WISE WORDS: WHAT ARE CHURCH LEADERS SAYING ABOUT SYNOD AND HUMAN SEXUALITY?
If you have questions about decisions made by Synod 2022 on human sexuality, you are not alone. Perhaps you are one of the many church leaders or members considering what you can do, or how to respond, or what you might even say.
Hesed Project CRC has heard from church leaders and members who are expressing dissent or discomfort with decisions made by Synod 2022. Some are writing letters. Others are writing a gravamen – a statement of personal difficulty with a confessional matter, recognized by the CRC. Each letter or gravamen is a personal and pastoral matter between a member or office bearer and their church council. At the same time, they contain words of wisdom that may be helpful for others. Sharing some of the common themes, with the writers’ permission and without identifying information, is consistent with Synod’s call for more dialogue and reflection.
Click the links below to read a curated list of common concerns that church members are raising about some of the actions taken by Synod. We have organized their thinking into six different themes, ranging from interpretation of Scripture and the Heidelberg Catechism, to harm being done and the importance of justice. Each theme is available as a separate document, below, or you can download one document with them all.
Interested in engaging with other church leaders on any of these topics or with other questions you may have? Send us a confidential email and let us know what avenues you’re exploring or the assistance you may need. The Hesed Project CRC is happy to help. Email us.
Click on any of the themes below to read more.
Chastity and Heidelberg Catechism Question & Answer 108
Covenant, Belonging, and Unconditional Love
Image-bearing, Moral Agency, and Conscience
Creation Order and Creation Norms
Justice: An Essential, Missing Piece in Synod Decisions
Local Church as Locus for Pastoral Care