Assembly '97
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Sexuality debate
The Eighth Assembly will today consider a recommendation from the Business Committee to consider no further proposals on homosexuality at this Assembly.
The proposal cites the "lack of consensus on all the remaining proposals", despite the Facilitation Group’s report yesterday that debate should proceed on recommendation 32.12, which restates the current policy barring discrimination on grounds of sexuality, and would prevent presbyteries and synods departing form that policy in practice.
In a second Business Committee proposal, ex-Presidents Ron Wilson, D’Arcy Wood and Jill Tabart would be asked to "consider how the Assembly might deal with the matter of sexuality following this Assembly".
This follows a day of pressure and grace as the Assembly continued its attempt to work towards a policy on sexuality.
Evangelical members declared themselves "not free to compromise", and migrant-ethnic churches were critical of a cultural failure in consultation. Aboriginal and Islander representatives talked review of their part in the church, while gay and lesbian members were ‘out’. And lots of other church members felt the pressure of uncertainty.
They were all forces to be reckoned with, but they weren’t the only thing around.
Facilitation group convener Rev Christine Bayliss Kelly signalled a different spirit. She introduced the latest proposals on sexuality by referring to all the negotiations people had entered into and the many voices which had been heard. People had been open to others.
In response, Rev Bruce Walker said that "we believe our voice has been heard", Rev Peter Blackman spoke of listening to people’s stories and being "able to negotiate one or two things", and Rev James Latu talked of "coconut time" as well as being there "to support the church that we love".
Later, president Rev John Mavor emphasised the note of grace. At a press conference (on sexuality), he talked of "a remarkable morning". Four important statements had come – from the congress, migrant-ethnic people, EMU and the Uniting Network – "and all showed much grace".
At the end of the press conference, Mr Mavor said he was presiding over a uniting church , and "the commitment of people to work together was nothing short of remarkable".
In between those two positive presidential notes, however, the press conference heard Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress national administrator Rev Shayne Blackman present a difficult note about homosexuality.
The sexuality report had referred to the Jewish people and their need for heterosexual relations to survive as a nation, he said. Aboriginal people had a real sense of that. They had come through invasion of their land, and being removed from their land and families. Now they were re-establishing themselves.
"To move away from a [heterosexual] relationship structure that enables them to survive would destroy that culture," said Mr Blackman., and congress was not prepared to be party to anything which undermined Aboriginal culture.
Moreover, any Uniting Church agreement to the proposals on homosexuality would "impact on the way we’re able to carry out the functions of our ministry".
He was asked if the congress would withdraw from the Uniting Church. They had said they would review their position when the outcomes of the assembly debate were clear, he replied.
"We’ve been part of this church for a long time," he said. Congress members had many personal relationships in the church which would "impact on the way we make decisions".
Ms Bayliss Kelly provided a different representation in the afternoon session – for "the multitude of people in the middle who are saying, ‘We don’t know.’" They were not saying yes or no, but they did want to keep the discussion open, she said.
The migrant-ethnic people were among those requiring more time, but there were also people saying they didn’t even want to look at the sexuality issue. "We are asking them to have courage," she said.
"But we wish to acknowledge and celebrate where we’ve come. We’ve got a lot of work ahead."