A letter from Synod
- Mike Flynn (Vicar)
Our Diocesan Synod is an annual parliament that meets each October. The debates this year included legislation to hasten our church becoming a corporate entity and member motions centred on the acceptance, or not, of gay sex for Christians. These included a motion to bless same sex marriage, motions to support/not support GAFCON - an African led Anglican movement that is providing orthodox Bishops for like minded congregations in the USA, UK and Canada; and a motion to ban ‘conversion therapy’ for gay people.
The corporate legislation was passed with significant modifications to allow Synod to elect the corporate officers (rather than the Bishop or the committees). The motions on blessing SSM and supporting or not supporting GAFCON were passed in (not put to the vote). The motion on banning conversion therapy was passed only after it was modified to allow gay people the freedom to pursue a Biblical lifestyle if they chose.
Every generation of the church has its defining issues and drawing the boundaries on acceptable sexual behaviour has been ours as a culture and as a church ever since the 1960's. But it is curious that the justifications for accepting homosexual behaviour as a Christian option are similar to the heresies of the past - here is the new truth the Spirit of God is leading us to. It is curious how readily we are bent by the winds blowing through our culture and it concerns me how readily we may bend in the opposite direction if the wind changes direction. It is curious that we are often a decade behind the world, that our churches are becoming more corporate as other organisations in our society are working out that corporate suits do not fit all organisations well and questions are raised about the values of corporate culture in causing waste, grief and corruption.
Our current Synod reps, Ian Cayzer and Janis Lampard, are now at the end of their term of service in representing St. Columbs in the debates of the wider church. Would you please join me in thanking them for their wisdom and endurance.
Every generation of the church has its defining issues and drawing the boundaries on acceptable sexual behaviour has been ours as a culture and as a church ever since the 1960's. But it is curious that the justifications for accepting homosexual behaviour as a Christian option are similar to the heresies of the past - here is the new truth the Spirit of God is leading us to. It is curious how readily we are bent by the winds blowing through our culture and it concerns me how readily we may bend in the opposite direction if the wind changes direction. It is curious that we are often a decade behind the world, that our churches are becoming more corporate as other organisations in our society are working out that corporate suits do not fit all organisations well and questions are raised about the values of corporate culture in causing waste, grief and corruption.
Our current Synod reps, Ian Cayzer and Janis Lampard, are now at the end of their term of service in representing St. Columbs in the debates of the wider church. Would you please join me in thanking them for their wisdom and endurance.
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