The Anglican Church of Canada is in the midst of a 40-year debate about this question. The Anglican Church of Canada has affirmed that being gay is not a choice: it is how some people are born. In 1995, a vote at General Synod (our national governing body) affirmed the presence and contributions of gay men and lesbians in the life of the church and condemned bigotry, violence and hatred directed toward any due to their sexual orientation. In 1997, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada affirmed that people who are gay are children of God, beloved by God just as each one of us is.
At St. George's, we are like most Anglican congregations in Canada: we have many very diverse opinions on this issue in our congregation. Some people at St. George's feel very strongly one way; others feel very strongly another way; and many people find themselves somewhere in the middle. At St. George's, we are chosing, instead of focusing on this one issue, to focus instead on what brings us together: our call to be disciples of Jesus Christ and to be brothers and sisters in the one Body.
Every one of us, regardless of what "side" of any issue we're on, is still on a journey towards growing in discipleship. Every day, we are presented with opportunities and challenges to take our next step in faith. Rather than becoming divided, we become united with one another and more deeply united with Christ when we focus on what we can do, today, tomorrow, the next day, to find and take our next step in our own journeys of faith.