wfn.org | NCC Genl Secy Warns Against Inappropriate Use Of "Marriage Declaration"

[CAROL.FOUKE@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org 

Contact: NCC News on-site in Atlanta at 770-551-6141
Web: www.ncccusa.org; New York office: 212-870-2227
NCC11/16/2000  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC GENERAL SECRETARY, IN A LETTER TO THE COUNCIL'S ASSEMBLY,
WARNS AGAINST INAPPROPRIATE USE OF "MARRIAGE DECLARATION"

	November 16, 2000, ATLANTA, Ga. - National Council of Churches General Secretary, Dr. Bob Edgar, among signatories to "A Christian Declaration on Marriage" released Tuesday, today warned against inappropriate use of the declaration.

	He expressed his concern in a letter to the NCC's General Assembly, meeting here Nov. 14-17.  The full text of his letter, and the statement to which it refers, follow.

November 16, 2000

Dear General Assembly Delegate:

This week you have been part of a historic movement of the Christian churches of our nation to explore ways in which we can draw closer-as a witness to our faith and to make common cause for the common good.  This is an exciting moment filled with promise.

We know that the goal we have set for ourselves is high and, after decades of careful work that has already yielded greater expression of Christian unity, we readily acknowledge that our journey will be a lively one. It will involve intense conversation on issues close to our hearts.  I unreservedly embrace that conversation in a spirit of love and respect for all partners in dialogue and for all in our pews who may be listening closely to what is said.  

I ask only, in such a moment as this, that our statements not be used in inappropriate ways, including extrapolations unwarranted by the content of our statements.  A case in point, I believe, is the statement "A Christian Declaration on Marriage" that I signed this week along with representatives of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of Evangelicals.  A copy of the statement is attached to this letter.

I believe that churches must support Christian men and women in marriage-especially in our "disposable society," where marriage is often diminished and undermined, a practice contrary to Christian teaching and heritage.  This statement signals that churches can do a better job of offering married couples the kind of support that helps them keep their commitments. 

It is also important to understand that, as a council of 36 diverse Protestant and Orthodox communions, the National Council of Churches itself does not ordinarily take positions on doctrinal matters such as standards for ordination or sacraments and rites, including marriage. Such standards lie within the purview of each member communion. 

I would not want this statement to be misconstrued as if it were an oblique comment on same-sex unions. Even more importantly, it would be unconscionable if support for married couples, so desperately needed today, were to be twisted into a weapon that can be used to attack gays and lesbians, their families and friends and all in our churches who love and care for them.  

There is disagreement between and among our member communions on many issues related to sexuality and marriage.  Currently, several of our member communions are in discussion and discernment regarding same-sex unions.  Nonetheless, there is unanimity among us in our long-standing advocacy for full Civil Rights for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered persons.  Through our dialogues, we have come to celebrate the gifts and the challenges they present to us.  We stand with them in our common battle against hatred and violence and the pain of exclusion.

In our dangerously fragmented society, I regret and will resist any attempt to interpret support for one beleaguered segment of society as an attack another.  That is my appeal. Please help me in extending this call for mutual respect and love.  Please pray for all who are today engaged in work that strengthens the one body of Christ. 

Peace,
Bob Edgar
General Secretary

-end-
 
A Christian Declaration on Marriage
November 14, 2000

	As we celebrate the 2000th anniversary of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, entering the third millennium, we pledge together to honor the Lord by committing ourselves afresh to God's first institution-marriage.

	We believe that marriage is a holy union of one man and one woman in which they commit, with God's help, to build a loving, life-giving, faithful relationship that will last for a lifetime.  God has established the married state, in the order of creation and redemption, for spouses to grow in love of one another and for the procreation, nurture, formation and education of children.

	We believe that in marriage many principles of the Kingdom of God are manifested.  The interdependence of healthy Christian community is clearly exemplified in loving one another (John 13:34), forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32), confessing to one another (James 5:16), and submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21).  These principles find unique fulfillment in marriage.  Marriage is God's gift, a living image of the union between Christ and His Church.

	We believe that when a marriage is true to God's loving design it brings spiritual, physical, emotional, economic, and social benefits not only to a couple and family but also to the Church and to the wider culture.  Couples, churches, and the whole of society have a stake in the well being of marriages.  Each, therefore, has its own obligations to prepare, strengthen, support and restore marriages.

	Our nation is threatened by a high divorce rate, a rise in cohabitation, a rise in non-marital births, a decline in the marriage rate, and a diminishing interest in and readiness for marrying, especially among young people.  The documented adverse impact of these trends on children, adults, and society is alarming.  Therefore, as church leaders, we recognize an unprecedented need and responsibility to help couples begin, build, and sustain better marriages, and to restore those threatened by divorce.

	Motivated by our common desire that God's Kingdom be manifested on earth as it is in heaven, we pledge to deepen our commitment to marriage.  With three-quarters of marriages performed by clergy, churches are uniquely positioned not only to call America to a stronger commitment to this holy union but to provide practical ministries and influence for reversing the course of our culture.  It is evident in cities across the nation that where churches join in common commitment to restore a priority on marriages, divorces are reduced and communities are positively influenced. 
 

	Therefore, we call on churches throughout America to do their part to strengthen marriage in our nation by providing:

	Prayer and spiritual support for stronger marriages
	Encouragement for people to marry
	Education for young people about the meaning and responsibility of marriage
	Preparation for those engaged to be married
	Pastoral care, including qualified mentor couples, for couples at all stages of their relationship
Help for couples experiencing marital difficulty and disruption
Influence within society and the culture to uphold the institution of marriage

Further, we urge churches in every community to join in developing policies and programs with concrete goals to reduce the divorce rate and increase the marriage rate.

By our commitment to marriage as instituted by God, the nature of His Kingdom will be more clearly revealed in our homes, our churches, and our culture.  To that end we pray and labor with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

May the grace of God, the presence of Christ, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit be abundant to all those who so commit and be a blessing to all whose marriages we seek to strengthen.

Bishop Anthony O'Connell, Chairman,		
National Conference of Catholic Bishops,		
Committee on Marriage and Family Life	

Dr. Richard Land, President, Ethics
and Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention

Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary			
National Council of the Churches of Christ 		
in the USA

Bishop Kevin Mannoia, President
National Association of Evangelicals