Moderator breaks silence on female minister controversy

Local & National

Viewpoint: Church must address women's role

Saturday, December 29, 2007

By Victor Gordon

The Presbyterian Moderator last night broke his silence on the female minister controversy that has divided the Church over the Christmas period.

Dr John Finlay was in Portadown at the weekend, speaking to the two ministers who precipitated the row that has rocked Irish Presbyterianism.

He said: "I am confident the two churches can resolve the issue between them. Both ministers are reasonable people.

"I do not minimise the problem, but we must continue to reconcile the two schools of thought over women ministers in the Presbyterian Church."

The gender row erupted between First Portadown's minister the Rev Stafford Carson and Armagh Road's the Rev Christina Bradley over the annual united Christmas Day service.

The service had, for over 60 years, alternated between the two churches, with the 'home' minister conducting the service and the 'away' minister preaching the sermon.

However, the Rev Stafford would not "in conscience" allow Mrs Bradley into his pulpit, so the Armagh Road session refused his invitation to the service.

In a bid to diffuse the situation, both ministers read an agreed statement from their pulpits on Sunday.

It said: "It is very unfortunate that the crux of the matter is the gender issue. This year, there is no joint Christmas Day service, but what happens next year is a different matter which could enable both churches to move forward."

Dr Finlay was, by coincidence, in the First Portadown congregation on Sunday when the statement was read, as his grandchild was being baptised, with his extended family being members there.

"I took no part in the service - it was a long-standing family arrangement," said the moderator.

But he took the opportunity of speaking to both ministers. "They're purely of a pastoral nature - private meetings," he said. "And I am confident the situation can be resolved between the two churches.

"It is up to them to resolve this one, and not the wider church."

On the wider issue of women ministers, Dr Finlay confirmed that females had been ordained since the mid-1970s and were an integral part of the Church.

"But there are conscientious objectors who interpret the Scriptures differently and the Church allows their freedom of conscience," said the moderator.

"This is the law of the Church. We have to accommodate both points of view, or the Church could be torn apart.

"There has to be a counter-balance so that ministers have control of who enters their pulpit and Stafford Carson exercised that right according to his conscience.

"Mrs Bradley may see it as discrimination against women, but I tried to reassure her it was simply to square a circle within the Presbyterian Church."

Mr Carson, meanwhile, confirmed the moderator was in his church on Sunday in a family role, adding: "I don't want to discuss the issue any further."

Mrs Bradley said: "I cannot see it otherwise than discrimination. I am a woman, a widow and a foreigner, being from Germany."