Assembly '97 News Home page Documents	Pastoral letter to all people of the Uniting Church in Australia from the President, the Rev John Mavor 5 September 1997 Dear friends, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you. I am pleased to write to you and share some of the deep things in my spirit. Since the Assembly met in Perth in July there has been considerable tension in some parts of the church. So I want in this letter to: correct some misconceptions about the Assembly in Perth; inform you of some decisions of the Assembly Standing Committee; seek your support for the great task of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Assembly The Eighth Assembly in Perth was an amazing experience of God’s love and power. I am deeply grateful to all the people, congregations and presbyteries who upheld the Assembly in prayer. There is no doubt that God acted. Rev Rod James of South Australia wrote in New Times, the journal of the South Australian Synod “..I believe we saw the sovereign hand of God upon the Assembly in the sexuality debate”. I agree with that completely. The Assembly, consisting of members from every part of the church, discussed an enormous range of issues. Its decisions will have a very positive impact on the church, on such matters as our local church structures, the place of the Basis of Union, our commitment to evangelism, the way we train ministers, our understanding and use of the Bible, the accountability of our ministers, and further steps in covenanting. In the debate on sexuality, people dealt with each other with great respect, acting and speaking thoughtfully and absolutely honestly. Assembly listened very carefully to the voices of the church represented in the thousands of responses to the Interim Report on Sexuality, to the views of Aboriginal members and migrant-ethnic members, to the Evangelical Members of the Uniting Church, to gay and lesbian church members, to church members who had turned away from homosexuality. The sense of trying to seek God’s will was very real. I am very concerned that some people (not those in Perth) have said “Assembly decided nothing”. That is simply not true. In fact, the Assembly approved many resolutions on sexuality, including affirmation of the “joys and responsibilities of God’s good gift of sexuality”, an important statement on marriage, steps on education for marriage, and the denouncing of all sexual practices which are exploitative and demeaning. On the most difficult, complex and controversial matter of homosexuality, the Assembly, in a seven part resolution, unanimously decided to commit the church to a continuing dialogue, and requested three former Presidents to recommend the next steps to the Standing Committee. The Assembly declared its desire that this continuing dialogue be characterised by “the same spirit of openness and compassion that has prevailed during the meeting of this Assembly”. The lack of this spirit in parts of the church since the Assembly concerns me greatly. Assembly Standing Committee At its meeting in late August, Standing Committee spent much time considering the reactions throughout the church to the Assembly’s decisions on sexuality. It received reports from the General Secretary and from me on the correspondence received since Perth, from the synods on responses of the church in their areas, from the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, from our migrant-ethnic leaders, and from the three former Presidents. The Committee has complete confidence in the process being followed by Jill Tabart, D’Arcy Wood and Ron Wilson, as they consider their recommendations to Standing Committee for the next steps on sexuality. I am disappointed that I need to ask the church to respect that process. Among the resolutions taken by Standing Committee were: acceptance of the request from the Rev Dr Dorothy McRae-McMahon that she be permitted to resign immediately from her position as Assembly Director for Mission; acceptance of explanations made by the Rev Gregor Henderson in relation to statements he made in Perth, and affirmation of his continuing ministry as Assembly General Secretary; withdrawal of the section on “Same Sex Relationships” in the paper “Current Policy on Homosexuality” distributed at and after the Assembly, on the grounds that those 1991 and 1992 decisions referred to a specific situation and are not a general policy. Forward together – moving with God’s Spirit Now that these decisions are made, I fervently hope and pray that as a Uniting Church we can focus on the great mission tasks that are before us. A lot of energy is being given at the moment to disputes with each other, but that is not the way Christians are called to behave. Surely we can see each other as part of the one great ministry of the Uniting Church expressed in so many ways in Australia and overseas. I trust that people can share their financial resources gladly in this task instead of talking about financial boycotts which could cripple the work of the Gospel. At the Communion service at the close of the Assembly I preached on Ephesians 4:3 – “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”. I believe that verse is relevant now. Of course we will want to discuss and disagree with each other. Let us do it in private mail and in the councils of the church and in “the unity of the Spirit”. This is a marvellous church. God is beckoning us to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to worship creatively, to reach out to people who do not know Jesus Christ, and to be deeply involved in witness and service. I have not yet been able to respond to all who have written to me since the Assembly, but I will. I encourage you to write if you have a concern. I encourage you too in the great tasks to which God has called us. God’s blessing be on you and on the Uniting Church at this time. Your President, John Mavor introduction to revised sexuality report full recommendations of the Assembly Task Group on Sexuality sexuality proposals introduced in Assembly one small step on sexuality policy recognise with sadness inability to reach further agreement commitment of Church to be inclusive

"The Uniting Church affirms that it belongs to the people of GOD on the way to the promised end." Basis of Union, Revised edition published 1992