Questionnaire 2: Question 8 - No Responses

‘Any progress in this area has been made grudgingly and as a result of changes in society, not the resolution. I expect that legislation will increasingly be a factor. Since 1993, gay men, lesbians and their supporters have continued to leave the church. Many talented ministers have left circuit ministry.’

‘After 1993 the church went silent on the whole issue. Other than a meeting organised by ‘Headway’ who were opposed to any further developments on the sexuality debate, nothing more was said, written or undertaken. The Methodist Caucus of the LGCM has equally been quiet in maintaining the issue in Methodist thinking.’

‘I don’t believe that the will exists among the majority grass-roots Methodists, be they circuit officials or members to pursue a genuinely open-minded approach to the pursuit of the aims of this resolution.’

‘I wish I knew!  I do not recognise any improvement made, that’s all!’

‘Unlike say – the United Church of Canada, the Uniting Church (Australia) or the Methodist Church of New Zealand we have done next to nothing to move from existing positions.  Coverage of the moves other parts of the Methodist ‘family’ have made has also been non existent and not worth the Recorder reporting.’

‘Not really – see above [‘I responded to the request for feedback but got the feeling there was reluctance on the part of the organisers to share in or encourage any open debate, and felt the subsequent reports reflected this].’

‘I might be allowed to be gay but I am not allowed to express my sexuality in a loving, committed relationship.  There seems to be little understanding of what it is to be gay or for the need of gays to be loved and loving.  Therefore there is a lot of fear and guilt which does not help a man in ministry.’

‘Since 1993 and looking back to churches I have attended I don’t think the “Pilgrimage of Faith” has achieved anything, mainly because most of the church members are elderly and they have been indoctrinated with the fact that homosexuality is wrong, an illness etc. and also link homosexuality with paedophilia.  Again it is down to the minister as he is the leader and some may have tried to achieve some changes.’

‘I haven’t seen any change.  Derby declaration still in force.  Some church members/people in local leadership still very homophobic and claim Biblical and church support for their views.’

‘1. When I read the report I found it so complex – I could not understand it.  2. Even the above resolution is complex.  3. I bet many members and certainly folk outside the church will not have a what a pilgrimage of faith is.  4. Conference get off the fence, make simple and precise statements.’

‘Very little was done (that I am aware of) as of the sixth resolution until comparatively recently.  Progress on the sexuality issue – such as it is – has mostly been down to changes in societal attitudes, not to the “Pilgrimage of Faith” initiative.’

‘I think the older members of churches, in general, are still of the opinion that it is wrong and against nature and therefore that it should not be allowed, I therefore don’t think that they will ever fully accept that “such things” go on in “their” church.  I think that the younger generation are more willing to accept in general but that this is not necessarily anything to do with “Pilgrimage of Faith”.’