An ordained man's view¹

I write from the point of view of one who has been given the responsibility to ensure that in the church we maintain the unity of faith in the bonds of peace. That is a primary concern of the ordained person.

From this point of view, I can relate to the struggle in the early churches to convince Christians from radically different backgrounds to recognise that the differences that formerly divided them are no longer in Christ a basis for division. The most critical issue of difference in the early churches was that between Jews and non-Jews, and whether there had to be complete agreement between them about matters of practice for them to be one in Christ.

The Council of Jerusalem established that the unity of faith can be maintained where difference in practice is allowed, and indeed that no particular practice not essential to the faith be imposed as a burden on anyone in the church (Acts 15.28). While the issue that divides us today is a different matter of practice, the principle of that council should remain our guide to overcoming division and allowing difference for the sake of the unity of faith.

The theological basis of the council's principle is that we are all, across our differences, "saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 15.11). This is a theme reiterated by St. Paul when he deals with the same matter of the division between Jews and non-Jews in the Ephesian churches (Eph 2.8,9). In this theological schema, grace, the gift of God, becomes the basis of our whole lives and all our relationships. This, it could be argued is most particularly highlighted in those relationships where we disagree about matters of practice. So, how difference is dealt with in the church becomes a test case of whether or not we truly live under grace. If we live under grace, we will maintain the unity of faith in the bond of peace across our differences. If we live under grace, we will not impose non-essential burdens on each other and we will never allow our differences to become the cause of division.

This is what the matter of ordaining women as priests ultimately comes down to. It is not a matter of whether or not we will abide by the authority of Scripture. I, with others in this diocese, and other Evangelicals across the world who advocate the ordination of women as priests, affirm unreservedly the authority of Scripture in matters of faith. It is because we believe the ministry of women is affirmed in Scripture in the way that it is that we advocate their ordination as priests!

I acknowledge that there are those who differ in their opinion on this matter and therefore on the practical implications of the way Scripture affirms women in ministry - though we all agree that it does affirm women in ministry. There is a unity of faith here but an incapacity to deal with a difference of practice. Sadly, it has become a cause for division.

I am not asking for those who in conscience believe that women should not be ordained as priests to start this practice in their places of ministry, any more than St. Paul would have asked the early Jewish Christians to give up their Jewish practices, such as circumcision. That would be to impose a non-essential burden on them. But for the same reason, neither did St. Paul insist that non-Jewish Christians be circumcised. A difference of practice was allowed precisely to maintain the unity of faith in the bonds of peace.

I am simply asking that we support the means to enable the practice of ordaining women as priests by voting for the ordinance on this matter in Synod. Then those people who in conscience believe women should be ordained as priests can be ministered to by women priests. No-one else will be required to do so. This will mean difference of practice - yes. But it will mean that we do not impose non-essential burdens on each other and so overcome a division among us. It will maintain the unity of the faith in the bonds of peace. It will demonstrate that we truly do live under grace.

2. Reverend John McIntyre is the Rector of South Sydney. He is a member of Standing Committee within the Diocese and has been a long-time supporter of the ordination of women.