It was reported earlier this week in the New Zealand Herald the “bisexual daughter of a conservative Christian pastor” has “teamed up with a gay minister to launch a new church where LGBTI people don’t have to hide”.
The Auckland-based Open Table Ministries website says: “We would like to plant an Evangelical affirming Church with the LGBTQIA+ Christian in mind with various ministries which cater towards LGBTQIA Christian living”.
Kudos to them. Rather than demanding that certain existing churches accept people supposedly participating in sinful activities, those two young people started their own church.
Christian denominations in New Zealand are private institutions. Accordingly, like any other private institution, churches can and do make their own rules and regulations. If you don’t like the rules, it’s simple: don’t go to church, find another church, or as in this case – make your own church.
And that’s what has always happened – whether it be the Schism, the Reformation, or Brian Tamaki setting up Destiny Church – the majority of Christian denominations were established because of theological and-or political differences with an existing church.
Speaking of Tamaki – who coincidentally is my whanaunga from Te Kōpua marae – Stuff reported in June that Destiny Church is showing “signs of embracing the Rainbow or LGBTQI community” after he “apologised for years of offensive remarks about gay people”.
Tamaki’s previous views on homosexuality are held by many Christians. For example, the official Vatican website says sacred scripture condemns homosexual acts and restricts marriage to between a man and a woman.
A couple of years ago, Pope Francis reiterated the Catholic view when he declared that: “In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection.”
The largest Christian denomination in New Zealand – the Anglican Church – has moved in the other direction.
Two years ago, the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia agreed to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages and civil unions. It is important to note that it is merely a “blessing of” same-sex marriages and civil unions – not actual marriage ceremonies.
The radical move by the general synod led to a recent split in Anglican membership and the establishment of a new Anglican body, the Church of Confessing Anglicans of Aotearoa New Zealand. The new group has proclaimed its members are “not bigots” or “an angry group of conservatives” for holding steadfast that “marriage is the lifelong union of a man and a woman”, which is also the view of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Anglicans and their mother church – the Church of England – have been struggling with the idea of same-sex marriage for a long time.
A distant relative of mine, Peter Elers (1930-1986), vicar of an Anglican church in Thaxted, Essex, is reported to have “caused controversy in 1976 by coming out as gay at a conference and by allegedly blessing two lesbian partnerships in Thaxted Church. The following year he again declared his homosexuality on a BBC TV documentary.”
So, where am I going with all of this? It’s simple, we are lucky that we live in the ‘’free world’’, where we can pursue freedom of religion if we so choose. The newly established Open Table Ministries can promote “LGBTQIA Christian living” and the Anglican-breakaway can refuse to bless same-sex marriages and civil unions. Whatever floats your boat.
On December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
Article 18 says: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19 says: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
As Neil Young said: “Keep on rockin’ in the free world.”
- Steve Elers is an academic who lives in Palmerston North, who writes on social and cultural issues.
- First published in the Manawatu Standard.
- Republished with permission of the author.