Sydney’s Anglican School Leaders ‘Livid’ About Diocese’s Marriage Clause

The leaders of some of Sydney’s Anglican schools are “livid” that new principals and school board members must affirm, in writing, their opposition to same-sex marriage. 

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, several principals have taken their concerns and grievances to the Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel.

The clause, which was added in 2019 to the Anglican Diocese of Sydney’s Statement of Personal Faith, must be signed by new hires.

‘Sexual Faithfulness in Marriage Between a Man and a Woman’

The Statement includes the Apostles’ Creed along with standard Christian doctrine such as, “only one way to be reconciled to God which is through his Son,” and that, “we are justified before God by faith only.”

However, the final clause states, “faith produces obedience in accordance with God’s word, including sexual faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman, and abstinence in all other circumstances.”

New hires must also agree that their employment is, “dependent upon my continuing agreement with this statement and I undertake to resign if this ceases to be the case.”

Potential Board Member: ‘This is Not Christ-Like’

One potential board member who refused to sign the Statment told the Sydney Morning Herald, “They’re engineering their boards to think in a morally conservative way that’s harmful for their students.

“It’s going to limit new principals –you’ll end up with a whole set of socially engineered principals across Anglican schools in the Sydney diocese.

“Restrictive ideas about sexuality should not be tied up in the statement of faith and the fact that they are, speaks to something deeply concerning about the Sydney Anglican Church right now. To me, this is not Christ-like.”

A principal, who had an issue with the new clause, told the Sydney Morning Herald, “I don’t understand why you would insert that, over substance abuse or gambling or domestic violence. It seems remarkably aggressive.”

Bishop of North Sydney Chris Edwards pushed back against the opposition to the new clause.

In a statement, he said, “By making it explicit, it only states what was always understood from biblical teaching on marriage, faithfulness within marriage, and abstinence apart from marriage. 

“However, the Synod felt that given the recent change in secular law relating to marriage, it should explicitly point out that assent to the statement of faith includes the teaching of Jesus and the Bible on marriage, such as in Genesis Chapter 2 and Matthew Chapter 19.”