Conservative
Mennonite Conference
Statement
on Homosexuality
(Adopted
at the CMC Business Meeting, 8/11/95;
Adopted
by the Cherry Glade Congregation, 2/96)
In response to an
apparent increase in homosexuality in the society in which we live and in
response to the inroads into the evangelical church of acceptance of
homosexuality, the Conservative Mennonite Conference expresses its position in
the following points:
1.
Questions of ethics and morality must be answered by the revelation, authority,
and faithful interpretation of the Scriptures.
2.
Human sexuality is good, as created by God, but can be perverted and corrupted
in human attitude and behavior.
3.
Whatever the causes of homosexuality, it is a condition outside of God's
creational intent.
4.
Homosexual behavior is clearly classified as sin in scripture (I Cor. 6:9).
Romans 1:26, 27 (NIV) refers to homosexual behavior in terms of those who
"exchange natural relations for unnatural ones" and who
"committed indecent acts."
5.
Homosexual orientation is deviant from God's plan for human sexuality, and
should not be considered as a gift of God.
The behavior naturally educed by homosexual orientation is described in
Scripture as "shameful" and "against nature" (Rom. 1:26, 27
- NIV).
6.
Response to homosexual orientation should recognize the condition as falling
short of the plan of God and should seek reorientation through transformation
through prayer, God's grace, therapy, and the love and support of brothers and
sisters in the body of Christ.
7.
A believer who is afflicted with homosexual orientation can respond by:
a.
Refusing to entertain the orientation as satisfactory or as a gift from God
b.
Repenting of ways in which the individual may have enhanced the orientation
c.
Renouncing the identity and control of the orientation and any notion of having
been created to be homosexual
d.
Working toward reorientation by God's grace and the help of fellow-believers
e.
Seeking release from the bondage of factors which may have caused the
orientation
f.
Committing the problem of homosexual orientation to the Lordship of Jesus for
growth in the experiential reality of being a new creature in Christ (II Cor.
5:17).
8.
The church is responsible to minister compassionately and redemptively to the
homosexual…
a.
by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are not believers
b.
by renouncing homosexual behavior as sin and recognizing homosexual orientation
as abnormal (not a gift of God)
c.
by leading the homosexual to God's grace for deliverance
d.
through ministries such as counseling or support groups in the body of Christ.
These
ministries include a call to holiness, sympathetic understanding of those
involuntarily caught in homosexual orientation, renouncing homosexual behavior,
and providing ministry (specialized or within the church) for reorientation.