Church of Sweden: Church Coalition for Bible and Confession issues call to resist

Resist

Hyssna, October 27, 2005

Dear Friends,

The Church Assembly - which voted itself the right to interpret the
faith, confession and doctrine of the Church of Sweden - proclaimed
today that relationships between same-sex couples that are registered
with the civil authorities can be blessed in a public worship service or
church ceremony.

No other church in the entire world has such a decision making process
as the Swedish church. Here the political parties of society have taken
over the decision making body of the church, the "Church Assembly." If
necessary, they actually can run over the small remnant of the Office of
the Ordained Ministry and the remaining Doctrinal Board as well. But,
that was not necessary this time. In recent years no one could become a
bishop who did not "answer correctly" questions about homosexual life.
This is shown with terrifying clarity in the Doctrinal Board's
statement, in which all references to Biblical revelation and the
Christian doctrine of Creation were rejected as 'biblicism.'

Today's decision thus surprises no one. The groundwork has been
carefully prepared with great logic and skill over the past decade. Each
partial decision about the homosexual issue was barely given time to go
into effect, when the next partial decision was taken and so forth. What
was possibly surprising was the demonstration of despotism that was only
too obvious in the day's debate. The majority's leading spokesmen, by
and large, kept silent and refused to discuss any kind of objections.
These included everything from the church's obligation to the biblical
revelation, its view of marriage and of creation, and its ecumenical
relations. Not to mention the disruption within the church that will be
the inexorable consequence of the decision!

Not even a request for a return of the proposal for further study,
supported by 87 members, was given any attention. Why this hurry? I am
convinced that there were at least two reasons. The Social-Democrats,
the Folk Party (liberals) and Left Party (former communists) needed this
decision in the Church in order to be able to proceed with their agenda
to change society's marriage laws during the next parliamentary term. At
the same time they felt the power eroding under their feet. The
political party control of the Church is increasingly questioned. This
is demonstrated not the least in the Social Democrats' failure in the
most recent church election. Despite an intensive smear campaign and
great financial and personal efforts, they actually lost votes.

Thus a new paragraph is introduced into the Church Order, effective at
the end of this year. The chapter heading "Marriage" will get an
addition, "and Blessing services." A Rite for this is to be established
hastily by the Church Board. Rites for official worship services are
included in the Church Handbook that is usually viewed as an _expression
of the faith, confession and doctrine of the Swedish church. The bizarre
situation is that there will soon be a Rite that has to be viewed as an
official church act, and so part of the Church Order, even if it is not
(yet) included in the Handbook. An alteration of church teaching, or if
you want, a new doctrine, has sneaked in through the back door. It is
also telling that the new Prayer book is adapted to be able to
incorporate this innovation.

But we are going to resist the new order. We do not recognize it. We do
not believe in it. We are not going to comply. We are not going to
defend it. We will tell the story how it happened. We will work to have
it repealed. We are going to seek support from ecumenical partners here
at home in Sweden and abroad.

We are going to continue to reveal the fragile foundation of this new
order and persevere in showing how the word of God should be read,
understood and interpreted. The Church has always read the Holy
Scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and has been able to
interpret what is at the center and what is at the periphery, what is
mandated and what is adiaphora. This is not an isolated ethical issue.
It deals with the basic order of creation: God's creation of human
beings as man and woman and His purpose with creation.

We are convinced that the democratic assembly of the Swedish church is
mistaken. It has gone beyond its area of competence and thus lacks
legitimacy to pass a resolution like this. We do not trust the promises
given that no priest should be forced to act against his conscience and
perform a blessing ceremony against his conviction. We remember other
promises the church did not keep - why should we believe this one?

St. John writes in his second letter: /"If anybody does not keep within
the teaching of Christ but goes beyond it, he cannot have God with him.
- If anyone comes to you bringing a different doctrine, you must not
receive him in your house". (2 John: 9-10)/

It is not so difficult to understand that many this evening ask whether
they are able to remain and work in a church that so obviously is on a
collision course against God's own revealed word, and what the church
has been teaching for over 2000 years. I have noticed it in telephone
calls and emails.

Now we need time for reflection and consultation. In some of my previous
letters "Hiding prophets" and "Dig wells" I was thinking about our
situation. I arrived at the conclusion that as long as we do not have a
clear marching order from the Lord, we should stay as long as possible.
Today it has been demonstrated that the church is at war with herself
and, particularly now, we should stay and bear witness about biblical
faith and confession to our confused church.

We should constantly point out that we are no strange minority. We
confess and defend the catholic heritage of our church. It is shared by
millions of Christians all over the world. Perhaps we have to find
unconventional solutions to survive. More resolutions will be passed
that are against us, resolutions that even question our right to work in
the church.

After the resolutions today, I am sure many priests and deacons struggle
with the question of whether it will be possible for them to remain in
the organization. Perhaps they will have to leave their employment or
will choose to do so. But, no church bureaucracy can remove our
ordination from God. The deacon is there among people as God's servant
and the priest continues to be God's priest, serving His people also at
his home altar.

When we recognize that our space for action becomes increasingly smaller
as a result of church political decisions, our resolve not to give in
increases. Things like this should not happen in a church. By treating a
large part of its members this way, a church is heading for disaster.

I am convinced that the future will mean privation and many sacrifices,
with different solutions for different people. But our responsibility
and our calling is to witness to the apostolic faith in the Swedish
church as long as at all possible, and faithfully and patiently to
/"fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to
the saints." (Jude 3)./

Our calling is to preserve and save what can be saved, as a remnant
carrying the seeds for a new harvest. There is drought and spiritual
starvation all over the country. Our calling is the restoration on the
apostolic foundation of the entire Swedish church and the preservation
of a trickle from the rich spiritual wellsprings given to us. This is
still our calling tomorrow - the day after this disastrous resolution by
the Church Assembly.

MAY THE LORD PROTECT AND KEEP US ALL.

Yngve Kalin

Chairman

Church Coalition for Bible and Confession