Below is a letter from the Baptist National leader in response to the Same Sex Marriage debate in parliament. This and the paper below may help shape your thinking and response to this topical issue.
Greetings everyone
Over the last few weeks the churches throughout New Zealand have been drawn into the debate about gay marriage. MP Louisa Wall's private members bill will be debated within Parliament very soon. This will require our churches to have an informed response to an impending redefinition of marriage within our New Zealand culture. The questions will come from people within our own churches as well as the local community.
At this stage NZ Baptists have not made any formal statement to the media. I have however put my name to a combined Heads of Churches statement that encourages MP's to withdraw their support for the bill. This decision reflects my own views on this subject. But I believe this also reflects the majority view of Baptists who uphold traditional views of marriage.
I'm grateful for our lecturing staff at Carey Baptist College who have put a lot of work into the biblical defence of traditional marriage. The college will be holding a conversation on same sex marriage at the college campus on the 13th of September at 7pm. This is open to all so I encourage your attendance to what promises to be a very informed presentation. [Below is a paper that was prepared late last year by Laurie Guy, Grant Harris and Merrilyn Withers called "The Missional and Pastoral Challenge of Sexuality in Church and Society Today."] This is a broader discussion than that of just gay marriage. It's well written and can be used to inform any discussion you have with your church leadership teams.
The gay marriage debate is a many sided one. Not all of us will agree with each other. Please remember that our response to society's questions as well as those who fellowship in our churches must be pastoral and caring as well as biblical. Many of us have gay friends, colleagues, family members and fellow worshippers. Gay people are precious to God and to us. Let's ensure that in our conversations with each other and with our wider community signals our concern for the sensitivities of this debate.
Yours in Christ,
Craig Vernall
Baptist National Leader
