Friday, January 17, 2014



This declaration was written last year at the height of the debate over “Reconciliation”. It is intended for use by parishes and diocese desiring to clarify the relationship between Christians and false teachers. Feel free to make use of it as you will with appropriate attribution.

Preamble

The Episcopal Church has formally and officially embraced through acts, resolutions, and canonical changes at General Convention a view of human sexuality that is in direct conflict with the word of God. Those bishops who allow same-sex blessings (or “marriages”) and/or who ordain non-celibate self-identified homosexual men and women in their dioceses and/or who support these actions in their teaching, preaching, and writing lead people away from the light of Christ and into the darkness.

The Apostle Paul wrote: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.(1st Corinthians 6:9-10)

And about those who encourage such sins Jesus said: “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”(Luke 17:1-2)

Heresy, as Bishop Fitz Allison wrote, is cruel. It is cruel because it offers joy and fulfillment but delivers emptiness and hopelessness because it is grounded in a misrepresentation of God’s nature and character. Therefore, the New Testament everywhere instructs Christian shepherds to identify false teachers and drive them from the flock of God.

Jesus says: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”(Matthew 7:15)

St. Paul writes: “there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.(Galatians 1:7-9)

St. John instructs: “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him stakes part in his wicked works.” (2nd John 9-11)

Those who teach that sexual relationships between two men or two women may be holy and blessed by God, or purport to bless such relationships, misrepresent and do great violence to the sacraments in general, to marriage, to Christian anthropology, to Holy Scripture, to authority in the Church, and to the Gospel. In no sense is a promoter of the belief that sexual relations between men or between women “orthodox” in his views of Scripture, the nature of man, the Fall, sin, repentance, redemption, transformation, the Church, sacraments, or the Gospel. In short, he is a false teacher who does not believe the Gospel.

Therefore, in obedience to Christ and for the sake of the souls under our care, we rectors, pastors, and parish leaders reject the authority and legitimacy of all bishops and church leaders who purport to believe the gospel and follow Christ while leading the people of God into darkness and sin.

And we commit to the following principles:

1. Since Christian fellowship necessarily involves mutual recognition of the legitimacy and validity of one another’s profession of faith, as well as congruence of belief in the same Gospel, Christian fellowship with false teachers who purport to be Christians, yet do not believe the Gospel and lead people away from Christ is impossible. Reconciliation in the church means restored fellowship. There can be no fellowship with false teachers unless and until they publicly repudiate their false teachings and repent for the injury they have done to the body of Christ

2. Christian mission involves both works of mercy and an articulation of the truths of the Christian faith. Those who reject the word of God do not engage in Christian mission. The “good works” they do tend only to obscure the cruelty of their teachings. Orthodox Christian leaders cannot engage in “common mission” with bishops, priests, or other leaders of a purportedly Christian organization who promote and embrace sexual sin without contributing to this obscuration. Therefore we reject all calls to engage in Christian mission with false teachers.

3. The success of the ministry of a false teacher adds greater influence and authority to his office and teachings. More souls are set at risk, the body of Christ injured, the glory of Christ diminished. Therefore we will not cooperate, collaborate, promote, or aid the ministry of false teachers in any way.

4. It is possible and even desirable to cooperate in civic or humanitarian efforts with leaders of other religious faiths and those with no faith at all. False teachers, however, purport to be Christian teachers. Christian leaders cannot participate in or promote such efforts by or with false teachers under the common banner of “Christian” without legitimizing their claims. Therefore while we will make every effort to build relationships with people of other faiths and with them reach out to those in need, we will not take part in any humanitarian social or civic ministry that in any way legitimizes the office of a false teacher.

5. There is room within the church for honest debate regarding those issues that scripture does not clearly and explicitly address. Homosexual behavior is not one of those issues. There is, therefore, no need for a “dialog” process. The division that has occurred is not the result of a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified or noisy unthinking reactionism that might be remedied by a period of “listening”. The scriptures have been violated, Christ has been betrayed. There are only two words to be spoken to false teachers: “repent” and “recant” along with the assurance that forgiveness and warm welcome await those who heed the call. We will not take part in the indaba process which results only in providing false teachings and false teachers with equal footing and equal voice alongside the teachings of Christ through his apostles.

6. There is room within the church for honest debate regarding those issues that scripture does not clearly and explicitly address. Homosexual behavior is not one of those issues. There is, therefore, no need for a “dialog” process. The division that has occurred is not the result of a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified or noisy unthinking reactionism that might be remedied by a period of “listening”. The scriptures have been violated, Christ has been betrayed. There are only two words to be spoken to false teachers: “repent” and “recant” along with the assurance that forgiveness and warm welcome await those who heed the call. We will not take part in the indaba process which results only in providing false teachings and false teachers with equal footing and equal voice alongside the teachings of Christ through his apostles.

7. God alone brings sinners to repentance and false teachers to the light of truth. He does so through his word proclaimed and the prayers of his people. We commit to speak, teach, and preach God’s word regarding human sexuality with clarity and boldness, to pray daily for the redemption of those enslaved by sexual sin, and to seek God’s graceful intervention in the minds and hearts of those who have led them astray.

8. While human sexuality is not up for debate in the church, questions about the nature of marriage and the gift of sexuality are the source of great cultural turmoil in North America. The Church must not shrink back in the face of increasing political, social, popular and, legal pressure either to affirm homosexual behavior or to remain silent. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit “to convict the world of sin” and, thereby, to bring sinners to repentance. We commit to engage the secular proponents of non-celibate homosexuality, contend for the faith, and to speak the truth with gentleness and respect.

9. Those who struggle with same sex attraction and those who are enslaved by sexual sin of all kinds are, like all human beings, both image-bearers of the living God and ravaged by the effects of disobedience and rebellion. God sent his Son Jesus Christ to save sinners. It is not the well who need the Physician but the sick. The Church Jesus established is to be a hospital for sinners. We commit to welcome, accept, and support all who seek Jesus Christ and who are willing to struggle, by his grace, against the deadly power of sin.

10. Teachers in the Church are accountable to the word of God. Rank and high office in the Church come with increased responsibility to live and speak as ambassadors of Christ. Leaders must submit both their words and their deeds to the measure of scripture. We willingly submit to biblically faithful correction and accountability and commit to hold one another to fidelity to the truth of the Gospel and to our vows.

11. Christians are called to live lives of repentance. In carrying out all of these commitments we recognize that we fail and fall in many ways every day personally and professionally. It is by grace alone that we are saved through faith and this is not of ourselves, it is a gift from God and not of works that no man should boast. We commit to confess our sins daily and to seek God’s grace and mercy remaining mindful of our weaknesses

No comments: