Woman in Same-Sex Relationship Among Minnesota Nominees

August 1, 2009

The Diocese of Minnesota has provided a test case following General Convention of how The Episcopal Church will respond to another possible bishop living in a same-sex relationship.
The Rev. Bonnie Perry, rector of All Saints' Church, Chicago, is one of three nominees to become the ninth Bishop of Minnesota.

The other two nominees are the Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, rector of St. John's Church, Minneapolis, and the Rev. Brian Prior, rector of Church of the Resurrection, Spokane Valley, Wash., and vice president of General Convention's House of Deputies.

Ms. Perry directly addressed the question of her sexuality at two points in her responses to the diocese's nominating committee. In a one-page autobiography, she referred to the relationship by writing, "The Rev. Susan Harlow, my partner now of 22 years, and I moved to Chicago in 1992." the rest