IntegrityUSA
Encyclopedia
IntegrityUSA is a U.S.
not-for-profit organization of lesbian
, gay
, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT
) members of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) and straight friends. Integrity was founded by Dr. Louie Crew
in rural Georgia
in 1974 and it has been a leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church and for equal access to its rites
. LGBT members of the Anglican Church of Canada
(ACC) have formed local Integrity groups, beginning with Integrity Toronto
, which are loosely connected. There is no national Integrity organisation in Canada. Integrity also has independent chapters in Australia and Uganda.
Integrity works at the national levels and in local chapters and diocesan networks throughout both countries, the primary activities are:
Through Integrity's evangelism
, thousands of LGBT people, estranged from the Anglican Communion
and other denominations
, have returned to parish
life, . Integrity believes that, although ECUSA and ACC have made tremendous strides toward inclusiveness, there is still a long way to go and that in too many parishes and dioceses, prejudice
and oppression are still the norm.
Unlike Dignity
in the Roman Catholic Church
, Integrity does not act as an alternative to a parish
(primarily because gay and lesbian Anglicans are not normally refused the Eucharist
in parishes like their Roman Catholic counterparts). Most Integrity members are active in ECUSA or ACC parishes in addition to their Integrity activities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
not-for-profit organization of lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, bisexual, and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
) members of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) and straight friends. Integrity was founded by Dr. Louie Crew
Louie Crew
Erman Louie Crew, Jr. is an American professor emeritus of English at Rutgers University in Newark. He is best known for his long and increasingly successful campaign for the acceptance of gay and lesbian people by Christians in general, and the Episcopal Church in particular...
in rural Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 1974 and it has been a leading grassroots voice for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the Episcopal Church and for equal access to its rites
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
. LGBT members of the Anglican Church of Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
(ACC) have formed local Integrity groups, beginning with Integrity Toronto
Integrity Toronto
Integrity/Toronto is the oldest Canadian chapter of Integrity, a network of support and advocacy groups for gay and lesbian members of the Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church USA, Anglican Church of Australia, and Church of Uganda....
, which are loosely connected. There is no national Integrity organisation in Canada. Integrity also has independent chapters in Australia and Uganda.
Integrity works at the national levels and in local chapters and diocesan networks throughout both countries, the primary activities are:
- worship
- fellowship
- education
- communication
- outreach
- service to the church
Through Integrity's evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, thousands of LGBT people, estranged from the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
and other denominations
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
, have returned to parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
life, . Integrity believes that, although ECUSA and ACC have made tremendous strides toward inclusiveness, there is still a long way to go and that in too many parishes and dioceses, prejudice
Prejudice
Prejudice is making a judgment or assumption about someone or something before having enough knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy, or "judging a book by its cover"...
and oppression are still the norm.
Unlike Dignity
DignityUSA
DignityUSA is a U.S. organization with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts that "works for respect and justice" for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the Roman Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy and support...
in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Integrity does not act as an alternative to a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
(primarily because gay and lesbian Anglicans are not normally refused the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
in parishes like their Roman Catholic counterparts). Most Integrity members are active in ECUSA or ACC parishes in addition to their Integrity activities.
See also
- Ellen BarrettEllen BarrettEllen Marie Barrett was the first openly lesbian priest to be properly ordained by the Episcopal Church, shortly after the General Convention approved the ordination of women in 1977. Barrett's candor about her homosexuality caused great controversy within the church...
(Founding co-president of Integrity) - Anglican views of homosexualityAnglican views of homosexualitySince the 1990s, the Anglican Communion has struggled with controversy regarding homosexuality in the church. In 1998, the 13th Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops passed a resolution stating that homosexual acts are "incompatible with Scripture". In 2002, the Diocese of New Westminster, in the...
- Fidelity (Anglican)Fidelity (Anglican)Fidelity, now defunct, was an organization within the Anglican Church of Canada committed to retaining traditional understanding of human sexuality within that church. It was opposed to, but in dialogue with, Integrity Canada....
- American Anglican CouncilAmerican Anglican CouncilThe American Anglican Council is an organization which exists to allow theologically conservative Anglicans to network with one another. It was incorporated in 1996 and is one of several key organizations in the movement for Anglican realignment and is a founding member of the Anglican Church in...
- LGBT-welcoming church programsLGBT-welcoming church programsLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender affirming religious groups are religious groups that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual churches and synagogues...
External links
- IntegrityUSA official site
- Integrity Canada Canadian site
- Proud Anglicans Supportive parishes in Canada