2007 World Conference Legislation

H-6 Committee on Homosexuality and the Church Report

Committee Mandate
The committee was formed following the 2002 World Conference and was charged by the First Presidency to provide overview and guidance to the churchwide dialogue process regarding homosexuality in the church and make recommendations to the First Presidency regarding future policy or guidelines.
The committee has met over a number of weekends during the past four years to respond to the mandate, with many activities by subcommittees scheduled in the interims.

Summary of Committee Activities
The committee was first convened in November 2002. The committee has met formally eleven times, with an initial report shared at the 2004 World Conference.

Work has been performed by the committee as a whole, as well as by three subcommittees:

• The Communications Subcommittee, chaired by Kathy Robinson, is responsible for facilitating communication with key groups, church leaders, and church membership. This subcommittee has used a variety of approaches, including written reports and communications; discussion/information meetings with a variety of groups; Herald articles; 10-Minute News, etc.
• The Policy Subcommittee, chaired by Don Compier, is responsible for exploring a broad range of policy-related issues and possibilities, based on a review of the views of our membership, as well as other denominations, cultures, and theological viewpoints. This subcommittee has extensively surveyed information about how similar issues have been handled in other denominations and organizations; studied issues of theology, scripture, and doctrine; and remained committed to listening to and soliciting input from members regarding possible future policy options.

The Listening/Dialogue Subcommittee, chaired by Sandee Gamet, is responsible for facilitating mutual listening through a dialogue process called Listening Circles. This subcommittee has led in the design of Listening Circles (an approach that assists us to listen to one another in ways that enhance trust and mutual respect despite differing views); and trained Listening Circle facilitators.

Introduction of Listening Circles as a Useful Tool
From the beginning, the committee has been prayerful and hopeful that the potential divisiveness of this issue could be avoided within the loving body of the Community of Christ. We are convinced that our approaches to dealing with the issues of homosexuality should be consistent with the ministry of Jesus Christ and the counsel in D. & C. 122:17b: “Let nothing separate you from each other and the work whereunto you have been called….”

With these things in mind, therefore, the Listening Circles process was introduced to the church as a tool for members to use for engaging sensitive and controversial issues. The Listening Circle approach, though coming out of this committee, is presented to the church as a supportive tool to help members listen to the perspectives of each person and to increase the capacity of members to better understand each other in the midst of differing points of view.

Listening Circles develop and deepen relationships. They enhance understanding between participants and develop our capacity for discernment. The process facilitates communication, and is suited for a variety of topics. Although Listening Circles were at first focused on the topic of homosexuality in the church, other topics have been added in order to encourage participation and to use this communication tool more comprehensively.

Update on Listening Circles
The first organizational meeting occurred in October 2003. Since that time, 34 mission centers in the United States have held organizational meetings with mission center leaders and interested members to implement Listening Circles. As of December 2006, 29 mission centers had completed facilitator training, with 574 people trained in the United States and the Netherlands.

Twenty Listening Circles have been completed, i.e., groups of no fewer than four members who have met for at least six sessions. At least 200 people have participated in Listening Circles, though some of those participants attended fewer than six sessions.

Since the inception of Listening Circles, ongoing modifications have been made to the implementation process in order to fit the needs of each mission center, and training has been enhanced. In addition, as mission centers have engaged in Listening Circles, opportunities have evolved to use the tool to address mission center and congregational needs and issues. Five volunteers have been certified to provide Listening Circle training, and two others can serve as coaches.

Evaluations of the Listening Circle process have been developed. Participants complete a pre-experience survey before attending their orientation session. They complete three evaluations during the six- to ten-session experience, concluding with a final evaluation. Evaluations have been very positive. Eighty-eight percent agree or strongly agree that their experience has been positive.

Experiences of Other Denominations
The committee has sought to explore the issues related to homosexuality in the church through a variety of approaches. One area of study has been the review of the experiences of other denominations.

