Tag: marriage

An Explainer, in nine easy steps

Here’s my explainer of the current situation in the Uniting Church in Australia regarding marriage, set out in nine easy steps.

I’m posting because I seem to be writing the same kind of thing to various people asking “what’s going on?”, and it might be helpful for us all to have a common understanding of the situation. As the Uniting Church is governed by a series of inter-related councils, it can be a little difficult to understand the complexities at times.

This is just how I understand things, but I thought it might be helpful.

Continue reading “An Explainer, in nine easy steps”

Seven Affirmations

In the light of the debates and discussions about human sexuality over the past 18 months in Australia society …
and, in particular, in the light of the recent letter from the Assembly General Secretary of the Uniting Church, regarding the decision of the Assembly about marrying people of the same gender …
I want to offer the seven affirmations below to my LGBTIQ friends and colleagues, and to the allies who are seeking to support them at this time.

They aren’t original to me. They simply come from decisions made by the church in council. They were important at the time, and they still stand as guides and standards for who we are, together, as the church, today.

Might all within the Uniting Church reflect on and pray about these affirmations, and each of us seek to live up to them in our personal discipleship and our life as a community.

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Recognising Pain, Working for Reconciliation

The church is a community where people of different perspectives and varied commitments gather together in fellowship. It has always been the case, and it is especially evident in the present time, that the church is marked by diversity—a range of cultures, a range of skills, a range of theologies, a range of understandings.

This diversity is in focus in a particular way, in the life of the Uniting Church in Australia. The decision of the recent Assembly, to acknowledge two distinct understandings of marriage, reflects this diversity. The range of views across this diversity has led to some challenges.

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Continuing faithful discernment

I have been doing some further reflection, in recent days, on the decision about marriage made at the 15th Assembly, in July, and the ongoing discussions about this matter that have been taking place within the various Congregations and Presbyteries and Synods around the country.

There has been a lot of discussion that has taken place. There have certainly been some intense conversations about this, over the past few weeks.

I think it is important to note that the decision of the Assembly gave due weight and specifically honoured the position of those who hold to the traditional view that marriage is a relationship involving a male and a female.

Continue reading “Continuing faithful discernment”

The “additional marriage liturgy” for Uniting Churches

Good news from the Uniting Church in Australia website:

The Uniting Church in Australia has today published an additional marriage liturgy that will allow same-gender couples to get married in Uniting Churches from Friday 21 September 2018. The liturgy was approved by the Assembly Standing Committee which met in Sydney from 24-26 August.

The publication of the Uniting Church in Australia Additional Marriage Liturgy (2018) follows the decision by members of the Fifteenth Assembly in July to hold two equal and distinct statements of belief on marriage to honour the diversity of Christian belief among Uniting Church members.

President Dr Deidre Palmer has issued a Pastoral Letter to Church members, to reassure people about the additional liturgy. “By using this liturgy, or the previously authorised marriage liturgies, Uniting Church authorised marriage celebrants will be acting properly within the rites of the Uniting Church in Australia,” said Dr Palmer. “I reaffirm that the Assembly’s resolution on marriage allows you to hold one of two positions on marriage, as a member, Minister or Church Council. The Assembly made this decision acknowledging the faithfully held positions across the life of the Church.”

The Assembly decision allows ministers and celebrants in the Uniting Church the freedom to conduct or to refuse to conduct same-gender marriages.

In her Pastoral Letter, Dr Palmer also praised the conscientious work of Uniting Church Synods and Presbyteries. “If you are still concerned about the position of the Uniting Church in relation to same-gender marriage, I would encourage you to talk to your Presbytery or Synod leaders to ensure you are acting on accurate information about the nature and impact of the Assembly’s decision,” said Dr Palmer.

The Assembly General Secretary Colleen Geyer has written to all Uniting Church authorised celebrants notifying them of the additional liturgy, and the date from which it is authorised for use.

Resources including frequently asked questions are also available on the Assembly website.

Marriage and the matter of being “vital to the life of the church”

Marriage of same gender people is NOT a matter that is “vital to the life of the church”.

Since the 15th Assembly concluded almost a month ago, there here has discussion in various places claiming that marriage is a matter “vital to the life of the Church”. The consequence of such a view is that the Assembly should be sending its decision to other councils of the church, seeking their “concurrence” on the decision made.

This is all in accord with what Clause 39 of the Constitution of the Uniting Church specifies. That clause itself depends on a sentence in paragraph 15(e) of the Basis of Union, which refers to “matters of vital importance to the church”. Continue reading “Marriage and the matter of being “vital to the life of the church””

A diversity of religious beliefs and ethical understandings

The Uniting Church has a long engagement with matters of sexuality, stretching over more than thirty years of conversation. The most recent stage in that process took place in the middle of July, at the meeting of the 15th national Assembly. In decisions made at that meeting, the church has decided to move forward on the issue of marriage of same-gender couples.

This was the first national meeting since last year’s change to Australian marriage laws, so there was a clear opening for considering the church’s understanding of marriage, and to move to permit the marriage of same-gender couples within Uniting churches.

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In celebration of diversity

Today, I celebrate diversity.  My church has been wrestling in an intense process for a week (and for many years before that, through numerous conversations and processes), regarding “a diversity of religious beliefs and ethical understandings” that are held amongst its members.

We have determined that “the Church is able to accept this diversity within its life and make the decisions necessary to enable its ministry and members to act with integrity in accordance with their beliefs”.

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Abundant grace, liberating hope

The 15th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia met in Melbourne for the week of 8-14 July, 2018. The theme of the Assembly was Abundant grace, liberating hope. I was one of twenty one members of the Uniting Church in Western Australia who attended. Here are my reflections on the week.

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Marrying same-gender people: a biblical rationale

On what biblical basis can we justify the decision of the Uniting Church, to marry same gender people?

The following blog has been co-written by myself and my wife, the Rev. Elizabeth Raine.  We have a lifelong commitment to the faithful and critical study and interpretation of scripture, and to contextually-relevant missional engagement with contemporary society. We offer these reflections as a way of encouraging serious reflection on the biblical rationale underpinning the recent decision by the Uniting Church, to endorse the marriage of same gender couples alongside the marriage of a male and a female.

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