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It was a big Sunday last week: in person worship, AGM, affirming ministry vote and good bye to Deb.

Rev. Dr. Brian Thorpe was guest preacher. He spoke about the founding of Affirm United in 1982 and the lengthy General Council debates in 1986 about whether sexual orientation should be a bar to serving in Ministry. It was said by some “with an air of offering a compromise”, that “homosexuals can be ministers so long as they are not practising.”

That story brought me back to our own debates (in 1986?) on that subject at LVUC as some of our members asked to support introducing this limitation into UCC requirements for ordination of ministers. It was undoubtedly the most dramatic AGM that LVUC has had in my long association with the church. I did not know the church that well and my expectations as to who would favour which position were completely wrong. Our church elders, led by Syd Potter, spoke about how Jesus reached out to all. Our sweetest “little old lady” said quietly that “my sexuality has been very important in my life and I can’t imagine that Jesus would deny anyone their sexuality.” The motion to limit qualifications for Ministry so as to exclude practising homosexuals was defeated. As a result, about 1/3 of our congregation left.

But the sexual orientation of our ministers was never again an issue. And now, after so long, we are officially open to the gifts of the spirit from all.  If you missed it, you can still watch it on FaceBook: you don’t need to be a member.
Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/102580933163462/videos/3036717629882490

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