Speaking at the end of the debate, Rev Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland acknowledged that the church had caused hurt and pain to people adding, “And if as a church, by the way we’ve done our business, perhaps we didn’t have a holistic report last year, have caused hurt and pain, we should say sorry…” adding that, “We should try to do that much better than we sometimes do.”
During the session, the Task Group that was set up to develop appropriate training with a clear pastoral tone that could be offered to local congregations ‘on the theology and practice of the Church’s understanding of a ‘credible profession of faith’ and the pastoral guidelines on homosexuality’, presented its report for discussion.
Talking about the remit that last year’s General Assembly had given the Task Group, its Convener, the former Moderator, Very Rev Dr Alistair Dunlop, admitted that, to produce a resource for the Church on credible profession of faith with reference to same-sex attraction “may have seemed ‘doomed’ before it got off the ground…However, the task group is more optimistic than when we began last July when the job appeared somewhat of a poisoned chalice,” Dr Dunlop said.
During his speech he talked about a meeting that he had attended recently were Christians spoke about, what he described as “The pain and the stresses of living with same-sex attraction within the church.” The speakers had included a former PCI member, who Dr Dunlop said “identified as a gay Christian…the other was a parent of someone who identified as a gay Christian.” Another parent, from a PCI family joined them.”
Honesty and courage
Speaking of how impressed he had been with the honesty and courage with which they spoke as they “bared their souls” sharing their fears, concerns and frustrations they felt about the Church and its approach to this area, Dr Dunlop said, “If we have any fellow feeling at all, we surely must pay more attention to the angst that some of our fellow Christians go through…”
He continued by saying, “We must not be dismissive of people, or judgmental. People matter to God, all people, including our own members and families who live with same-sex attraction. They deserve the best we can offer in terms of genuine listening, prayerful support, and the intentional ordering of our congregations as real communities of welcome, grace and love…Tone is crucially important for we are followers of Jesus Christ, called to witness to our whole secular island about the good news - the offer to all of forgiveness, salvation and hope.”
The Task Group will present a resource on ‘credible profession’ and draft pastoral guidelines for consideration at the 2020 General Assembly. They will then be sent to the Church’s 19 regional presbyteries for consultation. Final consideration will then be given to both the resource and guidelines at the 2021 General Assembly.
Rev Trevor Gribben, said that the Task Group was “working very seriously with this issue of putting together our Church’s position, what we believe the Bible teaches about credible profession, but putting together what was missing last year; a warm, open, pastoral, caring, compassionate section to the [Doctrine Committee’s] report.”
All people matter to God
He reminded the General Assembly that it came to its decision in a democratic way, however the remit given to the Committee, “Was the narrow remit of just a theological report…Dr Dunlop’s Task Group is now trying to correct that omission…It’s trying to bring together what we believe about credible profession of faith, what we believe pastorally about what Alistair said at the beginning of his speech; that ‘all people matter to God’”.
In talking to about the many people he had seen and spoken to as a result of last year’s decision, and the correspondence that he had received, the Clerk said, “We as a church have hurt people…And if as a church by the way we’ve done our business, perhaps we didn’t have a holistic report last year, have caused hurt and pain, we should say sorry. But we should also struggle, as we have to do, as Bible believing Christians…with the full balance of God’s Word and try to apply that truth in a loving way to a world that is fallen, broken and in pain.
“We should try to do that much better than we sometimes do. We shouldn’t walk away from God’s truth, but we should find ways of expressing that, not just by our words but by who we are. And the way we love and the way we share the Good News of Jesus with all people,” he added.
“That’s a balance that every single one of us has in ministry, whether elders or ministers or youth leaders, that’s a balance we get wrong all the time, where we move one way too far. Too much truth without love, too much love without truth. Both lead us nowhere.”
Living the truth in love
Mr Gribben concluded by saying, “Pray for Alistair’s group as they seek to help us have that balance of speaking with truth and love and more importantly, living the truth in love.” The General Assembly was also asked to appoint a Task Group to recommend how best to clarify the vows taken at admission to full membership and at baptism, with a report coming to the 2020 General Assembly.
In a separate report, the Task Group looking at how decisions are made in PCI’s system of Presbyterian church government, what dissent formally means and how other forms of ‘dissent’ can be expressed and how General Assembly decisions can be changed, reported on their first year's work. The Task Group was set up after decisions taken last year caused considerable public discussion. Members of Assembly agreed today to send the report down to presbyteries for consultation at regional level before a final report will be brought to 2020’s General Assembly.
Throughout the day the denomination’s new Moderator, the 50-year-old minister of Maze Presbyterian Church in County Antrim, Rt Rev Dr William Henry chaired, or ‘moderated’ debate. It was the first of four days of debate by ministers and elders from the Church’s 500-plus congregations across Ireland. Meeting together in General Assembly they will continue to discuss a diverse range of church-related matters and public issues.
During the day Dr Henry received the delegates from both local and overseas denominations. These include delegates from Transylvanian Reformed Church, Greek Evangelical Church, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian and the Evangelical Christian Church of Halmahera in Indonesia – and closer to home.
The Church’s work overseas was highlighted, included the World Development Appeal, as was the work of the Linkage Commission which acts on behalf of the General Assembly in allocating ordained ministry and related financial resources to congregations.
This evening saw the first of three presentations this week. Tonight the Council for Congregational Life and Witness presented Beyond Ourselves. The session was a general challenge to congregations to be proactive in reaching beyond their existing membership and the wider local community. It also detailed five new resources to help the local congregation which were highlighted through presentations, DVD clips and interviews.
Other business was also before the General Assembly today.
Wednesday’s business will start 9.30 am with the Report of the Council for Public Affairs, which will update members of Assembly on a major project that the Church has been engaged in over the past 3 years, exploring how Presbyterians responded to the Troubles from1968 to 2000.
The aim of this significant undertaking is to tell a wider story than has been available to date, to acknowledge both what is good but also to reflect upon the times when Presbyterians failed to be faithful peacemakers.
The vast majority of business sessions and presentations will be open to the public and streamed live via this website. Wednesday’s worship service is at 12.15pm with the popular evening celebration at 7.45pm, and Thursdays worship service at 2.45pm.
You can also follow a live Twitter feed @pciassembly using the hashtag #PCIGA19 for all the General Assembly's public sessions. You can find details of each days business here. All news stories, Reports and daily draft minutes, can be found in the General Assembly Overview here.
Today's business commences at 9.30am. Proceedings will close on Friday, 7 June at 1.30pm.