Presbyterian Church tells members: Let's differ in a Christian way

The church’s general secretary defended an email which was sent on Friday which appeared to warn against taking part in debate which would bring the church “into disrepute”.

Trevor Gribben, speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence programme, said that Christians had a right to differ, but urged “let’s differ in a Christian way”.

He said the correspondence offered “helpful advice” on decisions taken at the church’s recent general assembly and following a special meeting of the general council on Thursday.

Earlier this month the Prebyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) adopted a new policy to exclude gay couples from being full members of the church. While many within the church agreed with the decision of the general assembly, some spoke out against the policy.

In its correspondence on Friday, the PCI said: “Any such public debate involving ministers and elders of the church should seek to avoid discourse that gives rise, or may give rise, to scandal injurious to the purity or peace of the church.

“Ministers and elders of the church should ensure that by their public comments they do not bring the church and its agencies into disrepute.

“Ministers and elders should also ensure that their public statements do not amount to contumacy or equate to an open declaration of their intention to take actions that would lead to defiance of or disobedience to the courts of the church.”

Rev Gribben told Sunday Sequence: “One man’s warning is another man’s helpful advice. Sadly sometimes these things do need to be stated that we should, particularly at times when people have strong views and emotions are running high, be careful to be constructive in our statements.”

He added: “People are free to debate in public. It’s the nature of that discourse that is important. There is such a thing as contructive debate, there is also such a thing, sadly, as destructive debate.

“Sometimes when we pick up the wrong end of the stick or perhaps even for some who want to misrepesent or overemphasise particular aspects of the church’s view, that can be incredibly harmful.

“There are proper processes and ways to discuss this in the church. In the letter I actually try to give guidance as to how you change decisions made by the general assembly. No decision made by the general assembly is forever.”

Rev Gribben said the general council was unanimous in deciding the email should be sent, though he expressed his disappointment at it being passed to some media outlets.

He said: “[The email] set to put the record right on some misunderstandings, in particular what was in the media about what PCI believed and didn’t believe. I don’t think the tone of this letter is harsh at all. It did, I hope, give some helpful clarification about public debate.”