Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 06:49:51 -0500 From: Darrell Todd Maurina Reply-To: Darrell128@aol.com Organization: Christian Renewal/United Reformed News Service Subject: NR 98102: Homosexuality Study Committee to Call CRC Synod to Repent of Lack of Ministry to Homosexuals NR #1998-102: Homosexuality Study Committee to Call Christian Reformed Synod to Repent of Lack of Ministry to Homosexuals "If we are going to begin ministry to homosexuals, we must confess our failure. We felt so strongly about this that our only recommendation for action coming to Synod 1999 is a call to repentance." That was what Dr. Melvin Hugen, convener of the Christian Reformed Church's synodical committee studying ministry to homosexuals, told the October 3 meeting of Classis Lake Erie. Hugen recognized that a call to repentance wasn't on the list of what people expected from his committee and said he wanted to make sure the committee's intentions weren't misunderstood. Whatever repentance means, Hugen said it wouldn't mean changing the CRC's official position, first articulated in 1973, that "homosexualism -- as explicit homosexual practice -- must be condemned as incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Holy Scripture." Hugen said the main concern of his committee was to implement other recommendations of the original committee calling the church to provide counseling and support services for homosexuals. Nevertheless, a celibate gay CRC minister who lost his ordination largely due to opposition to that stance said he was tentatively optimistic about the synodical study committee recommendation. "I'm very encouraged by his statement that synod needs to repent," said Lucas. "The recommendation of repentance seems to be very encouraging. At this point in the church's history that's about the only thing the church can do with any integrity." NR #1998-102: For Immediate Release: Homosexuality Study Committee to Call Christian Reformed Synod to Repent of Lack of Ministry to Homosexuals by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 27, 1998) URNS - "If we are going to begin ministry to homosexuals, we must confess our failure. We felt so strongly about this that our only recommendation for action coming to Synod 1999 is a call to repentance." That was what Dr. Melvin Hugen, convener of the Christian Reformed Church's synodical committee studying ministry to homosexuals, told the October 3 meeting of Classis Lake Erie. Hugen recognized that a call to repentance wasn't on the list of what people expected from his committee and said he wanted to make sure the committee's intentions weren't misunderstood. "This is not a public relations gimmick," said Hugen. "How can genuine repentance come into the life of the church? We aren't sure, but we mean it seriously." Whatever repentance means, Hugen said it wouldn't mean changing the CRC's official position, first articulated in 1973, that "homosexualism - as explicit homosexual practice - must be condemned as incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Holy Scripture." "A careful review of the literature clearly leads to the conclusion that no study or combination of studies have established any biological basis for the origin of homosexuality," said Hugen. Hugen also noted that the 1973 synodical committee - of which he was also a member - had addressed and rebutted arguments that Scripture doesn't condemn same-sex unions. "It's important to know that these reinterpretations are not new, they have been around for a long time," said Hugen. "With only a very few exceptions, every one of these reinterpretations were already addressed in 1973." "These reinterpretations have been unconvincing to the ruling bodies of all denominations except the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church, which is a gay and lesbian denomination," said Hugen. "No other denomination, liberal, conservative, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, any Presbyterian denomination, has found these reinterpretations to be convincing." Hugen said the main concern of his committee was to implement other recommendations of the original committee calling the church to provide counseling and support services for homosexuals. "We talked with at least five pastors in the Christian Reformed Church who are intensively and extensively involved in ministry to persons who are homosexual, with ministries which are part of the exodus network," said Hugen. "Some are homosexual, some are lesbian, others are mixed. These ministries are not unknown in the church, but they are all too rare." Retired Ann Arbor campus chaplain Rev. Don Postema challenged Hugen's support of ministries to homosexuals. Noting the cases of Jim Lucas, the celibate homosexual chaplain of the "As We Are" gay support group who lost his Christian Reformed ordination over his support for committed same-sex relationships, and alluding to the case of Don Bergman, who lost his teaching post at Kalamazoo Christian High School over the issue of supporting his homosexual son's desire for a monogamous same sex relationship, Postema asked Hugen how the church could be more supportive. "I like what you said about hospitality, but I think of homosexual young men, and of Jim Lucas, who has not been treated with hospitality, and that causes them to draw back," said Postema. Hugen said his committee wanted to call the church to be compassionate without compromise. "Jim Lucas was elected as an elder long after everyone knew he was gay and he wasn't rejected by his church, he was affirmed by his church," said Hugen. "I'm not saying he never experienced any rejection, but he was not rejected by his church. For Jim the issue was truly the issue of his views on same-sex relationships being against the position of the church, a moral issue." "It's hard for some people to make that distinction, but it's true, and for Jim Lucas that was the issue,' said Hugen. Lucas saw things in his local church differently and said he resigned from the consistory following Classis Grand Rapids East's decision. "I