NR #1995-101: For Immediate Release Text of Classis Grand Rapids East Study Committee Report on Ministry with Persons who are Homosexual [The full report of this committee is 11 pages long in its original format and available upon request. The complete text of Sections VI, VII, and VIII is presented here, together with the majority and minority report originally submitted to Classis Grand Rapids East. Material in brackets is inserted for explanatory purposes only and is not part of the report.] VI. Some Parameters for Ministry With Persons Who Are Homosexual. The following parameters are offered as a summary of how the issues addressed in the report might be applied towards ministries with persons who are homosexual; they should be seen neither as exhaustive nor as a minimum checklist for any such ministry. 1. The need for ministry with persons who are homosexual, family members and friends of persons who are homosexual, and persons who are struggling with their sexual identity is considerable. These needs should be addressed not just by the ministries of individuals in the Christian community but through one or more organized ministries. 2. Ministry should begin within the local congregation and church by a. making resources known to the congregation (including the training of elders and ministers), b. inviting leaders of special ministry groups to conduct adult education programs and to participate in worship, c. offering facilities for the functions of these ministries. 3. CRC-supported ministries in Grand Rapids should a. be wholistically oriented to the entire person and Christian community; it should pursue the goals of enabling persons who are homosexual, family members or friends of persons who are homosexual, and persons who are struggling with their sexual identity, to be integral persons in the Christian community faithful to Christ without segregating such persons from the community. b. be evangelical, seeking to serve and broaden God's kingdom beyond the membership of a church or the borders of a classis, c. be integrated with the other ministries of the classis and denomination, d. be broadly supported, minimally by an entire classis, with a goal towards achieving support by neighboring classes; such support might include prayer support, publicizing the availability of ministry services, invitations to conduct educational presentations or worship services (if ministry is led by an ordained minister), and/or financial support. e. be led by a part-time or full-time director (preferably ordained) under the direction of a special board committed to the ministry and to the Christian Reformed Church through a classis and church. f. enable congregations to fulfill their missions in this area. 4. An organized ministry should serve as an educational resource for the people of our classis and neighboring classes providing information about current developments, various alternative ministries and counseling approaches. This will require that the director and board leadership be characterized by commitment, knowledge, and critical discernment, and that they be given sufficient resources and access to pertinent materials. 5. The director and board will need to carefully assess several sensitive, critical issues. How best can this ministry proceed to a) meet the needs of persons who are homosexual, the family members and friends of persons who are homosexual, and persons struggling with their sexual identity, and b) garner the support of the Christian community? Some questions will be unique to the issues of homosexuality, but other questions will have parallels in how our churches minister to and with persons who may be sexually active outside marriage in either faithful or promiscuous relationships. VII. Additional Parameter - Minority and Majority Reports [Language adopted October 19, 1995] 6. These ministries should work with everyone in Christian community to discern what it means to live lives faithful to Jesus Christ. [The following language was added to the report on March 30, 1995. It was considered by Classis Grand Rapids East on May 18, 1995 and referred to the church councils for study. On October 19, 1995, Classis Grand Rapids East again considered this language and amended it to become the statement cited above. Please note that neither the majority nor the minority report were adopted by Classis Grand Rapids East in their original form but were instead replaced by the above statement from the majority report.] A. Majority Report 6. Ministries with persons who are homosexual should not be contingent upon declaring homosexual activity as sin or as distinctive evidence of the fall. To do so is to give an incomplete moral testimony to the issues of homosexuality with the potential harm in practice of closing ministry with many persons who are homosexual. Instead, these ministries should work with everyone in Christian community to discern what it means to live lives faithful to Jesus Christ. Rationale: This report does not address whether or how homosexual orientation or practice may be considered a sin. It does not do so for three reasons. First, such an address is not included in our mandate. Second, the members of the committee were appointed with the original mandate in mind and because we possess interests and abilities related to the original mandate, though without special expertise in either Old or New Testament hermeneutics and exegesis to adequately begin to address this theological question. Third, considerable scholarly work by individuals as well as several major, mainstream denominational study committees composed of individuals with hermeneutical expertise over the past two decades have attempted but failed to acheive consensus on this issue. Respectfully Submitted, Hessel Bouma III, chair David Holquist Gladys Verhulst Betty Zylstra A. Minority Report 6. The brokenness of humanity resulting from the fall has distorted all aspects of our personality, including our sexuality, so that no one's sexuality functions as God originally intended. The homosexual orientation is one form of such distortion, one that usually is not of the person's own choice or decision. The church must both hope for and direct her ministry toward whatever restoration of our sexuality to its original form is possible. Where such restoration is either limited or not possible, she must minister with compassion, encouragement, and support. At all times the church must call all her members to a life of obedience to God's provision of marriage as the proper relationship for the expression of genital sexuality. Amplification: As a result of the fall our sexuality is distorted in many ways. Sometimes it is not functional at all, for others it is hyperactive. For reasons often as yet unknown the sexual drive is sometimes misdirected to persons or objects other than those whom God intended; sometime articles of clothing, non-sexual parts of the body, or to pictures and fantasies rather than persons. The homosexual orientation is one form of such misdirection. Sometimes this misdirection seems to have occurred at an early age, prior to age seven or ten years old, even as some evidence suggests, resulting from a genetic predisposition. In other cases traumatic incidents such as sexual abuse during the significant developmental years between eleven and fourteen seem to have shaped the sexuality so that the person's orientation is toward those of the same gender. To lay blame on such a person for her or his condition is both cruel and unjust. However, all persons, whatever the shape or condition of their sexual nature, are responsible for their behaviors. And it is the church's responsibility to call all persons to a life of obedience to all of God's commandments related to our sexual behaviors. When we fall short of such obedience, the church must proclaim a gospel of grace and forgiveness. The church must also pray, hope, and minister for the restoration of all of creation, including the human personality and more specifically our sexuality, to its original form and intentions. Whatever restoration possible comes about through a variety of means, certainly not limited to a single form of therapy. Sometimes this restoration is quite limited, sometimes impossible. In such instances the church must double her efforts to show compassion, encouragement, and support to such persons as tbey seek to live obediently to God. Respectfully Submitted, James Bradley Mel Hugen VIII. Classis Recommendations Recommendations suggested by classis on January 19, 1995 (Article 8.3, Minutes of Classis Grand Rapids East): 1. Commend the report to the church councils for study 2. Make the report available to the membership of our churches 3. Identify a person in Classis to serve as a focus where churches could report their activities in this area, share information between churches, and suggest actions to Classis. * this motion was tabled until the May meeting of classis [At its May 18 meeting, Classis Grand Rapids East voted to "refer" rather than "commend" the report to the church councils for study. At the October 19, 1995 meeting, Classis Grand Rapids East voted to send the report to the church councils for study and make it available to the membership of its churches. The third motion to identify a person in classis was given to the Classical Interim Committee to prepare a specific proposal for implementation.] ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-101.txt .