I apologise that this is a form letter but I am away
from the office and need to be able to reply.
I want to assure the members of the UCA that the Tenth
Assembly in Melbourne was a time of much prayer, proclamation, and praise,
that dealt with many issues in the life of the church and the nation.
The nearly three hundred members present were drawn from each of the more
than 50 Presbyteries and 6 Synods, with more than 50% there for the first
time. We used consensus decision making proceedings which means on important
issues, there were hours of discussion with every one in small working
groups and able to participate in the discussion. I encourage you to talk
with those whose members of the Assembly who were present from your Presbytery.
More >>
The President of the Uniting Church
in Australia, Rev Dr Dean Drayton, today wrote a pastoral letter to
the people of the Uniting Church. The Moderators of the Uniting Church
have also written a pastoral letter. The text of both letters follows:
‘For
He is our peace’
A pastoral letter from Rev Dr
Dean Drayton
President of the Uniting Church Assembly
For
he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one …
that he might … reconcile both groups to God in one body through
the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it (Eph
2:14-16).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ
The early church faced what they saw
as insuperable difficulties. But two groups of people, who thought they
could never be one, became one people through Christ. More
>>
A pastoral
letter from the Moderators of the Uniting Church in Australia
18th July 2003
Dear Friends in Christ,
I write this letter, along with the
other Moderators of the Uniting Church, following decisions made at
this meeting of the National Assembly in relation to sexuality, membership
and ministry. The media coverage has generally been... More
>>
=============================
Some
common questions answered (July 19 2003)
The
Synod General Secretaries of the Uniting Church in Australia today released
this question and answer document:
The Assembly decision on Ministry,
membership and sexuality: common questions answered
Introduction
The national Assembly at its meeting
12-19 July in Melbourne made a number of decisions relating to membership,
ministry and sexuality. These have been reported with varying degrees
of accuracy by various media. More
>>
=============================
Some
historical records related to proposal 84
Proposal 54
- Original proposal that later amended to
proposal
84
54. Ministry in the Uniting
Church (Assembly Standing Committee)
That the Assembly
1. note the following extracts from
Assembly minute 00.25.03
a) that the church’s faith is
in the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that the church’s
work and unity are built upon the person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ;
b) the authority of the Scriptures as defined in the Basis of Union,
acknowledging that within the church there is a range of views on questions
of Biblical interpretation on various matters of Christian faith and
practice; More
>>
=============================
Resolution
from 8th Assembly (July 1997)
97.31
Task Group on Sexuality
The report was presented by Alastair
McRae (chairperson) and members of the task group.
The Assembly resolved:
97.31.01 to receive the report;
97.31.02 to determine that:
(a) any decision which
this Assembly makes by formal majority on any matter relating to sexuality
shall initially be only provisional;
(b) before this meeting
of the Assembly concludes, the Assembly shall determine whether any
or all of the provisional decisions shall be referred to synods and
presbyteries for concurrence by a majority of synods and a majority
of presbyteries before they take effect;
(c) the provisional
decisions which the Assembly does not decide to refer to synods and
presbyteries shall cease to be provisional and shall take effect at
the conclusion of this meeting of the Assembly; More
>>
=============================
"Moving
Ahead With Diversity" (9th Assembly July 2000)
The report was presented by Robert Johnson,
John Mavor, Judy Caldwell, Leonie Walker, Inoke Nabulivou, Rachel Kronberger
and Don Catford.
The Assembly resolved:
00.25.01 to receive the report;
00.25.02 to determine not to consider
any proposals relating to sexuality at this Assembly except for Proposal
40.1 (see minute 00.25.03);
00.25.03 to adopt the following Statement
on Unity and Diversity and commend it to all Synods, Presbyteries and
Congregations: More >>
=============================
Extract
from Uniting Sexuality and Faith report to the 8th Assembly
Living
in God's Image and Grace (Chapter 3)
Seeking Right Relationship (Chapter 4)
Living
in God's Image and Grace
'If anyone is in Christ, there it a
new creation.' (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We are made in God's image.
We live as sexual beings.
We learn about our sexuality.
We develop our sexual practice.
More (pdf
56K) (MS
Word 108K)
