THE GATE’S POSITION ON HUMAN SEXUALITY
Several members with a range of views have contributed to this final edit seeking to express our arrived position with compassion and care for all those it will affect.
This is a statement of the church’s position.
We accept that individual members will hold a variety of views on matters of sexuality as they study scripture. Together we seek to love one another in the unity of the Spirit as we pursue the Lord’s calling on us as individuals and a church.
“At The Gate, we aspire to be a place of welcome, safety and love for everyone who comes through our doors”.
We wish to be clear, that as a church, we hold to a traditional interpretation of scripture, that in creation God created mankind male and female, and God created marriage in which one man and one woman enter into a covenant relationship (Genesis 2-24; Matthew 19: 4-6).
Regardless of their background. We believe that every person is worthy of dignity and respect as we are all made in the image of God.
We recognise that there are individuals who may want to join The Gate who are of a different sexual orientation or not identifying with their culturally assigned gender at birth, individuals who feel a sense of Gender dysphoria, and/or are challenged by the issues of personal gender identity and sexuality. We are a church that seeks to provide a safe space for individuals to consider such questions in the light of orthodox biblical teaching on sexuality.
We leave it to the Holy Spirit to convict individuals about what is right before God and will not ‘single out’ individuals to impose prayer or pastoral ministry on them concerning this issue, we will only pray for an individual ‘specifically’ if that individual has requested prayer ministry.
To be truly biblically inclusive we commit to the following.
- To speak about the goodness of biblical sexual ethics that equally dignifies single and married people, dismantles the cultural pressures to have sex, celebrates celibacy, encourages healthy biblical relationships, and reflects the worthiness of Christ as a greater treasure above all these things.
- To recognise that people of every background are called to die to themselves, to pick up their crosses and follow Christ. Discipleship means the call to live a life of obedience to Christ and this means we should all be engaged in laying things down as part of this process.
- In matters of pastoral care and discipline The Gate seeks to be consistent in our approach across all areas of sex and relationships. We will ensure we hold leaders accountable in all areas.
Above all we believe that the love and grace of Jesus can enable people to live and work through life challenges in all areas of life including sex and relationships.