Source:  Christian Broadcasting Network

Issued August 4, 2003

CBN.com - Dr. Kendall Harmon is an Epsicopal deputy from South Carolina who opposes ordaining a gay bishop. CBN reporter Wendy Griffith spoke with him at the convention.

Wendy Griffith: With me now is Dr. Kendall Harmon a deputy from South Carolina, he's also a canon theologian. We keep hearing that this vote is going to shatter the Episcopal Church, what are they talking about when they say this?

Dr. Harmon: Well, I think first of all you need to understand what happened yesterday and what's likely to happen today. The Episcopal Church is about to depart from the apostolic faith and leave the Anglican Communion. So I think what you're gonna see is you're gonna see the bishops make a statement today. They're going to go and pray and take counsel with their lay people. And they're going to form new alliances, they're going to appeal to the primates of the Anglican Communion. There's going to be an emergency situation, they're going to change the way they live into the church structures, they're going to have difficult decisions about money.

Griffith: Will we see a mass exodus of parishioners?

Dr. Harmon: You know, I think it's important to say that we haven't moved anywhere. We're still biblical Christians and we're still full members of the Anglican Communion, the question is -- where is the Episcopal Church?

Griffith: You're a theologian, you've said that homosexuals are in relationships in search of a theology. What's the big theological problem here?

Dr. Harmon: Well, I think one of the ways you can think about this is how do you use gifts? God gives us gifts to be used in a particular way, I mean, you think of something as simple as the gift of milk. It's a great thing, it nourishes people, but you don't put it in your car. The gift of human sexuality is something that God has given us to be used between a man and a woman who are in a lifelong covenant together. And once you use the gift of human sexualiy outside of that, you get in trouble. It's against what God wills and it's also hurtful to people. So what's at stake is the whole Christian theology of marriage, as well as the whole biblical story, I mean from Adam and Eve through the Song of Solomon through the undefiled marriage bed in the Book of Hebrews. The whole web of the story of Scripture is about men and women who covenant together and allow God to bless them in the covenant of marriage.

Griffith: These Scriptures that make perfect sense to us seem to be going on deaf ears with the liberals. Why is the hierarchy of the Episcopal Church so incredibly liberal?

Dr. Harmon: Well we're in a situation in this country where for a long time, I'd say the last 50 years roughly, there's been a whole way of thinking that's infected the seminaries. It's placed the Scriptures in a position where they're simply an ancient book in a particular cultural context that no longer has a capcatity to speak to us today. So, we get to challenge the Bible but the Bible doesn't get to challenge us.

Griffith: Real quick, can you predict the vote today?

Dr. Harmon: I think that the bishops today are going to vote along the same lines as the deputies. It's going through today, but you'll have at least a third of the bishops vote against it.

Griffith: Dr. Harmon from South Carolina, thank you so much. And still to come later this week a vote on same-sex blessings for gay and lesbian couples. Many parishes are already doing these, so if the General Convention gives the green light it will be a major step forward for the gay movement across the country, not just in the Episcopal Churh. But unfortunately a major step backward for the Episcopal Church.