It is important to understand that Community of Christ is not alone in considering the issue of homosexuality and its impact on church life. Some denominations have strongly decided the matter. These include denominations that have policies that are both broadly inclusive (United Church of Christ, United Church of Canada, Uniting Church of Australia, etc.) and broadly restrictive (Southern Baptists, Assemblies of God, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, etc.)

Our experience is more like those denominations with widely diverging perspectives, which have typically generated more controversy and internal tension. These denominations include the Presbyterians, United Methodists, Lutherans (ELCA), Anglicans, Disciples of Christ, American Baptists, and others. Although these denominations have differing structures of governance, they have generally formed study committees, drafted reports, and made recommendations to church officers and/or legislative bodies, but they have yet to fully resolve the issue.

Recent controversy in the Anglican Communion (which includes the Episcopal Church in the U.S.) demonstrates how a denomination with a strong international character can experience conflict resulting from widely varying cultural perspectives. Anglicans have dealt with many issues of a controversial nature by adopting culturally appropriate approaches within each nation. The ordination of a gay bishop in the United States has created a significant rift in the denomination in recent years. This raises questions about whether any denomination can address the issue of homosexuality by adopting different standards on a national or regional basis.

In general, denominations that have widely varying perspectives on homosexuality have not been able to resolve the matter definitively without significant division and the threat of schism. On one hand, this could be viewed as being very discouraging in that it seems to forecast continued division. On the other hand, it suggests that our inability to resolve the matter in a final way is not because we have handled the issue poorly, but because resolving the matter of homosexuality in a denomination with diverse perspectives on the matter is an extraordinarily difficult task. In fact, one could argue that, to this point, we have come to the current moment with far less ill will and divisiveness than many other denominations have experienced. We value our common call to mission and our sense of community, and this has helped us listen to each other and seek mutual understanding.

Challenges
This does not mean that we have escaped the dangers inherent in this debate. Several challenges are still before us.
We are an international church.

• The church has been established in a variety of cultures. A position that would be very acceptable in some settings and cultures would be seen in others as either not upholding appropriate moral standards or ignoring the church’s call to uphold the worth of all persons. While issues related to homosexuality are subject to wide disagreement and debate in some cultures, it is not a subject of discussion (or even permitted to be discussed) in others.
• In some nations, deliberations in the church could be affected by legal requirements. There are currently some nations in which wide acceptance of homosexuality in the church could lead to ostracism or losing permission to operate legally. There are other nations in which action by the church/Conference on issues related to homosexuality could be seen as discriminatory, possibly leading to legal sanctions.

We have ongoing differing viewpoints.

• Those in the church who feel strongly about issues related to homosexuality from one perspective or another have shown considerable patience and forbearance as these matters have been discussed. The church has benefited greatly from having time to give careful consideration to this issue, but this benefit is achieved at some personal cost to those who believe that the church’s current position is not adequate.
• As important as the issue of homosexuality is for the church, it is also important that we not lose sight of the church’s larger mission to share the peace of Jesus Christ. This mission, and the call behind it, provides the unifying force that will help to hold us together as we sort out our differing points of view. If we focus only on the things that divide us, we will fail to find the unity we seek.

Affirmation of Values and Principles for the Future
Although it is common for committees such as this one to provide a set of recommendations for action, we have chosen not to do so. It is not that we have no ideas, but rather we have concluded that that there is no specific set of actions that will suddenly take away all of the disagreements about this issue that exist in the church today.
Instead, we suggest the following values and principles to lead us into a future of mission and further learning about the meaning of love and community in the world.

Values
1. The church continues to value the inestimable worth of each person. Some of us would, therefore, say that lack of love, acceptance, and tolerance for all persons is immoral. Yet others of us would say that homosexual behaviors are inherently immoral; those who engage in them are to be loved but not fully accepted in our congregations and/or sacraments. Let us remember that God’s love is deeper than we can imagine, and we are challenged to learn how to extend compassion and kindness to all.

2. All of us stand in need of redemption, regardless of our sexual orientation and regardless of whether or not we have been ordained. The church must make judgments about the conditions those called to priesthood office must meet, but we do not make these judgments with clean hands. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Regardless of whether we believe that those involved in homosexual activity should be ordained or not, we each arrive at our conclusion as a fallen person who is in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.

