LCANZ leaders release statement on ordination actions

At their third special meeting on the division within the church over the ordination of women and men, the LCANZ’s General Church Board and College of Bishops agreed on three initial actions.

In August 2020, GCB and CoB released a report to the church with three potential scenarios they received from pastors and church members over the division in the church around the ordination of both women and men.

There were 48 formal or written responses from individuals and congregations to the scenarios. One district held a workshop, and a parish videoed a panel discussion and published it online.

In March 2021, GCB and CoB held a third special meeting to analyse and reflect on these responses.

Secretary of the Church Dr Nigel Long said the leaders had agreed on three initial actions in preparation for the July General Pastors Conference and September–October General Convention of Synod. A statement summarising the responses and three agreed actions has been released.

‘Church members and pastors continue to discuss the scenarios outlined in the August 2020 report’, Dr Long said. ‘The SA–NT District Convention will also be considering a proposal that has triggered some of the work we have actioned from the March 2021 meeting.

‘We pray that every one of us in the LCANZ will seek God’s strength to be kind and gracious to each other, to listen with open and soft hearts, and to put the best construction on what we see and hear, as we walk together in this ongoing conversation.’

The actions are:

1. The GPC is a theological advisor to the Synod and is scheduled to meet in July 2021. The GCB is formally asking the GPC to provide advice in advance of the General Convention on the relevance of Theses of Agreement (TA) 1 Principles governing church fellowship to the ongoing discussion about the ordination of both men and women in the LCA, with specific attention to the intent of TA 1.4 and the applicability or inapplicability of the process outlined in TA 1.4.e to the current debate.
2. The Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations will work (with the CoB) on framing questions and providing background papers for the GPC on the applicability/inapplicability of TA 1.
3. The GCB and the CoB will work together to frame any questions and/or proposals on the ordination matter that might be useful for the 2021 General Convention and for the wellbeing of the church.

Click here to download the statement.