feel very hurt by Eastern Avenue church, the consistory in particular," said Lucas. "I feel that Eastern Avenue and Classis Grand Rapids East have slammed the door in my face, and that's how I feel. I'm sure they would deny that I'm unwanted but I feel unwanted." "I know that in some ways people at Eastern Avenue church and Classis Grand Rapids East did accept me in ways which were far greater than most churches in the denomination would have, and I appreciate that very much, however, I do feel as though the church and the classis really did not accept me fully as who I am; they only accepted their idea of who they wanted me to be," said Lucas. "Through the church's decisions not to call me and not to extend my credentials, they told me that I would be accepted into full membership only if I believed something which I have experienced to be emotionally and spiritually deadly, and that is the church's condemnation of faithful committed same-sex unions." Nevertheless, Lucas said he was tentatively optimistic about the synodical study committee recommendation. "I'm very encouraged by his statement that synod needs to repent," said Lucas. "The recommendation of repentance seems to be very encouraging. At this point in the church's history that's about the only thing the church can do with any integrity." "The question I would have is how is this going to really happen; it's important to say it, but how is it going to be lived out?" asked Lucas. "Repentance, biblically speaking, means turning around and going in the other direction. That's not just words, it's action, and the church is going to have do some soul searching about what sorts of actions it will take." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1993-017: Over 1200 Pack Calvin College Auditorium to Debate Gay Rights; Homosexual Activists Demand Equal Time for Views #1993-019: Anti-Gay Rights Speaker Triggers Uproar at Calvin College; Professor Renews Call for Ban on Outside Funding for College Republicans Lecture Series #1993-021: 3 Million Hear Noebel Counterattack Calvin College Regarding Gay Rights on National Christian Radio Program #1993-023: General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in America Calls Christian Reformed Church to "Repent of Its Sins"; Women in office, homosexuality, theistic evolution, deposition of conservative pastors cited as "departure from the Scriptures in its doctrine and practice" #1993-026: Children at the Lord's Table, Americans with Disabilities Act, Judicial Code Matters, Homosexuality Delay Synod Schedule #1993-031: More Churches Split Following Christian Reformed Synodical Vote Allowing Women Elders and Pastors; Alberta Seceders Protest Homosexuality Report by Classis Alberta North #1994-005: Christianity Today Lists Calvin Among Christian Colleges Strained by Homosexuals Pressing for Acceptance #1994-016: Midwest Classis Asks CRC Synod to Address Homosexuality, Calling God "She," Theistic Evolution, Ordination Process #1994-031: Christian Reformed Synod: Members May Not "Practice or Advocate Homosexualism"; Dr. David Engelhard Approved as CRC's Next General Secretary; Synod Rejects Proposal to End Funding Endorsement for Westminster Seminary #1994-037: Of Garages, Houses, and Women: Synod Keeps "Expounders" and Appoints Committee to Decide What "Expounding" Means; Synod Cites Legal Concerns in Modifying Abuse Committee Report; "Reaffirmation" of Past Decisions on Inerrancy, Creation, Homosexuality Declared Unnecessary by Synod #1994-048: Jim Lucas Hired as Chaplain of "As We Are" Gay Ministry; Ministerial Credentials Extended to Permit Call to Position; Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Denomination Expects Homosexuality Study Committee to Report to January Classis Meeting #1995-043: Committee Divides on Whether Gay Ministries Must Declare Homosexual Activity is Sin; Classis Grand Rapids East Refers Both Reports to Churches for Study #1995-084: Classis Wisconsin Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Declare that Members who "Deny the Biblical Condemnation of All Homosexual Behavior" are Subject to Discipline #1995-085: Text of Classis Wisconsin Overture re. Homosexuality #1995-100: Grand Rapids East Attempts Compromise on Question of How to Minister to Christian Reformed Gays #1995-101: Text of Classis Grand Rapids East Study Committee Report on Ministry with Persons who are Homosexual #1995-113: Calvin Seminary Professors Urge Classis Grand Rapids East to Affirm CRC Synod's Ruling that Homosexual Practice is Sin #1995-114: Text of Calvin Seminary Faculty Letter on Homosexuality #1996-010: Classis Grand Rapids East Follows Calvin Seminary Faculty Urgings; Reaffirms 1973 CRC Position on Homosexuality #1996-081: Tempers Flare as Christian Reformed Synod Appoints Committee to Restudy Homosexuality #1996-122: Calvin Theological Seminary Terminates Pro-Gay Professor #1997-030: Calvin College Chimes Runs Four-Page Homosexuality Insert; Gay Alumni Group Denied Ad Space in Alumni Magazine #1997-041: Kalamazoo Christian "Releases" 30-Year Veteran Teacher for Supporting "Homosexual Monogamous Relationships" #1997-095: Eastern Avenue CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry Due to Disagreement with Synodical Position on Gay Marriage #1997-101: Eastern Avenue CRC Withdraws Endorsement of Gay Minister's Ordination; Classis Tables Issue Until January #1998-001: Classis Grand Rapids North Lets Gay Christian Reformed Minister Keep His Credentials - For Now #1998-023: Gay Christian Reformed Minister's Luck May Be Almost Out #1998-032: Gay Minister Loses Ordination; Classis Grand Rapids East Releases Rev. Jim Lucas from Christian Reformed Ministry Contact List: Dr. Melvin D. Hugen, Professor of Pastoral Care, Calvin Theological Seminary 3233 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4387 O: (616) 957-6025 ¥ H: (616) 942-0001 ¥ FAX: (616) 957-8621 ¥ E-Mail: mhugen@calvin.edu Jim Lucas, Chaplain, As We ARE PO Box 7824, Grand Rapids, MI 49510 O: (616) 456-6174 ¥ E-Mail: JimLucas12@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-102.txt .