe the church is better through radical welcome and inclusion. I believe that just as Jesus spread his arms wide on the cross for all, he calls us to do the same by spreading our arms as a sign of welcome. So come and participate in Pride! It's fun, it's loving, and it's good! I'll be there; come say hi. If you're nervous, it's okay; it really is fun. Give the weekend a try, but if you are not ready, that's okay too. All really are welcome.
To bring this e-Messenger full circle, I want to close with an interesting truth. In 2025 and through the first part of 2026, in some parts of our country, particularly the Southeast, more clergy from ACNA (the Anglican breakaway group) have applied to return to the Episcopal Church than in all previous years combined. I guess they realized that "welcome" wasn't all that bad after all. Or perhaps they realized that inclusion rather than exclusion brings us each closer to God. Either way, I am glad for their change of heart.
To those who celebrate, happy Pride!
Peace,
Mitch