The four candidates for bishop are: the Rev. Michael W. Michie, 46, founding rector of St. Andrew's, McKinney, Texas (Diocese of Dallas); the Rev. David G. Read, 49, rector of St. Luke's, San Antonio, Texas, (Diocese of Northwest Texas); the Rev. R. Leigh Spruill, 51, rector of St. George's, Nashville, Tennessee (Diocese of Tennessee); and the Rev. Canon George R. Sumner, 59, Helliwell Professor of World Mission and principal of Wycliffe College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Anglican Diocese of Toronto).

Fr. Michael Michie

"Guess what has been the one question that has been asked at every single walkabout we have gone on?" Fr. Minch asked the chortling audience at the walkabout gathering at St. Michael and All Angels in Dallas. "Are there any circumstances that you would grant same-sex blessings in the Diocese of Dallas?"

The Diocese of Dallas is one of three Episcopal dioceses in Texas which does not allow same-sex blessings, even though The Episcopal Church opened that door at the 2012 General Convention in Indianapolis. Texas does not allow same-sex marriage in the state. The Diocese of Dallas -- along with the Texas dioceses of Northwest Texas and West Texas -- does not allow SSB within diocesan boundaries. Neighboring dioceses of Texas to the South, TEC Fort Worth to the West, as well as the Diocese of the Rio Grande, which spills over into the Trans-Pecos region of far-west Texas have all made canonical provisions allowing SSB.

When A049 was passed at the 2012 General Convention, which Authorized Liturgical Resources for Blessing Same-Gender Relationships to take place within The Episcopal Church. Texas bishops were split on their vote: Edwin Gulick (I Provisional Fort Worth-retired); Wallis Ohl (II Provisional Fort Worth); Scott Mayer (V Northwest Texas); and Michael Vono (IX Rio Grande) voted for the measure while Don Wimberly (VIII Texas-retired); Andrew Doyle (IX Texas); Paul Lambert (Suffragan Dallas); James Stanton (VI Dallas); David M. Reed (Suffragan West Texas); and Gary Lillibridge (IX West Texas) said no. Rayford High (Suffragan Texas -- now III Provisional Fort Worth) abstained. Bishop Doyle has since allowed limited SSB to occur within his diocese.

"Here is a question that has not been asked," Fr. Michie continued. "How can we better feed the hungry? Clothe the naked? How can we better advance God's Kingdom in our mission field? How are we going to support church planting? Camp All Saints? The youth of our diocese?"

The founding rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in McKinney, a suburb of Dallas, understands that the troubling question is being born out of anxiety and fear within the diocesan family as the social issue of same-sex marriage is debated on the national level by the US Supreme Court. The high court's ruling could affect the way marriage is legally solemnized in the State of Texas.

Fr. Michie reiterated his belief that marriage is between one man and one woman in a lifelong commitment. As the "local candidate," he has the greatest insight into the internal workings and spirituality of the Diocese of Dallas. He is committed to "preserving and maintaining the diocesan legacy" that is being handed on to a new bishop. The seventh Bishop of Dallas will be handed the apostolic faith delivered unto the Saints and be charged with guarding it and passing it on to the next generation of northeast Texas Episcopalians.

"Personally, I don't ever see myself as doing a same-sex blessing," Fr. Michie affirmed basing his understanding of marriage on careful study of the Bible.

He also pointed to the fact that the Diocese of Dallas has a canon on the books -- Canon 12 -- which also defines marriage in the life of the diocese as being between a man and a woman.

"As used in this Diocese, the terms 'Holy Matrimony' and 'Marriage' shall refer to the exclusive physical and spiritual union of one man and one woman, by mutual consent of the heart, mind and will, and with the intent that it be lifelong," Dallas Canon 12.1 reads.

Canon 12.2 goes on to forbid Dallas-area clergy from performing such blessings either in or out of the diocese: "The blessing of sexual relationships between persons of the same sex is prohibited in churches, missions and congregations of this Diocese; and clergy persons resident or licensed in this Diocese are prohibited from performing such blessings in any venue."

"I don't see how the next bishop is free to change our diocesan policy as long as Canon 12 is on the books," Fr. Michie explained. "Canon 12 is the expressed will of the clergy and people of the Diocese. Your bishop has to uphold those canons."

Fr. David Read

Fr. Read, who admits to performing a lot of weddings in San Antonio because of the esthetic beauty of his church, points to the opening words of the Book of Common Prayer's Celebration and Blessing of Marriage ceremony.

"Dearly beloved," he recites from memory. "We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony..."