3. We value the teachings and healing ministry of Jesus Christ as the example of how we should live our lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ addresses a broad range of human nature and experience. Although refraining from homosexual activity is seen as a fundamental characteristic of Christian discipleship in many societies, for some societies and individuals this is not the case. However, care should be exercised in our denominational deliberations, lest this one issue overshadow all other concerns in carrying out the mission of the church.

4. We trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to both unite and transform us. Although we must extend our own efforts toward unity, we cannot achieve this goal through our abilities alone. It is God who unites us through the gospel. And it is the Holy Spirit who transforms us, if we work to discern the Spirit’s guidance.

Principles
1. The church’s disagreement about the issue of homosexuality is an example of the church’s woundedness. We seek to share in a community in which all disagreements have peaceful outcomes, in which every person feels loved and accepted, and in which the gospel is always shared clearly, compassionately, and without distortion. We recognize that this does not always happen in our life together, and the church depends on the mutual forgiveness of its members, as well as the grace and mercy of God.

2. The best way to address our differences is to express them openly and clearly with respect and caring for those who hold a different point of view. We cannot hide from the things that divide us. Rather, we must continually be about the process of reconciling ministry with each other. We seek to be a better example of the gospel than we currently are.

3. We currently lack unity regarding the issue of homosexuality and other issues, so we depend on mutual forgiveness and forbearance. Our current policies and procedures are hurtful to some members with regard to many issues, so we must express loving care toward each other.

4. This issue raises significant questions about how the Community of Christ can best reach decisions on such matters. It pushes us to grapple more seriously with how we discern God’s will, how we reach consensus, how we best organize ourselves to do the work of the church around the world.

5. It will be difficult for the church to move beyond the 2002 statement of the World Church Leadership Council titled “Community, Common Consent, and the Issue of Homosexuality.” This is not because we see the statement as being fully adequate; it is not. For those who feel that the church needs a more inclusive policy, the 2002 statement simply keeps long-standing provisions in place, albeit with explicit references to the worth of all persons. At the same time, many feel that this statement is too tentative and does not appear to take a firm stand on the issue of homosexuality; it simply states what we will do for now. We rely on the love and forgiveness of God and each other to help us move forward from this point.

6. We can feel encouraged that we have been able to address such a topic as openly and directly as we have. We are in the minority of Christian denominations in the world that have engaged the topic seriously. That is a prophetic response by the church. We must do better, but we have taken important steps through creating a study committee, exploring the issues, and adopting the Listening Circles approach as a caring and respectful way to deal with controversy among us.

Moving into the Future

We have learned these things
…about becoming a Zionic community:

• It is difficult to live up to our goals and dreams of being community and of finding unity in our diversity when an issue like homosexuality comes to the fore in the life of the church. We are called to establish Zion, or Christ-centered community. We believe that, with God’s guidance and grace, we can be transformed into this kind of community. Yet we see that we have important things to learn about how to live in peaceful community amid diversity and varying viewpoints.
• We must continue to learn about being an international, multicultural community of Christ. An international church such as ours will find it increasingly difficult to legislate around specific matters of morality, ethics, or differences in national law or viewpoint.

Some feel that passing local or national legislation on such matters, rather than addressing them at a World Church level, may be a way to resolve controversial or culturally different issues such as homosexuality. That option is worth exploring, but the experience of denominations such as the Anglican Communion raises serious questions about whether that is a helpful solution.

