Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 06:53:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97095: Eastern Ave. CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry NR #1997-095: Eastern Avenue CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry Due to Disagreement with Synodical Position on Gay Marriage Five years ago, Rev. Jim Lucas risked his future as a Christian Reformed minister by declaring his homosexuality in a "coming out" speech at Calvin College. Since then, Lucas has developed his informal counseling work with Christian Reformed homosexuals into an interdenominational nonprofit organization, "As We ARE," which meets on the premises of his home church, Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids. The organization is related to "AWARE," a loose network of Christian Reformed homosexual support groups with chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Since 1995, Classis Grand Rapids East has approved an annual request from Eastern Avenue that Lucas' ministerial credentials be renewed for a number of reasons, including that "he is actively pursuing a call to ministry as chaplain to AWARE." Classis granted less explicit requests from the church in previous years. All of that could change when classis next meets on September 18 to approve Lucas' annual renewal of ministerial credentials. "Much to our mutual disappointment, a problem emerged during more detailed discussions of Rev. Lucas' views regarding the 1973 report on homosexuality," reported the church. "In the July 9, 1996 meeting of Consistory, Jim reported that personally he follows the guideline of celibacy and counsels others to pursue celibacy as the ideal. However, he stated that he believes a faithful, committed, permanent, same-sex union can be an experience of God's grace and within God's will for those who cannot attain the ideal of celibacy." Eastern Avenue CRC Declines to Call Lucas to Gay Ministry Due to Disagreement with Synodical Position on Gay Marriage * "Much to our mutual disappointment, a problem emerged... Jim reported that personally he follows the guideline of celibacy and counsels others to pursue celibacy as the ideal. However he stated that he believes a faithful, committed, permanent, same-sex union can be an experience of God's grace and within God's will for those who cannot attain the ideal of celibacy." by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 8, 1997) URNS -- Five years ago, Rev. Jim Lucas risked his future as a Christian Reformed minister by declaring his homosexuality in a "coming out" speech at Calvin College. Since then, Lucas has developed his informal counseling work with Christian Reformed homosexuals into an interdenominational nonprofit organization, "As We ARE," which meets on the premises of his home church, Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids. The organization is related to "AWARE," a loose network of Christian Reformed homosexual support groups with chapters throughout the United States and Canada. Lucas' work received widespread publicity within weeks of his "coming out" speech, and has included everything from television appearances, newspaper interviews, and an advocacy role on Christian Reformed gay issues, to personal counseling, church school education, and preaching. Since 1995, Classis Grand Rapids East has approved an annual request from Eastern Avenue that Lucas' ministerial credentials be renewed for a number of reasons, including that "he is actively pursuing a call to ministry as chaplain to AWARE." Classis granted less explicit requests from the church in previous years. All of that could change when classis next meets on September 18. According to Christian Reformed rules, ministers without a call to a formal ministerial position must come before their classis on an annual basis to have their eligibility for call extended. In its report to the upcoming classis, Eastern Avenue detailed Lucas' history with the church and his ministry to homosexuals. "Much to our mutual disappointment, a problem emerged during more detailed discussions of Rev. Lucas' views regarding the 1973 Report on Homosexuality," reported the church. "In the July 9, 1996 meeting of Consistory, Jim reported that personally he follows the guideline of celibacy and counsels others to pursue celibacy as the ideal. However, he stated that he believes a faithful, committed, permanent, same-sex union can be an experience of God's grace and within God's will for those who cannot attain the ideal of celibacy." The official Christian Reformed position on homosexuality, first articulated in a 1973 report on the subject, includes a statement that "homosexualism -- as explicit