Anglican Communion News Service

Uniting Church Assembly in Australia votes to accept homosexual ministers; Anglican Diocese of Sydney responds

by Matthew Davies

[ACNS source: Anglican Media Sydney] The National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA), today voted to permit the Church's presbyteries to accept and ordain practising homosexuals for ministry in their congregations. The UCA was formed on 22 June 1977 as a union of three churches: the Congregational Union of Australia, the Methodist Church of Australasia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia.

Bishop Peter Tasker, Bishop of Liverpool in the Diocese of Sydney, issued a statement in the absence of Archbishop Peter Jensen, expressing grave concern of the decision.

Part of Bishop Tasker’s statement read, "It is painful to us now to have to point out to the Uniting Church that today's decisions raises important questions for biblically minded Anglicans, such as those in our diocese, over the future recognition of the ministries of any Uniting Church ministers who are partners in a homosexual relationship."

Archbishop Jensen, who is overseas until the end of the month, recently affirmed, “There should be no doubt that leaders in our churches should be above reproach and be those whose lives exemplify the very biblical and Christian teaching that they are duty-bound to give."