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By Brad Hutt The AACW is a group of Episcopalians in the Diocese of Washington that began meeting in 1994 in anticipation of the Diocesan Convention's adoption of a resolution affirming "The Koinonia Statement" authored by Bishop John Spong of the Diocese of Newark, NJ. The Koinonia Statement declared homosexuality to be morally neutral, called for the blessing of same sex unions and ordinations of non-celibate gays and lesbians. Three members of Cursillio, James Brown, George Hooper and David Bickel invited members of other parishes, Mike Hathaway, Stuart Broad, Robert England, Brad Hutt, Hal Goolsby and others in the diocese to meet with them, and they began to hold monthly meetings at St. Alban's Church on the Washington Cathedral grounds. They called their group, "Save Our Church," in response to the direction the leadership the Diocese of Washington was taking regarding sexuality and other issues that threatened the unity of the church. At the 1994 convention, the Rev. Michael Hopkins, a gay priest and Vicar of St. Georges, Glendale, presenter of the resolution, was allowed to speak from the Canterbury Pulpit at the Cathedral by Bishop Haines, an unprecedented move, for all speakers to this very day are required to address convention from the microphones on the convention floor facing the President of the Convention with their backs to the delegates. Despite the strong objections of diocesan delegates, Hooper, Bickel and Hutt, in heated debate the convention affirmed the Koinonia Statement by a narrow margin of 110-95. When questioned during convention as to the effect of the adoption of the resolution, Bishop Haines and Chancellor Cooney stated that the affirmation was only "the mind of the 1994 Convention." Nevertheless, it shortly became the position of our Bishops, the Diocesan leadership and the majority of our parish priests without further discussion or debate. When a Diocesan Committee was formed by Bishop Haines to promote dialogue on sexuality in the diocese, Bickel and Hutt were asked to serve on the committee. However, they were never allowed to discuss scripture in the conversations on sexuality -- only "experience." They were the only conservatives named to the 7-member group.
One priest, the President of the Standing Committee and the
Rector of Christ Church, Accokeek, the Rev. Pegram Johnson, elected
to force the Koinonia Statement upon his parishioners, admonishing
dissenters from the pulpit as being "unloving, homophobic fundamentalists."
This caused great dissention and division among the parishioners
of Accokeek. Lifelong friends started debating and quarreling with
one another as they took sides on the issues. A small group of 12-15
members of Accokeek began to hold weekly meetings in the home of
Wes and Melinda Courtney in an attempt to work out a solution to
the homosexuality issues that they felt were destroying their parish.
They soon called upon SOC Members David Bickel, Robert England,
Brad Hutt and attorney Troy Harris Abbott, to tell their stories
and advise them on their strategy to take control of their parish.
And you know the rest of the story -- for that valiant band of parishioners
from Accokeek led by sisters Barbara Sturman and Melinda Courtney
made history in the entire Anglican
Communion and gradually took control of their vestry and called
the Rev. Samuel Edwards to be their priest...
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