March 2, 2016 ‘My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, | have just retumed tothe diocese following a special meeting ofthe House of Bishops and a ‘meeting of the Provincial House of Bishops of Ruperts Land prior tothe consocration of Willian Cliff as Bishop of Brandon. Itis my hope that by now you will have had the opportunity to read the House of Bishops Satement (hplivany anglican ca/news/statement-from-th-hous-oFbishops-from-its special ‘meeting/300151700 as wel asthe report of the Commision on the Mariage Canon “This Holy Estate’ (http://w anglican. ca/wp-content REPORT 15Sept22, ‘As the 2016 meeting of General Synod draws nearer, there was an overwhelming feling in the “House of Bishops that we should share withthe Council of General Synod (CoGS) just where the Bishops are in their consideration ofa change to the marriage canon. Our statement is our ‘attempt to be honest about the position in which we find ourselves. In this diocese, we have passed a motion that allows for the blessing ofa civil marriage between, ‘two people regardless of gender. fully tand by this decision of our synod, and fee that ‘marriages between faithful Christians ofthe same gender ean be seen as a sacrament and give glory to God. I apologize to those members of our community, LGBTQ and heterosexual, who ‘have been hurt and confused by the Bishops issuing their statement. I want to tell you that it was not done with malice or in an attempt to stop us talking at General Synod, Rather, it was an efort to. open and honest about our conversations, We are often asked as a House of Bishops to ‘comment on our diseussions at our meetings, and tis is our atempt to do so. | will continue to try and do all in my power to be a symbol of unity inthe Diocese of Edmontos, inthe Anglican Church of Canada, and in the wider Anglican Communion. I am convinced thet in the power of Jesus Christ we wil find a way forward I encourage all of us as brothers and sisters in the body cf Christ to continue in prayer and fellowship and to seek the will of God, ts ‘my deepest prayer that we may all be one as Jesus and the Father are one (John 17). THE DIOCESE OF EDMONTON 0085-103 STREET ‘THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA EDMONTON, ALBERTA LEGLISE ANGLICANE OU CANADA TSIOKS ‘The Right Reverand Jane Alesander,8shep ‘TELEPHONE (700) 499-7046 FAX (780) 499-6548,