Protest Against Lesbian Priest (Press, 14 January 1977)

On 14 January 1977, Reverend Mathew Calder, a vicar from Wellington and the eighth generation of his family in the Anglican Church, expressed his concerns regarding the ordination of an openly lesbian priest in the Episcopal Church of the United States through an open letter addressed to the Bishop of New York. In his letter, Calder articulated that his motivation for writing was not anger but sorrow and shame, aimed at bringing attention to what he perceives as a growing madness infecting the Church. Calder highlighted the difficulty of being a priest in a changing world, suggesting that the ordination of a lesbian priest compromises the integrity of the Church. He questioned how such an act could advance the mission of Christ and argued that it risks alienating reasonable individuals from the Church, as well as those who are in need of its ministry. He raised concerns that future female candidates for the priesthood may also be scrutinised due to this precedent. While the Rev. Calder refrained from passing personal judgement on the individual being ordained, he posed a challenging question about the implications of confessing sins regarding homosexual behaviour in the context of a priest’s authority and moral standing. He acknowledged Church doctrine that the unworthiness of a minister does not affect the validity of the sacrament; however, he questioned who would choose to receive Holy Communion from a priest whose lifestyle he regarded as contrary to Church teachings. In concluding his letter, Calder expressed that the heartache brought to the community by the bishop's decision was far greater than the issues related to the new priestess, noting a distinction between the challenges faced by the priestess and the choice the bishop had in accepting her as a candidate. He called for discernment in the selection of candidates for the priesthood, ultimately urging the bishop to reflect on where the line might be drawn in accepting candidates for such a sacred vocation.

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