To Episcopalians it seems pretty clear what Christians are supposed to do. Jesus said “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The first thing, then, after love of God—indeed the only thing— is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Not just some of them; not just the ones we feel comfortable with; not just the ones who have the same colored skin as us, or the same sexual preferences, or who don’t smell; but every single one of them. In fact as Episcopalians, we believe that no Christian life can be complete if the person living it does obey this command and act on it. In this section of our web site you will find content that is primarily intended to support those who actively pursue justice and spread the message of God's love in our name.
The position of the Episcopal Diocese of New York on any issue is ultimately determined by vote of the delegates at the Diocesan Convention. When necessary between conventions, the Diocesan Council may endorse a particular policy, but that endorsement lapses unless confirmed by the immediately subsequent Convention (see Governance for more details). Over the years delegates at the Diocesan Convention have expressed the Diocesan position on many of the most vital social issues through formal votes. They are listed here in full.
The Diocese works to further its views on social issues in a practical way through the Social Concerns Commission, which is a Commission of the Diocesan Council. The Social Concerns Commission is a major and vital element of the diocese’s Christian witness in our community. For more information about it and its committees, please go here.