Watertown Moravian Church
From the Pastor
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From the Pastor …
It wasn’t really a debate. It was an opportunity for people on two “sides” of a report
brought to the Synod floor to speak in favor of or opposed to it. The report,
brought out of the Mission Team dealing with Ministry at the Cross-roads, dealt with
whether or not the Moravian Church, Northern Province, would recognize the call to
ministry of homosexual individuals which might lead to ordination and service as
pastors.
Laypersons and clergy spoke with great passion on both sides of this ‘issue.’ For
some it is very personal, having siblings or children who are homosexuals. For
some it is theological or Biblical, sighting scripture passages that speak to
homosexuality. For some it is a question of justice, sighting that the Northern
Province has less than 7% of the world’s Moravians as members and that most
Moravians world-wide do not and cannot speak about homosexuality.
The majority report from the Mission Team was voted down, to recognize the call of
homosexuals (who are either celibate or in a publicly recognized, committed
monogamous same-sex relationship), in a close vote, the report was defeated. In
its place, the Minority Report from the same Mission Team was later accepted.
That report places the responsibility for developing and distributing study and
discussion materials to all the congregations in the Northern Province. The report
has a time table attached. These congregational discussions will take place prior
to the District Synods of 2012. Time at the District Synods will be dedicated to
further study and discussion of homosexuality. The topic will again be discussed
at the Provincial Synod of 2014.
This was the “hot” topic for the 2010 Synod. It has the possibility of division and
dissention within congregations, between congregations, and within the world-wide
Unity. It is up to each one of us to pray, study, listen, and discuss homosexuality
with respect and love for one another. All of us probably have an opinion on this.
Talk with Joe Harris, Rachel Sterwald or me about our Synod experience with this
topic.
Above all, let us hold fast to our motto: In essentials, Unity; in non-essentials,
Liberty; in all things LOVE.