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The Uniting Church has decided against trying to reach consensus at present on a policy about homosexual people in positions of ministry and leadership.
Members of its 11th Assembly meeting in Brisbane agreed they were “not of one mind” on the issue of accepting into ministry people who were living in a committed same-gender sexual relationships.
They said that “notwithstanding the hopes of many in the church”, the Assembly “is not prepared to exercise further its determining responsibility in this matter”.
Instead, they decided that no congregation would be forced to accept a minister living in such a relationship if it could not do so in good conscience.
Equally, any congregation willing to accept such a minister would have its decision respected.
The Assembly resolution, passed by 173-48 (78.3%) in a formal vote, affirmed the church’s unity in Jesus Christ but acknowledged “a variety of theological perspectives and biblical understandings which we maintain in tension within our life as a church”.
It noted that some of its members stay with traditional teaching about sexuality in the Reformed and Evangelical churches while others believe God may be leading this tradition to a different understanding and practice.
The Assembly expressed its regret that some ministers and members had felt they had to quit the Uniting Church after the last Assembly’s 2003 decision on sexuality and leadership.
(Commonly known as “Proposal 84”, this decision left with presbyteries the authority to decide about a minister living in a committed same-gender relationship.).
The 11th Assembly also expressed regret that faithful Christian gay and lesbian people had experienced pain in the church because of the way their lives had been affected by its deliberations.
Among the next steps decided by the Assembly were:
* to encourage congregations to realize the diversity of belief on sexuality and, realizing that some of their members might not feel free to express their views, to become “safe communities” where people could have diverse beliefs;
* to encourage the whole church to grapple with the implications of God’s grace for our humanity, and urge members with different views “to work at living together in peace”; and
* to ask its doctrine group to help the church “in our ongoing consideration of the theological diversity of the church on this issue”.
The Assembly’s discussion of the issue had begun five days earlier with eight proposals on sexuality and leadership.
Three of them rejected homosexuality as a way of living and didn’t want to see it ‘normalised’. They argued that sexual relationships should be limited to a faithful marriage between a man and a woman.
Others said it was impossible to reach consensus at present because of the widely divergent views that people held, with integrity.
One asked Assembly to declare that “being in a committed same-gender sexual relationship is not itself a barrier to any ministry”, while another sought a way for Uniting Church people to live out their diversity about sexuality.
Speakers described the proposals in terms that ranged from “a summons to us by God to confess and proclaim His truth” to a question: “What must we do for the church to be a safe place for gay, lesbian and transgendered people?”
It became clear early on, however, that most Assembly members thought it wasn’t the time to decide one way or the other – or to change to the 2003 Assembly’s decision on sexuality and leadership.
It also became clear that the concern among indigenous people and the migrant-ethnic community in the Uniting Church about recognition of homosexual people was not a simple rejection of the moves in the church.
Just as the church had respected the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, the Congress respected the church’s right to uphold the rights of other groups, Congress spokesman the Rev. Dennis Corowa told the Assembly.
“The Congress will continue to live within the fellowship and diversity of the Uniting Church,” he said.
Speakers from migrant-ethnic churches showed diversity of views. Homosexual people in leadership went against the Bible and the tradition of the church, said one. But “not all of us” agreed with that rejection of homosexual people, said another.
Now, the Assembly statement calls all the church’s members to bear witness to the gift of Christ’s unity as well as living together in their diversity.
The wording of the resolution is below:
SEXUALITY AND LEADERSHIP IN THE UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA
The Assembly resolved:
Preamble
In the struggle to be the Uniting Church in Australia, we affirm that our unity is our oneness in Jesus Christ; we acknowledge a variety of theological perspectives and biblical understandings which we maintain in tension within our life as a church, recognising that variety is a gift to the Church which allows most people to find a spiritual home amongst our many congregations and faith communities.
1. To acknowledge and lament that even though the decision of the 10th Assembly regarding Sexuality and Leadership (Assembly Minute 03.12.04, varied by Assembly Standing Committee Minute 03.69.03) was made prayerfully and in good faith and according to UCA polity, it was a catalyst for the deep concern and disquiet present in some parts of the UCA.
2. To express its regret that following the 10th Assembly there were some faithful ministers and members of the church who believed that because of the decision of the 10th Assembly regarding Sexuality and Leadership (Assembly Minute 03.12.04, varied by Assembly Standing Committee Minute 03.69.03) they had no option but to withdraw from the Uniting Church altogether.
3. To express its regret that faithful Christian gay and lesbian people, on whose lives the Assembly deliberations have impacted, have continued to experience pain in our church.
4. To declare that the matter of Sexuality and Leadership is at heart a matter of faith and concerns our humanity in Christ.
The 11th Assembly
5. To acknowledge:
a) that Assembly members are not of one mind regarding the issue of the acceptance into the specified ministries of those living in committed same-gender relationships; and
b) that some members of the Assembly adhere to traditional teaching and practice of Reformed and Evangelical churches in this matter, while others who also adhere to the Reformed and Evangelical tradition believe that God may be leading this tradition to a different understanding and practice; and therefore, notwithstanding the hopes of many in the Church, the 11th Assembly, having prayerfully sought to discern God’s will and after much deliberation, is not prepared to exercise further its determining responsibility in this matter.
The Next Steps
6. Pursuant to clauses 38 of the Constitution, to advise Synods and Presbyteries;
a) that congregations who resolve that they are unable in conscience to receive into ministry placement a person living in a committed same-gender relationship, shall not be compelled to do so; and
b) to respect the decision of a congregation indicating its willingness to consider calling a minister in a committed same-gender relationship.
7. To encourage Congregations:
a) to be aware that within many Congregations there is a diversity of belief on matters of sexuality and leadership and that some members do not feel free to express their beliefs;
b) to become safe communities where people may hold diverse beliefs on these matters and work together as the Body of Christ; and
c) to recognise that the possibility of living with difference is a gift which Christ offers to the world.
8. To encourage the whole church:
a) to commit itself to continue to grapple with the implications of the gospel of God’s grace for our humanity, the church’s life, and participation in God’s mission in the world;
b) to call on all members of the church who hold different views to work at living together in peace as members of the Body of Christ; and
c) to hope, pray and work for that common mind in faith which is Jesus Christ’s gift and will.
9. To request the Assembly Working Group on Doctrine to engage in further work that assists the Church in our ongoing consideration of the theological diversity of the Church on this issue and to authorise the Assembly Standing Committee to determine the terms of reference for such work.
10. To acknowledge:
(a) that the Uniting Church is committed “to bear witness to that unity which is both Christ’s gift and will for the Church”; and
(b) that Christ continues to feed us with word and sacrament as we wait on God’s living Word; and to call the Uniting Church to re-commit itself to its primary purpose of “worship, witness and service” (Quotes are from the Basis of Union, Paragraph 1).
11. To request that the President consult with the Moderators in relation to a pastoral letter to the whole church.
Read more news from the 11th Assembly of the Uniting Church HERE.
Photo : ASSEMBLY NEWS
