NZ Synod to study “nature of marriage”: The Church of England Newspaper, July 22, 2012 p 7. July 26, 2012
Posted by geoconger in Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand & Polynesia, Church of England Newspaper.Tags: gay marriage
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The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has declined to endorse a motion calling for church blessings of same-sex partnerships, voting instead to commence a two year study on the “nature of marriage.”
On 10 July 2012, the synod meeting in Fiji adopted a motion proposed by the Rev Glynn Cardy that “asks Episcopal Units to hold conversations in our church and with the wider community about the nature of marriage.”
The motion was adopted without opposition, and followed a lengthy debate on the institution of marriage. A proponent of church-blessings for gay marriage, Mr. Glynn had argued that “marriage in the Bible is not restricted to one man and one woman – or in fact to any one model.”
Bisho Kelvin Wright of Dunedin urged the church rethink its stance on marriage as society had moved on from the traditional view espoused in church teaching. “We are still in the wedding business – but confused about it,” the bishop said, adding: “What are we doing here? We need to have a look again at what marriage is.”
A commission will explore the pastoral, theological, social and Scriptural dimensions of marriage and report back to the next meeting of General Synod in 2014. Motion 21 put forward by the Diocese of Waiapu asking the synod to “move forward with the provision of an authorized rite for the blessing of same-gender relationship” was turned aside by the 160 members of the AZNP synod in favour of the study motion, observers tell CEN.
