The Presbytery of Hamilton hosted a day-long forum entitled “Speaking Truth in Love: A Forum on Human Sexuality” on Saturday, January 30th, 2016, at Chedoke Presbyterian Church, Hamilton, Ontario. The transcripts from this forum are available.
Talk #1 – Setting the Tone – Rev. Dr. Clyde Ervine
How are we to talk respectfully and honestly about our deeply held differences? Examining the teaching of Scripture together in a way that is civil, gracious, and generous.
The transcript of this presentation is posted here.
Talk #2 – Presenting the Traditional Position – Rev. Dr. Kevin Livingston
(i) How has he come to the view he has on human sexuality in the light of the biblical witness?
(ii) What does a biblical theology of human sexuality and marriage look like?
(iii) How does Scripture point the way to how this is all to be worked out in the leadership and ministry of the church?
The transcript of this presentation is posted here.
Talk #3 – Presenting the Revisionist Position – Rev. Hugh Donnelly – is available in transcript.
Talk #4 – Responding to the Traditional Position – Rev. Wes Denyer – is available in transcript.
Talk #5 – Responding to the Revisionist Position – Rev. Karla Wubbenhorst
The transcript of this presentation is posted here.
Here is a reflection from a pastor in Quebec on his viewing of the video from the day at Chedoke:
- If my Session is any indication, I would say that the Hamilton debate has now effectively replaced Body, Mind and Soul as the denominational reference point/benchmark for our discussion on this subject. After three months, I am the only person in the congregation who has actually read B.M.&S., despite all my prodding in that direction. It is a tedious and tendentious bit of work – and in the wrong medium to engage the debate/discussion it calls for. The prospect of organizing a congregational study day around it had zero appeal to folks here. But there would/will be a crowd to watch the Hamilton five go at it (respectfully) and to use that as a basis for our own discussion. My hunch is that is also about where the Presbytery of Montreal is. It has taken us awhile to work up any enthusiasm to re-engage this subject. But a study day is now planned for April.
One of the prime organizers of the Forum summarizes the day this way:
- The direction of the day in Hamilton was to respect people holding different views as followers of Jesus Christ and to biblically engage their understanding of human sexuality in a spirit that valued their contribution albeit disagreeing with it. To that end Kevin, Hugh, Karla, Wes, and Clyde offered me and, I believe, the PCC a positive model of the respectful dialogue this discussion deserves.