|
Statement
about the recent meeting of the General Assembly
You may
have seen that ministers have been “urged” (that’s the word that has been used)
not to talk about issues connected with the decision that there is no
impediment to a practising homosexual being inducted as minister of a charge.
This is a
decision that has caused anguish and dismay all over the country
- last week some members were
asking for their lines
- some have spoken about
withholding money from the Church
- many are ashamed of being
members of such a church.
It is too
big an issue NOT to speak about it, and I want to say a few things on the
matter.
I speak
of anguish and dismay all over the country;
for me -
after almost four decades as a minister of the Church of Scotland, it has been
one of the most unhappy weeks of my life. If you want to know how I feel about
it, I feel
- first ashamed - ashamed of
this great Church
- second - tainted by being part
of such a Church that has declared what it has declared
- and angry - angry that this
denomination (which I have sought to serve) is actually on the brink of
turning aside from its own foundation in the Word of God - that Bible of
which it is stated at every ordination that the Church of Scotland
acknowledges the Word of God as its supreme rule of faith and life.
The
General Assembly has rejected the appeal against the decision of the Presbytery
of Aberdeen to sustain the call to Queen’s Cross Church - although in the same motion it
is stated that this decision does not alter the Church’s standards of
ministerial conduct! It remains to be
seen whether the Presbytery of Angus will stand by that part of the
deliverance and therefore conclude that the minister concerned cannot be
inducted.
But in
the meantime, and in view of the devastation caused throughout the Church and
in our congregation, I would refer briefly to several points:
- The first thing to say is
that none of this has anything to do with prejudice or s-called
homophobia. I don’t know whether
people have noticed or not, but I and others who have been called upon
to make public comment have not even mentioned the name of the minister
concerned. it is a matter of
principle, not of personalities.
Homosexual people are to be valued and welcomed like all others,
and I hope that there would never be any anti-homosexual attitudes among
us.
- It has constantly been put to
me (in the various interviews I gave on behalf of Forward Together) that
times have changed and the Church needs to change its standards if it
hopes to attract people today.
To that I have said: why
would anyone respect a Church that changes its standards according to
whichever way the wind is blowing?
- Thirdly, some have felt: why all the fuss about this
issue. It has been pointed out
that some ministers have in the past questioned fundamental doctrines (deity
of Christ, His resurrection, etc) and have not been disciplined. In response, we point out that in
such cases, individuals were failing - whereas now the Church itself has
declared good that which God calls sinful. That has crossed a line.
- Others have said: isn’t Christianity all about love and
acceptance? Well, of course
Christianity is about love and acceptance, but love and truth go
together, and it cannot be either loving or right to bless that which is
not right in God’s sight.
- Finally, some have said - why
should it affect us; can’t we simply go on with faithful Christian
witness in our own Church and parish, adhering to what is the Church’s
proper position. The problem is that we ARE part of the Church of
Scotland, a Church which has “brought shame on the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ and His Church by publicly proclaiming as holy what God the
Bible and orthodox Christianity all down the ages and all over the world
unanimously calls sin” (Fellowship of Confessing Churches)..
I say all
of these things with a very heavy heart, without malice toward anyone, and with
a great desire to see the Church return to the Lord God and His truth.
So, where
do we stand?
In
concluding this brief statement, I simply ask for two things:
for much prayer and a little patience:
- prayer for our congregation
and for our elders as they meet,
- prayer for Aberdeen
Presbytery and especially those who have been maligned,
- and for the Presbytery of
Angus, which could just possibly still prevent this huge mistake
& for
a little patience
- I know some may be inclined
to depart from the Church of Scotland now. There are several things that could
be said about that, but I would simply ask for a little patience
- until it is seen whether the
induction does in fact go ahead,
- until our elders have had a
chance to consider appropriate action,
- until I too consider my
position.
- I know too that some do not
want to give any further financial support to Church of Scotland as a
denomination, though obviously it is part of Christian discipleship to
give to the Lord - and I shall be asking the elders to consider this
matter also.
In
earlier years, I would never have believed that we could land in this
situation of today; and my somewhat laboured plea is for a little patience
and much prayer. Let’s pray now . . .
David
Randall
|
