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9. RESOLUTIONS
The numbers are those allocated to resolutions in the Book of Assembly Reports 1999
31 General Assembly commends to the church the affirmations set out in section 7 of the Report.
32 General Assembly sets before the church the challenges set out in section 8.1 of the Report.
33 General Assembly, taking into consideration the variety of views held within the United Reformed Church on the matter of human sexuality, urges all members, congregations and councils to continue in love together, respecting this diversity of views, supporting each other through the pain and tension of our divisions, seeking the mind of Christ and working together to fulfil the purposes of God in the world.
34 In order to test the mind of the church regarding homosexuality, General Assembly asks the councils of the church to consider the Human Sexuality Report 1999 and to come to a view on the following statement:
In the context of the affirmations commended to the church in Resolution 31, the United Reformed Church affirms and welcomes people of homosexual orientation within the life of the church and society, but does not believe that there is a sufficiently clear mind within the church at this time to affirm the acceptability of homosexual practice.
35 General Assembly:
(i) invites local churches, district councils and synods to discuss the statement contained in Resolution 34;
(ii) agrees that if any local church, district council or synod passes a resolution that the statement be not accepted by a majority of members present and voting at a duly convened meeting of such a body, notice of such a resolution must reach the General Secretary by 14th March 2000;
(iii) agrees that if by 14th March 2000 such notice has been received from more than one third of local churches or more than one third of district councils or more than one third of synods, then the Assembly in its concern for the unity of the church shall not proceed to accept the statement;
(iv) agrees that if by 14th March 2000 such notice has not been received, a motion to accept the statement shall be put to the Annual Meeting of the Assembly in 2000, such motion requiring a simple majority of the members present and voting to pass.
36 General Assembly declares that the adoption of the proposed statement would not of itself justify bringing a case under the Section O Process against a minister in a homosexual relationship (Basis, Schedule E, para. 2).
37 General Assembly asks Mission Council to do further work on the consequences (as indicated in section 8.7) of accepting the statement in Resolution 34 and to report to the next Annual Meeting of the Assembly.
38 General Assembly deems that, with the reception of the reports requested under the terms of Resolution 18 of 1997, the process of further reflection and discussion set out in that resolution is complete, and therefore agrees that Resolution 19 of 1997 no longer applies.
39 General Assembly:
(i) commends to the church the report of the Working Party on the Nature of Biblical Authority for the life of the Church, and encourages local churches to deepen their studies of the Scriptures in an atmosphere of open listening in order for the study of Scripture to come more alive throughout the church;
(ii) requests the Mission Council to consider the recommendations of the Working Group on the Authority of the General Assembly and Other Councils and to report to a future Assembly;
(iii) commends to the church the report of the Working Group on Ordination and Human Sexuality as an aid to study in the continuing discussions;
(iv) offers to the church the report of the Working Group on Wider Issues of Human Sexuality to assist in further reflection.
40 General Assembly thanks the Core Group and Working Groups for their work, and commends to the United Reformed Church the Human Sexuality Report 1999.
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