homosexual practice -- must be condemned as incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in Holy Scripture." Eastern Avenue CRC cited this provision in its report to classis, noting that the church "is currently unable to call Rev. Lucas as Minister of the Word to be chaplain of As We Are because of a significant difference regarding Guideline 3 of the 1973 report." However, the church spoke highly of Lucas' work and said it "is faced with a genuine dilemma." "We wish to honor and abide by the 1973 Synodical Report and the polity of the CRC in calling a Minister of the Word," reported the church. "At the same time we do not wish to cut off or undermine one of the few public ministries to homosexual persons associated with the CRC." As a result, Eastern Avenue proposes that classis extend Lucas' ministerial credentials again this year and in 1998, pending completion of the report of a new synodical committee studying homosexual ministry. While recognizing that it was making a "highly unusual request," the church noted that it "anticipates that this [synodical] committee will provide insight regarding ministry to persons who cannot agree with or live within Guideline 3." Eastern Avenue pastor Rev. Mary Antonides said neither she nor the church were aware of Lucas' views on homosexual marriage until last year. "We all knew Jim was gay but he had never made his views public, and AWARE doesn't take a stand on this issue," said Antonides. "Being a gay person is not a problem, and telling other people you are gay and want to minister to those who are gay and lesbian is not a problem either, but when it came time to call him we had to look at his ministry and his views in light of the '73 report." "Calling someone as a chaplain demands certain things of the person and of the church that's going to be calling him and we wanted to do things carefully and in the right way," said Antonides. Lucas said he was concerned about the action by his church. "It would be nice if the whole thing just sailed through and I could keep doing my ministry instead of dealing with things that produce extra stresses," said Lucas. "It kind of leaves me feeling hanging." Nevertheless, Lucas said he understood why his church was doing as it had done. "I feel as though Eastern Avenue is trying to deal with this issue with as much integrity as possible," said Lucas. "They consider my ministry very valuable but they understand and respect the denominational position on this issue." Lucas, who said he is currently working 40 to 60 hours per week on AWARE ministry but is paid for only twenty hours per week due to financial constraints, said he'd much prefer to spend his time building his organization. "People ask me how I'm feeling with the church, and I say I'm in limbo, but limbo assumes I've died," said Lucas. "Living with the tension of not knowing what is happening is hard, it's stressful, and I'd rather not have it that way. I'd rather have a call and get on with my life." Lucas said he hoped the synodical committee studying ministry to homosexuals would come back to Synod 1999 with a report favorable to his ministry. Dr. Melvin Hugen, chairman of the synodical committee and professor of pastoral care at Calvin Theological Seminary, said the committee wasn't far enough along in its work for him to comment on what it was likely to decide, but noted that the committee was barred by Synod 1996 from changing the CRC's official position on homosexuality. "It is not on our agenda as a committee to revise Guideline 3, that is not our mandate and that is not what we will be doing," said Hugen. "The report is pretty clear and it is a very accurate statement of what Scripture says." However, Hugen -- who serves with both Antonides and Lucas on the Eastern Avenue council -- said the church was correct in anticipating that the synodical committee would "provide insight regarding ministry to persons who cannot agree with or live within Guideline 3." "We are aware that the church is doing ministry, and it ministers to people who don't hold the same understandings the church does," said Hugen. "We may minister in counseling to people who think there is nothing wrong with divorce, yet the church holds with Scripture that marriages should be permanent," said Hugen. "In a similar way the church will undoubtedly minister to people who are convinced that a committed permanent same-sex relationship is an option. There will be congregations that will have such couples in their membership and in their worship services who will come and address that." Lucas said he didn't know whether to be hopeful or pessimistic about his chances of retaining his ministerial credentials, noting that even if the classis approves extending his eligibility for call, the synodical deputies will still have to concur and Synod 1998 will have to approve their report. "I guess if I had no hope I wouldn't continue the process," said Lucas. "I really want to believe the best of the church, I want to believe the church will do what is right. Some people say it's a hopeless case, but how do I know? There are a lot of good people in the CRC." