The NSW Presbyterian General Assembly was all set to discuss “Healthy Complementarianism” at its meeting last weekend at the Presbyterian Ladies College Croydon, but a phone call the night before shut the discussion down.
A lengthy consultation process in the denomination on whether the office of elder should be restricted to men only was to be the focus of the annual General Assembly, the peak council of the Presbyterian Church of NSW (PCNSW).
Presbyterians – their name is derived from the Greek term, presbuteros (πρεσβύτερος), an elder – have a structure wherein the local church “the minister(s) and elders of a congregation are its shepherds.” Elders are elected from members of the local congregation, who are “communicants” that is in good standing. In some presbyterian circles, the minister is called a teaching elder.
But the night before the meeting was to begin, The Other Cheek has been told, a phone call to an official of the Assembly received a phone call, alerting them that the meeting might be a “triggering event” that would be captured by NSW safety legislation.
The Other Cheek does not know whether the caller was a member of the assembly. The law officer(s) of the Assembly concluded that the debate could not be held until they assessed the law and whether it indeed affected the Assembly meeting. This meant that the main business of the assembly did not go ahead.
The Clerk of Assembly John Irvin confirmed to The Other Cheek that “The recent NSW Assembly resolved to explore the implications of the WHS [worker health and safety] legislation and its requirements in relation to the process of the “Healthy Complementarianism’ discussion paper. As a result, the Assembly deferred all consideration of these matters until a future sederunt (sitting) of the Assembly.”
A great deal of effort has gone into the NSW Presbyterian discussion of a men-only eldership, with the discussion lasting several years. A paper called “Healthy Complementarianism,” was commissioned by the Assembly 2021 and produced by a Committee for Elders and Deacons convened by Murray Smith of Christ College, the PCNSW seminary.
The paper records that the Assembly 2022 asked the committee “bring an overture [motion] to Assembly 2023 to amend the Code [PCNSW Constitution] to specify that future elders must be male.” But this would result in the General assembly being exclusively male. Despite being a conservative evangelical church with mostly members who would support that move, the PCNSW did not want to make that move by itself.
Assembly 2022 “The Assembly requested the Elders and Deacons Committee ‘to collaborate’ with ‘the Women’s Ministry Committee and other relevant GANSW Committees’ to bring ‘recommendations to Assembly [in July] 2023 designed to strengthen healthy biblical relationships between men and women in PCNSW/ACT churches.'”
The discussion in the assembly would have included the proposals that might balance the move to male leadership with other initiatives.
“Our concern is that if we say “no” to women in eldership without at the same time saying “yes” to all of the ways in which women and men complement each other in the life and mission of the church, we will only have done half the job,” Murray Smith said in an interview with the PCNSW Women’s Ministry Committee.
For example, the paper says, “Ministers, elders, and sessions” (committees of elders) should “. Affirm and teach, by word and example, that God created all people in his image with equal dignity, worth, and value:.’ And to build “a healthy complementarianism” by “ministers and elders seek[ing] to build personal relationships with congregation members—both women and men.’
A list of things that might happen in local churches includes “Invit[ing] others, both women and men, to participate in speaking roles in gathered worship: Since the minister is responsible for public worship (Code 4.30–31), it particularly falls to him to consider how other people might fruitfully contribute to gathered worship.”
Suggestions for the wider church community in the paper include “Renew the formal pathway for women to be engaged in paid ministry positions” while observing not many walk this path. Another key observation in the paper notes, “If GANSW/ACT adopts male only eldership, these courts [church parliaments] will soon be exclusively male. The Assembly, therefore, might consider how to engage women in the discussions and decisions of Assembly and of presbyeries [pregions] and sessions [church committees of elders], and to better communuicate about these to women as well as men across PCNSW/ACT congregations.“
“Ministers, elders, and sessions” (committees of elders) should “. Affirm and teach, by word and example, that God created all people in his image with equal dignity, worth, and value:.’ And to build “a healthy complementarianism” by “ministers and elders seek[ing] to build personal relationships with congregation members—both women and men.’
A list of things that might happen in local churches includes “Invit[ing] others, both women and men, to participate in speaking roles in gathered worship: Since the minister is responsible for public worship (Code 4.30–31), it particularly falls to him to consider how other people might fruitfully contribute to gathered worship.
Suggestions for the wider church community in the paper include “Renew the formal pathway for women to be engaged in paid ministry positions” while observing not many walk this path. Another key observation in the paper notes, “If GANSW/ACT adopts male only eldership, these courts [church parliaments] will soon be exclusively male. The Assembly, therefore, might consider how to engage women in the discussions and decisions of Assembly and of presbyeries [pregions] and sessions [church committees of elders], and to better communuicate about these to women as well as men across PCNSW/ACT congregations.“
The paid ministry positions for women include being a deacon. Referring to changes made in 2021 the paper says, “The GANSW Code now includes robust biblical provisions which allow sessions and congregations to ordain and induct deacons for ministry within and beyond the congregation. Both men and women may be ordained and inducted as deacons, and assigned to various kinds of ministry (Code 2.01–08). Presbyterian churches have traditionally used deacons for mercy ministries—to care for the practical and materialneeds of those who are vulnerable, weak and poor. The Code also allows for deacons to be assigned to other kinds of ministries at the discretion of, and under the direction of, the session. Sessions, therefore, might consider whether ordaining and inducting deacons—both men and women—would be a helpful biblical means of strengthening the ministry of the congregation, including involving women in this formal office within church life.”
“Sessions (local committes of elders and ministers) and congregations” means that churches already have the power to employ women in this role.
At the Assembly meeting, dropping the discussion on complementarianism was opposed by significant members who argued that the state has no right to restrict a church from discussing its doctrine. But the Assembly went along with their law officers’ request to hold off. It is likely that the chilling effect on discussion is only temporary as the lawyers look into whether any law can restrict the debate.
It is most likely that a pause has occurred after a display of an abundance of caution.
Corrected: John Irvin’s name
Sad capitulation – well done to those who argued that the state has no right to restrict a church from discussing its doctrine.
Not only does the state have no right to restrict the church from discussing its own doctrine, the church has no right to allow it to, or allow it to be seen to do so. This move does not display an abundance of caution, but is rather a reckless demonstration that the church will willingly roll over and even self-censor at the slightest whiff of the state’s disapproval of something as benign as a debate.