Overture 14: Sexual Morality and the Ministry

At St Peter´s Presbyterian Church Ellerslie on 13 July 2004, the Presbytery of Auckland met and was constituted.

<typohead type="3">Among other things: </typohead>

It was moved seconded and carried that the Presbytery adopt and transmit the following overture to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand appointed to meet in Christchurch on 19 September 2004.

Whereas (1) the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is constitutionally and legally bound to order its life in accordance with the Word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments as interpreted by the Subordinate Standards (Reg.1, Reg. 475)

And Whereas (2) the Supreme and Subordinate Standards of this church are intended to be regulatory (reg.475), and stand above even the decisions of Assembly - and decisions contrary to the Standards are out of order

And Whereas (3) the Supreme and Subordinate Standards of this church have always been understood to condemn sexual relationships outside of marriage (e.g. Answers to Q. 28 and Q.139, Larger Catechism) - and never condone them

And Whereas (4) for most of the last two thousand years the doctrine and ethics of the worldwide Christian church have been conservative in matters of sexual morality and consistent with the teaching of Jesus – and challenges to those standards are a recent and Western innovation

And Whereas (5) until the innovative decision of the Judicial Commission (reporting October 2003), it was always understood and assumed within the Presbyterian Church in this country that it would be doctrinally unacceptable to ordain ministers involved in a sexual relationship outside of marriage – and therefore no regulation was required

And Whereas (6) various resolutions of the 1974, 1985 and 1991 General Assembly expressed the mind of the Presbyterian Church on matters of sexual ethics, including the statements that "homosexual acts are sinful", and that "God´s intention for sexual relationships, as affirmed by Jesus Christ, is loving, mutual and faithful marriage between a man and woman, and that intimate sexual expression outside of that context fall short of God´s standard" - and these statements have neither been rescinded nor superseded

And Whereas (7) A previous Judicial Commission reporting in November 1994, and with the power of Assembly, ruled that "The decisions of the General Assembly have no ?limited shelf life´ or ?use by´ date. They do not need to be reaffirmed year by year to remain binding on the Church. They continue speaking until the Assembly itself decides to amend, modify, or fall from them using the powers and procedures laid down for doing so in the Book of Order"

And Whereas (8) It is completely erroneous (in view of long-established and widely-held Christian ethics, the Standards, and previous Assembly statements) to assume that the absence of explicit regulation or legislation enacted under the Barrier Act means that the church has no "policy" or "doctrine" on a matter

And Whereas (9) to accept into ordained ministry of persons openly involved in sexual relationships outside of marriage is clearly an innovation

And Whereas (10) approval under the Barrier Act (1697) is required for any major change in doctrine or life, "for preventing any sudden alteration or innovation, or other prejudice to the Church, in either doctrine or worship, or discipline"

And Whereas (11) General Assembly´s authorisation of elders to lead and administer Communion required an Act of Modification falling from certain phrases in the Subordinate Standards, and approval under the due processes of the Barrier Act

And Whereas (12) the surprise ruling of the Judicial Commission (October 2003) that there is no legal barrier to practising homosexuals being licensed, ordained, inducted, or accepted for ministry training is controversial in the extreme, and a severe threat to the peace and unity of the Presbyterian Church in this country

And Whereas (13) the Presbyterian Church has historically maintained that it has the sole right, guided by its Standards, to rule on matters of doctrine and practice

And Whereas (14) the Judicial Commission (October 2003) appears to have relied upon secular legal arguments and understandings in reaching its conclusion, as if it were a secular appeal court, without any reference to the church´s Supreme or Subordinate Standards

And Whereas (15) what appears to most Presbyterians as a major shift of policy should be decided by General Assembly, representative of the whole church, and through the normal processes, rather than by five persons meeting in a Judicial Commission

And Whereas (16) for the sake of its peace, unity and good order the Presbyterian Church now needs a clear policy, stated in a regulation, so as to remove any further uncertainty and confusion

And Whereas (17) such a policy must be consistent with the Church´s Supreme and Subordinate Standards, with previous General Assembly decisions, and with the convictions of the vast majority of its members

And Whereas (18) it is essential for the survival and health of the denomination that this matter now be settled, rather than have it drag on for many more years, with a continuing debilitating effect on the church´s morale, unity, finances, reputation, and mission

And Whereas (19) failure to settle this matter appropriately will not be a way forward, but a prelude to tragic, inexorable decline

<typohead type="3">It is hereby overtured that: </typohead>

That General Assembly now enact a regulation or rule in accordance with the Supreme and Subordinate Standards the Church, with previous decisions, and with the historic sexual ethics of the world-wide church, that this church may not accept for training for ordained ministry (or license, or ordain, induct into ordained ministry or appoint to any leadership position) anyone involved in a sexual relationship outside of faithful marriage between a man and a woman - and that this policy remain in force unless appropriate enabling legislation has been specifically approved by a General Assembly, under the processes of the Barrier Act.

That this regulation or rule be passed down under the Barrier Act to Presbyteries/Union District Councils.

That it be adopted ad interim.

</typolist>

The Presbytery appointed the Rev Stuart Lange and one other person to support the Overture to the General Assembly.

Extracted from the records of Presbytery by

Trevor Mosley
Presbytery Clerk