As an Episcopal priest and candidate for bishop, the San Antonio rector says he believes what the Book of Common Prayer states explaining that the BCP describes in the wonderful language of the Anglican heritage the intention and purpose for marriage.

"The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God at creation," the Prayer Book states. "It signified to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people."

"When I read those words, when I do a wedding, I believe them," Fr. Read noted. "I don't cross my fingers when I read them. I really do believe that theology, that is God's intension for marriage between a man and a woman which is intended to be lifelong and have all of the benefits that come with that (... mutual joy ... help and comfort ... procreation of children)."

He also explained that the same-sex issue with a diocese, however it is resolved, has ripple effects which spread throughout the Anglican world from other dioceses in The Episcopal Church, to General Convention, to world mission partners in Africa, and to other provinces in the wider Anglican Communion. He noted that a diocese does not operate in isolation within itself. It is a part of the greater whole.

Fr. Read is a super-delegate (having been a delegate five or more times) to the Episcopal General Convention. He will again be going to General Convention for the sixth time next month when it meets in Salt Lake City, either as a House of Deputies delegate for the Diocese of Northwest Texas or as the bishop-elect for the Diocese of Dallas.

He acknowledges that as a conservative his is a minority voice at General Convention, but he feels that his voice needs to be heard.

"'I'm OK with going and speaking and being a minority voice," he explained. "I'm committed to go and the voice needs to be heard. Even though my voice may be a minority voice -- I'm just going to talk LOUD!"

After communication and dialogue with the clergy and the faithful in the Diocese of Dallas, Fr. Read has come to the conclusion that authorizing SSB within the Diocese would "rend the fabric of this Diocese in ways that might not be repairable."

Fr. Leigh Spruill

Fr. Spruill also noted that the same-sex marriage question came up on a daily basis during the candidates' time within the diocese. "Questions surrounding this issue of same-sex marriage has come up every day of this week, as I would have expected they would," the Nashville priest noted. "It is very much there before us. It is there before us in the cultural landscape, and I suspect it is not going away. It is a legitimate question."

The Tennessee rector noted that he has struggled with the same-sex relationship issue for years in prayer, discernment, discussion, conversation, and reading. He realizes the same-sex issue is a difficult topic to tackle because it is divisive and painful within a diocese. His overarching questions are: "Where is Jesus Christ? and What is faithful and reasonable theological and moral discourse in the life of the church?

He said it was quite right that the SSM/SSB issue be brought up because "We are called as the Body of Christ to live out the Gospel, not just within the church walls, but as participants sent into the world."

Fr. Spruill also noted that it was important to look at the failures in sexual morality within the life of the church ... adultery, pornography, premarital sex ... and that the appropriate context for sexual intimacy is between a man and a woman in Holy Matrimony as defined by the Book of Common Prayer.

"As a bishop I would be duty bound to hold that (BCP) as a constitutional authority for how I would lead around this issue," Fr. Spruill explained.

"My theological convections are not usually shaped by state legislation," the Nashville priest noted, however he added that as a Christian he is also called to be a "good citizen of the state," but he doesn't know how that would "play itself out."

As the same-sex blessing debate continues to unfold at the General Convention level, Fr. Spruill said he would want to be faithful through being in communication with other bishops of the church and leaders in the Diocese of Dallas and the people in the pews.

"I'm simply being transparent about the struggle," he noted, "so when we make decisions which may create what 'feels like' division or 'is' division in the church, at least we understand how those decisions were made and we understand the people with whom we disagree."

Canon George Sumner

Canon Sumner, an American who is currently in the academic world at Wycliffe College in Toronto, has also served in Africa and the Navajoland. He describes himself as a "conservative Episcopalian" on the question of same-sex marriage. From 2008-2011, as a member of the Episcopal Church Committee on the Theology of Marriage, he debated the conservative side of the marriage question because he believed as a "loyal churchman" to take part in deliberations which resulted in the House of Bishops document: "Same-Sex Relationships in the Life of the Church." He also helped pen the conservative traditionalist viewpoint "Same-Sex Marriage and Anglican Theology.

He is committed to seeing that the Diocese of Dallas has an open door to "everyone" including "gay and lesbian Episcopalians" and "gay and lesbian people who are searching for God."

"The Gospel applied to everyone," he said. "And that is incumbent upon people who are of the more conservative opinion to say."

However, for reasons of conscience and theology, as bishop, he could not approve of same-sex blessing or same-sex marriage in any circumstance.

"The theology of the church and the view of society do not always coincide," he said. He added, "The church must be cognizant of societal norms and think about them while listening sympathetically as a part of the goal of evangelizing the Gospel message in the world while realizing that theology cannot follow the dictates of the surrounding culture."

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline