A Dunedin church opposed to the blessing of same-sex civil marriages has withdrawn from the Anglican diocese, with its vicar calling the blessing of same-sex marriages and homosexuality an “abomination”
St Matthew’s Church in Stafford St this week voted to disaffiliate from the Anglican Church in protest over the Anglican position on same-sex marriage blessings.
The Otago Daily Times reports that Bishop Rt Rev Steven Benford says a vote took place Monday night where the congregation decide to disaffiliate from the Anglican Church as”a result of the General Synod resolution on the blessing of same-sex civil marriages passed in May 2018”.
”It is with a heavy heart that we have heard the decision of a portion of St Matthew’s parish to disaffiliate from the Anglican Church,” Benford confirmed.
Earlier this year St Matthew’s vicar Stu Crosson made a number of inflammatory remarks about the decision of the Anglican Church.
Crosson slammed the decision saying the move to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages “appears to me to be a step into false teaching, contrary to the unified witness of scripture, a denial of what it means to be faithful, human, image bearers, in our maleness and femaleness and as such an idolatrous step away from our God.”
Crosson was reported as saying “to bless something God called an abomination and the apostle Paul described as inviting the wrath of God seemed destined to invite the judgement of God upon the church.”
