World Vision: Lingering Questions 

By the Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
 

Many of you will have read World Vision's (WV) announcement of its intent to hire gay Christians in same-sex Marriages on March 24, and World Vision's reversal of that decision by its Board on March 28. The American Anglican Council applauds and thanks the Board of World Vision for their reconsideration and the following statement:

"The Board acknowledges they made a mistake and chose to revert to our longstanding conduct policy requiring sexual abstinence for all single employees and faithfulness between the Biblical covenant of marriage between a man and a woman."

Faithful Anglicans will recognize this as the same standard we have been given by the Bible and expressed in our own Anglican Communion teaching in Lambeth Conference Resolution 1.10 (1998).

Nevertheless, the original lengthy explanation by World Vision's President Richard Stearns "Why we're hiring Gay Christians in Same-Sex Marriages" contains at least three assertions that seem to go unchallenged in the March 28 statement by the charity's board. These unchallenged assertions by their President leave one wondering what will be the long term trajectory of WV:

"Same-sex marriage has only been a huge issue in the church in the last decade or so. There used to be much more unity among churches on this issue, and that's changed."

Does the lack of unity among churches require or even invite faithful Christians to suspend their judgment on any issue directly addressed by the Bible? The Bible is very clear in its teaching on human sexuality and marriage, as the Board noted in its statement of reversal on March 28. Yet Stearns said on March 24 that the board of WV was "overwhelmingly in favor" of the change-even if not unanimous....Read more.