• We must develop new skills related to listening and loving despite different viewpoints and develop new convictions about tolerance and unity that will help us remain in community, even when serious matters of difference are the reality in which we live. Moral and ethical dilemmas and differences in perspective will never leave us. The next one is already here or just beyond our horizon. Will we let it divide us, or destroy us? Or will our mutual listening and deliberations bring us new life and growth? Can we express our views with passion and clarity, but listen to another perspective or experience with compassion? Can we partake wholeheartedly of the symbols of the life and blood of Christ with a person who holds a view at the other end of the spectrum from ours? Or will we back away from God’s call to faithfulness and community? Progress on the road to Zion may best be measured by how we listen to one another, come to consensus, and act in faith when we are facing matters of controversy and potential divisiveness.
• The values of Christ and our church must guide our decisions and our daily lives in community. Church leaders have been unequivocal in declaration of our Christ-modeled belief in the worth of all persons. Those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered (GLBT) should sense that principle in any congregation in which they participate. Though this is not yet a realized fact, it still remains a stated goal.
• There are a small but significant number of members who are homosexual and who want to work and serve and have fellowship in the Community of Christ. There are many family and friends of GLBT members who hurt deeply when their loved ones do not feel they can participate fully in the life of the church. For some, the pain has been so great that they can no longer participate. Others have chosen, at least for now, to stay, to educate, to be patient, to hope, and to work for change in the foreseeable future.

…about discernment, consensus, and issues of theology:

• Discernment of God’s will, especially on controversial matters, is far more difficult than those who have it “all figured out” would lead us to believe. Persons of equal sincerity, equal compassion, and similar levels of information/education about an issue can and do reach very different conclusions about what they understand to be God’s will.
• Deliberation about controversial issues and varying perceptions of God’s will has sometimes pushed us to analyze more carefully what common consent is and how we achieve it. We continue the generational challenge of finding the balance between the role of the prophet and the role of a prophetic people. We will need to continue to explore what theocratic democracy means for our day and how it should function when dealing with matters such as homosexuality and priesthood.
• Matters related to homosexuality and the priesthood have also pushed us to think more deeply about how we interpret scripture about marriage, priesthood, spirituality, and human sexuality. We have been forced to address very complex questions: questions about God’s love, humanity, tolerance, faith, and the sacraments. Most of this seeking is good, leading to growth, but it is uncomfortable and painful at times.
• An emerging “way forward” may be through finding common ground around issues of life and death such as poverty, war, and the well-being of children. This is not completely satisfactory, as it has potential to allow us to turn from people in our midst who are hurting deeply, and to turn from our own fears and unexamined selves. Yet it does remind us that a world church that spends most of the week of its Conference addressing homosexuality without facing the prophetic imperative to speak and act about poverty, at-risk children, and the implications of war on the planet, is backing away from even deeper global injustices.

…about Listening Circles and the process of accepting one another, though with differing viewpoints:

• Virtually every person who has participated in a Listening Circle has had a positive experience (no matter their stance on the topic of homosexuality and priesthood). We are not aware of anyone who has participated in a Listening Circle leaving the church; rather, we believe that those who participate find many things in common with other circle participants, strengthening ties to each other and the church, despite differences on the topic. On the downside, actually getting local members to participate has been difficult. After all the effort to select and train people, the number of Listening Circles that have been formed has been minimal throughout the church.
• As an international church with varying cultural contexts, legal systems, and societal issues, the use of Listening Circles and similar approaches to listening and loving one another is a challenge we will face as we go forward in community.

After our study and consideration of the issues related to homosexuality in the church, we would hope for

• ongoing dialogue and careful listening to one another;
• extending Listening Circles and other appropriate tools into nations throughout the church;
• prayerful consideration for each one of us, along the continuum of our differing viewpoints;
• intentional seeking to discern God’s will and the leading of the Holy Spirit as to how to best proceed as a loving community of Christ.

Committee on Homosexuality in the Church, 2004–2007
David Brock, Council of Twelve, chair
Robert Clothier, Human Sexuality Task Force
Don Compier, dean of Community of Christ Seminary, Standing High Council
Chris Davisdon, member-at-large
Ellen Frye, Human Sexuality Task Force
Sandee Gamet, World Church peacebuilding specialist
William C. Kramer, Standing High Council
Robert Kyser, president of Seventy (served until 9/’06)
Bruce Lindgren, World Church secretary
Pam Mayfield, GALA Board and member-at-large
Kathy D. Robinson, Standing High Council
Kevin Williams, Graceland University student (served until 5/’06)