Author Topic: Church schisms  (Read 15722 times)

Chenier

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Re: Church schisms
« Reply #15: February 13, 2014, 01:56:57 AM »
Which is why only part of the Presbyterian church joined the united movement. United does not need to infer a single moral authority. Part of the entire point of the Uniting Church was to demonstrate that groups which had previously felt the need to identify as separate denominations could indeed function as a single church while still maintaining the separate articles of faith and interpretations important to them. The National Assembly is the centralised moral Authority, however unlike some other denominations it does not seek to make rulings on every facet of the faith. There are central articles that are deemed important, outside of that there is considerable leeway and discussion and debate is a central part of the church.

When article 52 was approved, allowing for gay and lesbian ministers it had an important restriction. It was left to each congregation to decide if they consent to allowing a gay minister to be assigned to their church. In this case the Assembly has the power and moral authority to declare that the larger church and the colleges that train ministers are allowed to ordain gay and lesbian ministers, but since the community is not of "one mind" in this matter it did not have the authority to decree their acceptance throughout the church. This should come as no surprise, decision making within the Church requires a unanimous consensus among those gathered.

Yea, well, in my eyes, there's little "United" about a Church were member denominations come and go as they please.
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