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Reform-Awesome Consultation Papers: All the discussion papers from consultations between representatives of Reform and Awesome
Posted on 1 February 2012
Reform - Awesome Consultations
The following papers were presented. The A in a title refers to it being an Awesome paper and the R refers to it being a Reform paper.
"I am so glad the papers which were at the core of our discussion and dialogue are able to be read more widely now. I would like to thank those from Reform and Awesome who took part and made our meetings possible. The conversations show one way in which we in the Church can "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" as we submit to scripture, we listen, we robustly engage and we love, as Ephesians goes on to say "we are members of one another". My prayer is that this publication will spur us to go on seeking to "speak the truth in love" and build up the body of Christ, especially in these days."
Keith Sinclair, Bishop of Birkenhead
1_1A An Exploration of Evangelical Exegetical and Hermeneutical Differences Over Gender Hierarchy
1_1R Does Scripture teach some form of gender-hierarchy/”male headship” as God’s purpose in creation?
1_2A Commissioning of Women in the Gospels, Acts and Paul
1_3A Exegesis of 1 Timothy 2: 8-15
1_3R Discussion Paper on 1 Tim 2:8-15
2_1A What does 1 Corinthians 11 tell us about gender and church order?
2_1iiA What do the Trinity and marriage have to do with male headship in the church?
2_1R 1 Corinthians 11:3: Headship, Trinity and Gender
2_3R Ephesians 5.21-33 (with Colossians 3.18 & 1 Peter 3.1-7)
2_4A Evangelical opponents of women bishops: What is sought and required?
3_1A The Pastoral Epistles: Ministry, ordination and women
3_2A The Bible and today’s debates – Issues in Human Sexuality and the Ministry of Women
3_3A Hermeneutics and the evangelical debate about women’s ministry
3_3R Power, Equality, Humility and Suspicion
3_4R The need for secure and adequate provision for conservatives
A final statement was agreed between the two groups, January 2011.
There have been two earlier statements. The first was in January 2010. The other was in July 2010.
The Reform Council commented on the final statement:
"We are thankful for the dialogue that has taken place and welcome the honest but gracious expression of difference that is reflected in the final statement. As the concluding paragraphs state, we continue to respect those who disagree with our view of Scripture. We wish to stress, however, that the security of our respective positions depends on faithfulness to Scripture, rather than on any political need to accommodate one another within the structures of the institutional Church".