From: alisonjw@spider.co.uk (Alison J Wyld)
Subject: Re: Homosexuality issues in Christiani
Organization: Spider Systems Limited, Edinburgh, UK.
Lines: 49

>He is hoping to pass a resolution that more or less states that we, the
>members of the church "Agree to Disagree" on the issue, admitting that
>both sides have honestly studied the Scriptures and had the Spirit lead
>them to different conclusions.  It worked last year when the abortion
>issue threatened to do more or less the same thing, and he is hopeful that
>the GA can foster a loving and caring attitude about people who disagree
>with their own view.
>
>--
>Cliff Slaughterbeck           | 
>
>people would not be willing to.  Note that the church was not willing
>to live with this kind of compromise with ordination of women.  The
>one thing that will definitely prevent a person from becoming a
>Presbyterian minister is if they indicate that they don't accept
>ordination of women.  The argument is that we can't have half the
>church not accepting the leaders of the other half.  Maybe people will
> --clh]

It might be interesting for folk to know that the Church of Scotland
(also a Presbyterian church)  managed to "agree to disagree" over
women's ordination for 25 years.  The reasoning was that congregations
are free to call whoever they wish, and that Ministers and Sessions
choose elders.  If a congregation did not wish to have a woman, they
were not obliged to, and if a Session did not wish to, they could not
be forced to.  (Note that the who issue of freedom to call on the part
of the Congregation is VERY important here - this year is the 150th
Annivarsary of the Disruption, where the church split on that very
issue, they didn't get back together for almost 80 years).

A couple of years ago on the 25 anniversary of the allowing of womens
ordination the position was changed - so that, in theory, all
ministers and elders must recognise that women can be ordained.  In
theory, a minister who refused to ordain a woman to his Session, or
refused to work with a woman minister in Presbytery, could be
disciplined.  In practice this has not happened, and I believe it is
unlikely to happen.  My personal view is that the new legislation was
a mistake, and that the permissive (but not prescriptive) legislation
worked very well.  

We are going to start going round the homosexual debate at next years
assembly.  At this years, a motion was put to ban the blessing of
same-sex couples (after an Edinburgh minister did so).  Our Panel on
Doctrine is currently looking at marriage, and will report next year -
the matter will be considered and debated then.

Hope this is interesting

Alison
