Press Release: For Immediate Issue
8 December 2003
Result of Application for Ministry
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand today announced that Ms Deborah Gordon was not accepted as a candidate for training as a Presbyterian minister.
She is able to reapply for the next round of candidate assessment in August 2004.
Ms Gordon and the Wellington Presbytery gained the right to have her application for training considered after an appeal to a Church Judicial Commission. The appeal was against a 2002 decision not to assess Ms Gordon, who is a lesbian woman, as an applicant.
The Right Rev Michael Thawley, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, said the Workgroup that assesses candidates for ministry gave Ms Gordon's application careful and lengthy consideration, based on the normal criteria used to assess applicants for ministry.
"The normal criteria include factors such as a candidate's life and experience in the church, their education and their abilities in areas such as communication and leadership," Mr Thawley said.
Moderator of Wellington Presbytery, the Rev Judy Bedford, said the Presbytery, which supported Ms Gordon's application, would need to study the decision before deciding what to do next.
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For further information contact:
The Right Rev Michael Thawley, Moderator, Ph 03 337 5695; mob 027 234 5528
Judy Bedford, Moderator, Office (04) 383-8699; Hm (04) 383-8596
Media Liaison: Mary Macpherson, Communications Manager, Mob 021 353 020; DDI 04 381 8284