General Convention 2018

As our blog post yesterday noted, the work of the General Convention begins with an open hearing for each resolution giving not only deputies to convention, but anyone in attendance, the opportunity to speak to the matter under consideration. The Rev. Cynthia Taylor shares here the text of her testimony on resolution D016 which seeks to “authorize the establishment of a Task Force for Women, Truth, and Reconciliation for the purpose of helping the Church engage in truth-telling, confession, and reconciliation regarding gender-based discrimination, harassment, and violence against women and girls in all their forms by those in power in the Church.” The full text of that resolution is online here: D016. Taylor begins by referring to the Litany of Lamentation service held the evening before her testimony.

D016 Testimony

What we witnessed last night was just a beginning, but the work is incomplete if we pat ourselves on the back for being open to discussion of the role of institutional discrimination, harassment and abuse of women. The need for this Task Force is to continue not just the conversation but the hard work of seeking the truth, respecting the dignity of all human beings through the restoration of the basic God given right as children of God. Two points that I wish to make as to why we need this resolution asking for the creation of this task force.

1. I was the first woman to be ordained in the diocese of SC as a priest over 32 years ago. During that time I have personally experienced gender bias in the form of inequality of pay, sexual harassment and gross misuse of power by ecclesiastical authorities in regards to Title IV. Things have changed somewhat but the abuses of the past are not only still with us but there is a sense that by just speaking up about injustices such injustices have been addressed. They have not.
2. A word about reconciliation. That is a loaded word for victims of sexual abuse. I believe the way to be reconciled is the path of forgiveness but for far too long the burden of that has been placed on the victim. We need a way forward to be reconciled between God and the wounded, the wounded and the church and only then, if possible, the wounded and those who have created the abuse.There needs to be a very careful, pastorally sensitive approach to all of the above. In my own experience in a Title IV action, I was told that I should just spend time with the accused, just the two of us, and hammer out forgiveness. That did not happen but I still carry scars from the gross mishandling of that Title IV action. We have only begun to hear the stories of abuse and our work is not completed. Let that work proceed.

-The Rev. Cynthia Taylor, Rector, Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Martinez