"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ; if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose" - Philippians 2:1f [NIV]
The extra General Assembly opens in Christchurch at the end of this month. This was agreed as part of the package which set up the Commission on Diversity which has been working steadily since that time. The Commission's report and recommendations have been completed, printed, and have now been circulated to all commissioners to the General Assembly, as well as to all sessions and parish councils. The crisis and challenge which has consumed our national church for almost ten years should hopefully now be resolved - one way or another. We certainly cannot afford to continue as we have been doing - with the church virtually divided, and personal or professional relationships severely strained, if not broken or destroyed. The Commission's report makes clear we cannot go on like this. It is now time to assert the unity of PCANZ around its core beliefs, to engage in deep repentance to one another and before God, to allow healing to begin and to seek the renewal God always offers to his penitent people.
Key Aspects of the Commission's Report: The Commission in its work has been seriously frustrated by the very high level of animosity, fear, mistrust and outright suspicion which was manifested on all sides. This reached such a peak that in the Commission's original visits round the church holding public forums, we found that while a Commission on Diversity, we felt constrained first to explore among ourselves and then with the various regional gatherings parts of Scripture which related to the unity of the church, people reacted very strongly to what they regarded as our manipulation and "hidden agenda". Yet such a consideration is clearly part of the gospel, of the Scriptures and of the very nature of the Church of God. The report to the Assembly clearly spells out both unity and diversity belong to the nature of the Church. Our unity lies in the very nature of God who has revealed himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are brought into the Church by the call of God, Christ is the centre of the Church's life and is his Body, made up of all those who are following Jesus. The Church is characterized by the gift of the Holy Spirit and is intended to be an alternative community in the world. There is also an enriching diversity within the life of the Church - differences of personality, of emphasis or of interest and passion. The Commission makes very clear such diversity is not limitless - so that everyone can believe or act as we please. The boundaries of unity and diversity in the PCANZ are spelt out in the Church's constitution and Book of Order. The Word of God contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the supreme rule of faith and life. the fundamental doctrines of the faith are set out in the Church's Subordinate Standards - the Westminster Confession and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The Declaratory Act allows some liberty of opinion regarding a few specified areas of belief, but in no way permits a free-for-all. The famous phrase "fundamental doctrines of the Reformed Faith" has never been fully spelt out, however decisions of the General Assembly following the doctrinal controversies of the late 60s specifically referred to some including, the Apostles' Creed, the Trinity, the Bible, God and nature, the Person of Christ, the Resurrection, Judgement and the Christian Hope. A summary is also contained in the preamble for the ordination of ministers and elders. further, there is also a Statement on what it means to subscribe to a Statement of Faith, as ministers and elders are required to do on ordination or induction. We believe these statements are presently sufficient to determine the boundaries of unity and diversity within the PCANZ.
Legal Opinion: The new factor in this whole process arises from the request of the Commission to the Church's Book or Order and Judicial Committee for a statement regarding the present status quo within the PCANZ regarding the licensing, ordination and induction of practising homosexuals to the ministry or the eldership. The unanimous opinion of the Committee is that the decisions of the General Assembly in 1985 [that homosexual acts are sinful] and in 1991 [that God's intention for sexual relationships, as affirmed by Jesus Christ, is loving, mutual and faithful marriage between a man and a woman, and that intimate sexual expressions outside of that context fall short of God's standards] are binding upon the courts of the Church, who can be expected, upon appeal or complaint, to uphold the Church standards and Assembly decisions. Clearly many people in the Church thought the situation was much more open than this. Now it appears that the only way around this would be for the Assembly to rescind and/or amend the decisions of 1985 and 1991, and further to state that its interpretation of the Subordinate Standards allows liberty of opinion on the matter. A separate legal opinion makes it clear that the Human Rights Commission cannot compel congregations of the Church to accept homosexuals in leadership.
On a separate but related matter, it has also been made clear that in the event of ultimate breakdown in the PCANZ, congregations of the church cannot withdraw, although individuals, even large numbers of individuals acting together may do so. All church property is vested in the Church Property Trustees [the Otago Foundation Trust Board in Otago and Southland] on behalf of the various congregations - past, present and future. The Trustees in turn are governed by relevant Acts of the New Zealand parliament. With the best will in the world, the Trustees cannot act in breach of their trusteeship function. The two trustee boards have indicated they will seek to act sympathetically with any dissident group on a case by case basis.
Days of Prayer and Fasting: First Church, Papakura, has taken the initiative to organise 40 days of prayer and fasting leading up to the General Assembly and invited parishes and congregations to "sign up" for the day of their choice. Happily, these are presently oversubscribed. Our Session has agreed to observe THURSDAY, 24 JUNE as our Day of Prayer and Fasting. Feel free to observe the day in ways appropriate to your circumstances. In any case the Church will be open for prayer from 9:00am and the day will conclude with a gathering in the Church from 7:30 - 9:00pm. Our PCANZ stands at a critical juncture and needs our prayer and intercession. I commend the assembly, its commissioners and the outcome to your faithful prayers. God bless you all.
Yours very sincerely,
J O EVANS