Ordination meetings update

Ordination consultation meetings are continuing in South Australia, as well as moving into the LCA’s New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory and Queensland districts, this month.

Members of the church’s Western Australia district and those from Adelaide and the South Australian Riverland last month joined the discussion regarding the ordination of women and men in the LCA/NZ by attending consultation meetings in their areas.

District bishops and members of the LCA’s Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations (CTICR) are attending the meetings, which will be held in each district of the church to consider the CTICR’s draft doctrinal statement on the matter.

The commission has prepared the draft at the instruction of the LCA’s 2015 general synod, which requested that it present a theological basis for the ordination of both women and men, and why this need not be church divisive.

The OWL (Ordination We’re Listening) website at owl.lca.org.au/consultations has relevant materials and details of consultation meetings. Printed documents will be available at the consultations. The draft statement booklet also can be requested from the LCA National Office (email admin@lca.org.au or phone
08 8267 7300).

As at press time, the available details of consultations for May and June were as follows:

South Australia: Sunday 7 May 2017, 2.00pm – St Petri, Nuriootpa SA; Friday 19 May 2017, 9.15am – SA/NT pastors’ conference, Lutheran Homes, Hope Valley SA; Sunday 28 May 2017, 2.00pm – St John’s, Naracoorte SA; Sunday 25 June 2017, 2.00pm – Our Saviour, Port Lincoln SA

New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory: Tuesday 2 May 2017, 2.00pm – NSW/ACT pastors’ conference, Warrambui Retreat, Murrumbateman NSW; Saturday 3 June 2017, 9.00am – St Peter’s Lavington, Albury NSW; Sunday 4 June 2017, 2.00pm – Bethlehem, Wagga Wagga NSW; Saturday 24 June 2017, 9.00am – Immanuel, Lyons ACT; Sunday 25 June 2017, 2.00pm – St Paul’s, St Marys NSW

Queensland: Wednesday 31 May, 11.00am – Qld pastors’ conference, St Paul’s, Caboolture Qld