By Alexander F Venter (alexanderventer.com) LGBTI & THE CHURCH By Alexander F Venter (alexanderventer.com)

5 Key Areas of Application Implications from biblical hermeneutics & ethics, applied to Church’s response & pastoral practice: Attendance and membership Communion Baptism Baby Dedication Ministry and Leadership 2

Some Guiding Principles Three Positions: Non-Welcoming & Non-Affirming, Welcoming & Affirming Welcoming & Non-Affirming = what follows here The (S)spirit of the Church’s response: Genuinely welcoming – the scandalous love of the Prodigal Father & Jesus – but with radical ethics Being Spirit led: Case by case – guided by biblical ethics – avoiding literalist or legalistic ethics Repenting of prejudice and judgment (the world’s – LGBTI – perception of ‘the Church’) 3

Guiding Principles Defining ‘homophobia’: fear of same-sex intimacy. Labeling a person ‘homophobic’ who disagrees with LGBTI (sexual) practice is slander. The danger of PC, the hate speech bill and identity politics. We walk alongside and pastor those struggling with orientation and identity issues but we draw a line on same-sex practices. ALL sexual sin is treated in the same way, both heterosexual and homosexual, or pre-marital or ‘living together’ sex, etc. All this and what follows is qualified: I speak for myself and the family of churches I belong to. 4

Attendance and Membership Attendance at public meetings is open to ALL. Clearly, this is our gospel mandate. The movement from contact to attendance, to regular worship, to getting to know, to relationship, then to dialogue and disclosure… For most churches, membership policies will in practice collapse into policies for the communion table and believer’s baptism. Involvement in home groups is welcomed. One would draw the line either at a person being argumentative, pushing a “gay lobby” ideology, or at a person making an issue of, or rejecting, attendance of a gay person. 5

Communion We focus more on the function of the communion, not on debates about the substance of the elements. We don’t adopt a closed table; e.g. Who has a seat? Jesus’ meals with sinners; e.g. Judas at last supper. 1 Corinthians 11 exhortations are about inclusion, not exclusion. “Discerning the body” means including everyone Christ includes. No moral “fitness” is required, but consciousness of our own sinfulness, helplessness and need for grace. The exception to this is withholding communion from a Christian who is under church discipline due to repeated unresolved sin (e.g. 1 Cor 5;1f). 6

Baptism An initiatory right into Christian faith, often soon after conversion (as in the NT), not that which follows a lengthy process of catechism. Preparing new believers for baptism, we do our best to present the Lordship of Christ and the commitment involved. A helpful resource is “My Heart Christ’s Home” (Robert Munger). We offer baptism to all who sincerely want to follow Christ, even if they still struggle with various kinds of weaknesses… as long as they’re ‘in process’ However, if a candidate puts up a “no trespassing” sign on any clear ethical issue that runs counter to scripture and the stated ethical policy of the church, then we rather postpone baptism. 7

Baby Dedication There is very slim evidence for it in the bible. It is a church right, not an ordinance of Christ. We often use it for evangelistic purposes. Preparation of the parents can provide an opportunity for presenting the gospel and for describing the biblical view of the family. My opinion – and our church practice – is to draw a line at public displays of same-sex parenting. (Otherwise, use a private ‘blessing of the child’ as an evangelism opportunity, as long as one explains nothing ‘magic’ happens to the child – and there’s no endorsement of ‘same-sex parents’!) 8

Ministry and Leadership Participation in ministry is open to people who are working with their orientation, but not practicing it – and it depends on what level and degree of ministry and sphere of participation. Leadership is different: moral qualifications are attached to leadership in the NT (e.g. 1 Timothy 3). It is primarily an issue of modeling & public trust. E.g. No sex – of whatever form – outside of heterosexual marriage is permitted, and leaders found doing so should be subject to discipline. And we do not permit a Vineyard pastor or leader (or any ‘official member’) to perform, bless or officiate at a same-sex ‘marriage’ or civil union. 9

Our Church Constitution… clause Vineyard Community Centre (VCC) is the legal property of Following Jesus, on which it conducts its ministry. VCC and all its facilities may be rented out on occasion for various community functions – as deemed permissible by the Oversight Team, who reserve the right of entry and usage. The belief and definition of marriage in point 15 of the Statement of Faith (in Section III) prohibits any facility to be rented out or used, or any minister or member or outside person, to conduct a ceremony or celebration of same-sex unions, or so-called marriage other than what is defined in the Statement of Faith. 10

15. WE BELIEVE marriage is a holy institution ordained by God exclusively between a naturally born man and a naturally born woman as per God’s created design in Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:27-28 and 2:23-24. “Marriage” or “married” is the biblical word for a permanent, binding covenant, entered into before God, a community and civil society, between one natural man and one natural woman. This is the context in which sexual intimacy, for the purpose of mutual love and procreation of children, is to be expressed. This is the concept Paul uses in the New Testament with regard to qualification for leadership, instructing that a leader, if not single, should be “the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2, i.e. both to be sexually faithful within the marriage covenant). This excludes all other forms of sexual relationship, whether temporary or permanent. Such sexual behaviour or relationship disqualifies its participants from any leadership role in the church. 11