HOMOSEXUALITY ISSUES

October 30, 1997

Religion Today (Goshen)

(PCUSA)

A regional synod of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has ruled that a homosexual elder may retain his ordination. Knox Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati did not violate any rules by ordaining the man, who didn" t acknowledge his sexual orientation to the ordination board, the synod concluded. The elder has subsequently revealed his homosexuality to a church group and is listed in the church directory as living with another man, according to news reports. "At no point was the church leadership able to conclude that a declaration of sexual orientation had been made," the synod said. An appeal can still be made to the General Assembly's Permanent Judicial Commission. Church rules forbid a "self-affirming, practicing homosexual" from holding an ordained position in the church.

Homosexual issue (Lutheran Church)

The Lutheran Church in Denmark has unanimously approved same-sex marriage. Clergy in the state-supported church have fought over the issue for more than a decade, but resolved the issue this week. The ruling allows gay and lesbian couples to have their marriages officially sealed in the church, according to news reports.

November 17, 1997

Religion Today (Goshen)

Emory University will allow same-sex "marriage" vows in its chapel. In allowing use of the chapel for the vows, the board of trustees at the Methodist-affiliated Atlanta university also strictly limited the services by requiring that a religious leader from one of the 24 religious groups on campus perform the ceremonies. The policy effectively excludes most campus homosexuals, including Methodists, since only the Reformed Jewish leader and the United Church of Christ leader on campus perform ceremonies for homosexual couples.

November 26, 1997

Bishop Spong rebukes Anglican leaders for 'prejudice' on gay issue

New York (ENI). One of the most controversial Episcopal

(Anglican) bishops in the United States, John S. Spong of Newark, New

Jersey, has sharply criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury and other

Anglican bishops for what he sees as their negative statements about

homosexuality. Bishop Spong's criticisms indicate that homosexuality is

likely to be a major focus at the Lambeth Conference - a gathering of the

world's Anglican bishops - in England in August next year.

[According to Bill Merrill of SBC LIFE, one of the results of theological drift in the mainline denominations is a relaxing of morals in the area of the tollerance or acceptance of homosexuality. Isn't this an indicator of apostacy?]

WOMEN AS PASTORS

November 18, 1997

Baptists make history with appointment of woman superintendent

London (ENI). Baptists in England and Wales have appointed

their first-ever woman area superintendent - 75 years after the

admission of women as pastors. The appointment is believed to be a

world first for Baptists.

[The English seem to have a habit of doing things backwards to the rest of the world! Anyway, usually we see women being put into leadership in other areas first, then as pastors later. In this case at least, this is reversed.]

ENCROACHING ECUMENISM

November 25, 1997

Dutch Protestants celebrate 200 years of mission work

Rotterdam (ENI). Protestant churches which are active in world

mission  should cooperate more with evangelicals and Pentecostals and,

if necessary, with members of other faiths, a major gathering on mission

held last weekend in Rotterdam has been told. The gathering was

organised by the two main Protestant churches in The Netherlands to

mark the forthcoming 200th anniversary, on 19 December, of missionary

work by Dutch Protestants.

[How may genuine Christians do "missions" (evangelism) in conjunction with "other faiths"?]

November 28, 1997

Church of England votes to start unity talks with Methodists

London (ENI). The Church of England's governing general synod

voted this week to start "formal conversations" about unity with the

Methodist Church. The Methodist Church will now decide whether to

back the initiative, but this will not be until their conference in June next

year.

APOSTACY

November 26, 1997

Canadian church rejects calls for leader's dismissal for his

views on Jesus Vancouver, Canada (ENI). Canada's biggest

Protestant church, the United Church of Canada,  has been in turmoil for

several weeks since a major newspaper published an article about the

church's new moderator under the headline "Jesus is not

God".

[The full article on this was even worse than it sounds here!]

Evangelicals and Catholics Together

November 25, 1997

Baptist Press

Southern Baptist Convention theologians are criticizing a statement on faith signed by Roman Catholics and Protestants. Signers hailed agreement...

..."Baptist evangelicals don't have any business signing any doctrinal consensus papers with Rome" until Catholics revise doctrinal positions on sacramental grace, purgatory, and other teachings, said Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson.

[Interestingly unlike the muffled response to the original and much worse ECT, SBC leaders have been very vocal about opposition to this latest report from the ECT initiative group.]