Secret Assembly Business blocks bridge to homosexuals
Part the final
At this point in our story (are you still with us?) the task group had given up hope for 32.10 but still held out hope for 32.12. It would have been encouraged in this hope by the report of the facilitation group which, despite its overall pessimism regarding clusters 6 to 9, reported:
CLUSTER NINE
PROPOSAL 32.12
2 groups reached consensus for, 3 had a majority in favour, 2 did not commit. No group had consensus against.
CLUSTER NINE
PROPOSAL 32.12:
-12.a 12 reached consensus in support (1 with amendment)
-12.b 11 reached consensus in support (1 with amendment); 1 split (maj. supp); 1 consensus against
-12.c 7 reached consensus in support (2 amendment); 4 groups consider it's unnecessary to deal with this.
PROPOSAL 32.13:
7 reached consensus in support (3 amendments); 2 reached consensus against; 2 groups were undecided.
PROPOSAL 25.2:
1 Group reached consensus in support,; 3 groups reached consensus against; 2 groups were undecided
PROPOSAL 28.1:
2 groups reached consensus in support (1 with amendment); 1 group split;
PROPOSAL 28.2:
3 Groups reached consensus in support (1 amendment); 2 reached consensus against; 2 groups were split.
PROPOSAL 50.12; 50.13:
2 groups reached consensus against; 3 groups undecided. (third working group)
FACILITATION GROUP RECOMMENDATION
We are of the view that 32.12 (a) (b)and (c) be put to the Assembly on the basis of support expressed through the working groups.
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Where were we … yes, swimmingly. Hopes sank (when I say hopes I must mean the hopes of those who wanted a decision) … they sank when Assembly went into CLOSED SESSION for SECRET ASSEMBLY BUSINESS, I understand at the request of John Brown on behalf of the Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.
Members of the Business Committee went to bed VERY late after working on a new proposal:
121 SEXUALITY (Business Committee)
That the Assembly:
121.1 having regard to:
(a) the church’s commitment to being a multicultural church;
(b) the church’s commitment to making decisions by consensus wherever possible;
(c) the written statements to the Assembly by the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and by the migrant-ethnic representatives to the Assembly, expressing their concerns about proposals on homosexuality and the process undertaken by the Assembly to date;
(d) the report of the Facilitation Group which indicated the lack of consensus on all the remaining proposals and recommended that a number of proposals not proceed; resolve not to proceed with the remaining proposals relating to sexuality arising from the report of the Task Group on Sexuality except for proposal 51.
121.2 request former Presidents Ron Wilson, D’Arcy Wood and Jill Tabart to consider how the Assembly might deal with the matter of sexuality following this Assembly, including how the church engages in further conversations with:
- gay and lesbian members of the church family,
- the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, ·
- groups nominated by the Committee on Multicultural Ministry,
- and report with recommendations to the Standing Committee.
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The General Secretary, the Rev. Gregor (pronounced "Grigor" by Steve Liebmann in an interview with Dorothy McRae McMahon this morning; worth seeing if you know anyone who taped it) Henderson, said the rationale for giving up on 32.12 was that it would have been very difficult for (c) to succeed and that (a) and (b) were just reiterating existing policy.
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But Assembly wasn’t happy enough with that proposal (a report of that debate will follow somewhere, some time). It asked the moderators to come up with an alternative:
124. SEXUALITY [Synod Moderators] That the Assembly:
Recognising with sadness its inability at this time to reach further agreement in regard to outstanding matters arising from the report "Uniting Sexuality and Faith" and recognising also the commitment of the Church to be both multicultural and inclusive
resolves to
1. Commit the Church to a continuing dialogue on the matters as yet unresolved in the same spirit of openness and compassion that has prevailed during the meeting of this Assembly;
2. Acknowledge the disappointment of those who were looking to the Assembly for greater clarity and direction in regard to these matters;
3 Express deep regret to those whose personal pain remains unalleviated by its inability to reach further decisions at this time;
4. Convey to the UAICC the Assembly's commitment to remain in covenental relationship and to continue in dialogue about these matters.
5. Note the decisions of the Assembly Standing Committee expressed in resolutions 82.12, 87.46, 91.95.3(a), 92.31 and 94.78.3 and that these policies remain in place;
6. Not proceed with the remaining proposals relating to sexuality except for proposal 51; and
7. Request former Presidents Ron Wilson, D'Arcy Wood and Jill Tabart to consider how the Assembly might deal with the outstanding issues relating to sexuality following this Assembly, and report with recommendations to the Standing Committee.
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The rest is history.
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