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1993-017: Over 1200 Pack Calvin College Auditorium to Debate Gay Rights; Homosexual Activists Demand Equal Time for Views #1993-019: Anti-Gay Rights Speaker Triggers Uproar at Calvin College; Professor Renews Call for Ban on Outside Funding for College Republicans Lecture Series #1993-021: 3 Million Hear Noebel Counterattack Calvin College Regarding Gay Rights on National Christian Radio Program #1993-023: General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in America Calls Christian Reformed Church to "Repent of Its Sins"; Women in office, homosexuality, theistic evolution, deposition of conservative pastors cited as "departure from the Scriptures in its doctrine and practice" #1993-026: Children at the Lord's Table, Americans with Disabilities Act, Judicial Code Matters, Homosexuality Delay Synod Schedule #1993-031: More Churches Split Following Christian Reformed Synodical Vote Allowing Women Elders and Pastors; Alberta Seceders Protest Homosexuality Report by Classis Alberta North #1994-005: Christianity Today Lists Calvin Among Christian Colleges Strained by Homosexuals Pressing for Acceptance #1994-016: Midwest Classis Asks CRC Synod to Address Homosexuality, Calling God "She," Theistic Evolution, Ordination Process #1994-031: Christian Reformed Synod: Members May Not "Practice or Advocate Homosexualism"; Dr. David Engelhard Approved as CRC's Next General Secretary; Synod Rejects Proposal to End Funding Endorsement for Westminster Seminary #1994-037: Of Garages, Houses, and Women: Synod Keeps "Expounders" and Appoints Committee to Decide What "Expounding" Means; Synod Cites Legal Concerns in Modifying Abuse Committee Report; "Reaffirmation" of Past Decisions on Inerrancy, Creation, Homosexuality Declared Unnecessary by Synod #1994-048: Jim Lucas Hired as Chaplain of "As We Are" Gay Ministry; Ministerial Credentials Extended to Permit Call to Position; Classis Grand Rapids East of the Christian Reformed Denomination Expects Homosexuality Study Committee to Report to January Classis Meeting #1995-043: Committee Divides on Whether Gay Ministries Must Declare Homosexual Activity is Sin; Classis Grand Rapids East Refers Both Reports to Churches for Study #1995-084: Classis Wisconsin Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Declare that Members who "Deny the Biblical Condemnation of All Homosexual Behavior" are Subject to Discipline #1995-085: Text of Classis Wisconsin Overture re. Homosexuality #1995-100: Grand Rapids East Attempts Compromise on Question of How to Minister to Christian Reformed Gays #1995-101: Text of Classis Grand Rapids East Study Committee Report on Ministry with Persons who are Homosexual #1995-113: Calvin Seminary Professors Urge Classis Grand Rapids East to Affirm CRC Synod's Ruling that Homosexual Practice is Sin #1995-114: Text of Calvin Seminary Faculty Letter on Homosexuality #1996-010: Classis Grand Rapids East Follows Calvin Seminary Faculty Urgings; Reaffirms 1973 CRC Position on Homosexuality #1996-081: Tempers Flare as Christian Reformed Synod Appoints Committee to Restudy Homosexuality #1996-122: Calvin Theological Seminary Terminates Pro-Gay Professor #1997-030: Calvin College Chimes Runs Four-Page Homosexuality Insert; Gay Alumni Group Denied Ad Space in Alumni Magazine #1997-041: Kalamazoo Christian "Releases" 30-Year Veteran Teacher for Supporting "Homosexual Monogamous Relationships" Contact List: Rev. Mary Antonides, Pastor, Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church 2514 Normandy Dr. SE, Apt. 210-C, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 O: (616) 454-4888 * H: (616) 248-8357 Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org Dr. Melvin D. Hugen, Chairman, CRC Homosexuality Study Committee 3233 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4387 O: (616) 957-6025 * H: (616) 942-0001 * FAX: (616) 957-8621 Rev. Jim Lucas, Chaplain, As We ARE PO Box 7824, Grand Rapids, MI 49510 O: (616) 456-6174 * E-Mail: JimLucas12@aol.com Dr. Philip R. Lucasse, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids East 3096 Old Kent Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 957-6000 * H: (616) 942-1219 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-095.txt .