Andrew Gunton, the Moderator (head) of the Uniting Church in Australia’s (UCA) Queensland Synod (state council) has provided an explanation of the reasoning that led to withdrawing recognition of Dr Hedley Fikiki as a minister in the church. The UCA decision removed Fihaki’s ministerial credentials. Dr Fihaki was serving as a minister in the Mooloolaba church on the Sunshine Coast and is the national chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations, an evangelical group within the UCA. Members of this group are considering whether their future lies outside the UCA.
The Other Cheek runs Rev. Andrew Gunton’s statement which we received on Friday, unedited and in full. While the statement does not specify the charges brought against Fihaki, it gives a general indication of the reasons for the UCA Synod’s Committee of Discipline’s ruling.
Dr Fihaki’s recognition as a minister of the Uniting Church was withdrawn because of a decision made by the Queensland Synod Committee for Discipline, an independent committee which deals with the most serious complaints against Ministers.
This decision was made in response to 23 separate breaches of the Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice, a Code which is agreed to by every ministry agent in the church. The Code of Ethics sets expectations for those in ministry in the Uniting Church in Australia that they: work to strive for peace and unity among all Christians, respect their colleagues and those in authority in the church and the decisions of the Councils of the Church, and that they recognise the privilege of their position and understand the ethical boundaries they are required to observe within their ministry.
The issues considered by the Committee for Discipline were about Dr Fihaki’s conduct. The Presbytery and the Synod have strong and positive relationships with individuals and congregations that hold a range of views on marriage, and work and worship in a wide variety of ways. We celebrate them, we honour them, and pray that all prosper in their life and witness of faithfulness, love, and service within the fellowship of the Queensland Synod. We remain committed to and proud of the diversity of our Congregations, of holding space for differences and valuing and celebrating our worship, witness, and service together.
We sincerely hope and pray that we continue this path with the members of the Mooloolaba congregation. Pastoral support is available for all who seek it – and we thank the people who are offering that support with grace and integrity. We remain committed to each member of the congregation, as part of the body of the church.
Just legalism. Words about grace and diversity without application to all.
.Doug Clements
What a lot of words to say we no longer follow the bible. We are in end times and there are 7 churches in Revelation and God is not happy with most of them.
Time will tell who is in the church that God is pleased with. The church is not a building or denomination. We are not to sit on the fence and be luke warm just to fit into society but we should be set apart.
All those charges seem VERY flimsy to have a minister let go. Andrew Gunton you are definitely just trying to get any excuse to throw at Dr Fihaki so as to let him go because he is just stating what the bible says.
If you truly read the bible Andrew Gunton you would find the answers to all those charges that make the Uniting Church a joke. In a few years you will not have any members in the uniting church because you chop and change what you want and misinterpret the bible.
“Removal of Dr Fihaki’s ministerial credentials to practice as a minister within the UCA is an affront by a handful of people of people known as “Synod’s disciplinary committee’ of which A. Gunton is the mastermind, to silence him from Synod’s blatant receptivity to modernisation, liberalisation, diversification of fundamental ecclesiastical doctrines, essentially the backbone Christ’s teaching and primal scriptural authority of his teachings. “The Orthodox, biblical view of marriage is between a ‘man and a women’. Gunton made it his mission to silence Dr Fihaki from being an apologist speaking out against this his … ‘views on marriage’ he claims is held by a ‘range of people’ in the UCA. Why then punish Dr Fihaki for upholding an Orthodox view of marriage that is ‘different to yours’? … Mooloolaba Christian Church is a non-compromising evangelical bible believing people full more than capable of providing pastoral care to itself – Dr Fihaki will continue to be the shepherd of its flock!
I lightly edited Mark Luatutu’s comment to make sure it was legally safe.