Ordination: post-vote resolutions
After this morning’s vote to retain the LCA’s current teaching and practice regarding the ordination of men only, in the first session after lunch today General Synod moved quickly to address pastoral and theological issues that might arise from the decision.
In the first of two post-vote resolutions, Synod requested the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations ‘to build on its earlier work regarding the ordination of women and men to develop a draft doctrinal statement for General Pastors Conference and the 19th Convention of Synod that presents:
- a theological basis for the ordination of women and men;
- a theological basis for why the ordination of women and men need not be church divisive’.
General Church Council will resource this work.
A short time later Synod resolved ‘that in light of its teaching that only men be ordained, the church enter a period of careful theological reflection and pastoral work for the next synodical term to assist in maintaining its unity and harmony’.
Well, I’m in the dark…… does this mean that this question will be submitted to future synods until male and female ordination becomes a reality? Am I reading it correctly that it is just a matter of time?