A Statement on Marriage

In the midst of the 2004 Massachusetts debate about the meaning of marriage, prompted by the 4-3 decision of the Supreme Judicial Court, some in our Conference expressed themselves in a brief statement:

"We pastors and leaders in United Church of Christ congregations in Massachusetts lament the divisive current preoccupation with issues of sexuality while more pressing claims of mission and witness go unattended. We do affirm the teaching of Jesus Christ that the standard for sexuality is the "one flesh" union of a man and a woman in marriage (Matt. 19:4-6, Mk. 10:6-8, [Gen. 2:24]), and reject any efforts to associate Christ, "the sole Head" of the Church (Preamble, UCC Constitution), with public policy counter to this norm. Given our congregational polity and our much-touted diversity, we call upon the Church to respect differences on this disputed question and encourage dialog, rather than making one political viewpoint the litmus test of Christian faithfulness."

Virginia Asel, John Barber, Philip Bauman, David Buchanan II, Susan Butler, Martha Cohen, Jack Daniel, Herb Davis, Earl Eisenbach, Loree G. Elliott, Willis Elliott, Dorothy Fackre, Gabriel Fackre, David Fehser, Richard L. Floyd, Virginia Gray, Gary Greene, Miles Hall, Roger Lier, Howard MacMullen, Brian Miller, Richard Olmsted, Lisa Priest, Dale Proulx, Paul Sangree, Steven Small, Max Stackhouse, William Tucker, Phil Winders, Timothy Ziegenhals

As signatories, we believe that the voice of the historic Christian tradition should be heard clearly in Conference dialog on the meaning of marriage. Our commitment to this teaching of "a holy mystery in which man and woman become one flesh" is grounded in the Order for Marriage of our own Church. The United Church of Christ echoes in its liturgy the ecumenical consensus, as is indicated in a volume by one of our group:

"The ecumenical Protestants (sometimes called the 'mainline,' 'old-line'or 'iberal' denominations) have produced more church statements, background papers, study documents, books and proposals on sexuality in this period than in any comparable period of church history. The churches affirm that genital sexual activity is best confined to a heterosexual marriage..."

Max L. Stackhouse, in Covenants and Committments, 1997

We are of one mind on this "norm" for human sexuality, on the importance of honoring it in the dialog on the meaning of marriage in both our Church and our culture, and in lamenting that major issues of Christian witness and mission have been marginalized by preoccupation with this culture-war question.

We also care deeply about justice for gays and lesbians in the wider society and for honoring the kinship which all of us share in the Church by our common baptism.

We are not of one mind on how public justice and ecclesial commonality are best implemented. The resources to which we link on "The Meaning of Christian Marriage" reflect our oneness of mind. Those linked to "Ecumenical Dimensions of Christian Marriage" are to assist in putting our church's discussions in the context of the wider church. Sites and papers linked under the heading "Points of View on Homosexuality" indicate a range of opinion on the topic that underlies the entire discussion. Being in a church committed to both unity and diversity, we believe the scope of the latter as well as the depth of the former should be given a fair hearing.