Rest in Peace, Rev. Otis Charles

Timothy Kincaid

December 30th, 2013

The Episcopal Church is a strong supporter of our community and advocate for equality. But it hasn’t always been that way and did not become so without struggle.

One person who shares much credit for the evolution of the denomination is the Right Reverend Otis Charles, former Episcopal Bishop of Utah. (Sentinel)

Charles was the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah. Soon after his retirement in 1993 he came out as an openly gay man, making him the first openly gay bishop of any Christian denomination in history. Soon after he and his wife divorced. He relocated to San Francisco, where he helped to found Oasis California, the LGBT Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of California. which seeks to open dialogue between LGBT communities and the congregations in which they worship.

Originally from New Jersey, he served first as a priest in Washington, Connecticut. From 1968 until 1982 he was a member of the Standing Liturgical Commission of the Episcopal Church, which developed the 1979 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. In 1971, he was elected Bishop of Utah. He was active in the peace movement, and opposed Nevada and Utah being launching sites for the MX missile. In the >House of Bishops, Charles was chair of the Prayer Book Committee and a member of the Bishops’ Committee on Racism. Charles became Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School in 1985. Charles also has significant academic achievements, including a Doctorate of Divinity, and a Doctorate of Sacred Theology.

Following his coming out, Charles retained his voting seat in the 300-plus member House of Bishops. Before and following his announcement, he was an active and forceful advocate on behalf of LGBT communities. In 1979, Charles was one of 17 dissenting bishops when the Episcopal Church’s General Convention stated that practicing homosexual clergy were prohibited from ordination – a decision that continues to generate controversy to this day. In 1999, Charles was arrested and led away in handcuffs for his civil disobedience at the Church’s General Convention in Denver, Colorado during a protest against what demonstrators described as the Church’s long history of oppression against lesbian and gay peoples.

Otis Charles died on December 26th, at the age of 87.

Rev. Charles was in a heterosexual marriage for 42 years, and has five children. He has been married since 2004 (religiously, legally since 2008) to Dr. Felipe Sanchez-Paris. Dr. Sanchez-Paris died earlier this year. Charles’ story is included in the documentary Love Free or Die, winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance.

Hyhybt

December 30th, 2013

“Give him eternal rest, O Lord, and may Your light shine upon him forever.”

(Though I’ve always thought that one needs redoing. Forever having a light shining at you when you’re trying to sleep doesn’t sound so great.)

Stephen

December 30th, 2013

Am I allowed to find this extremely weird?

Timothy Kincaid

December 30th, 2013

Stephen,

I suppose you’re allowed, but I have no idea why you think it is weird.

Leonardo Ricardo

December 30th, 2013

A long path but he got to where he needed to go…now, time for the greatest secret of them all. With honor and glory right up until death. Prayers ascending. Peace

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