AWESOME-Reform Consultation 2010-11

This page contains papers from the series of consultation meetings held between AWESOME and Reform.

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

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.

The papers are all in .pdf format. If you right click on the link you can save as the file which will save you time in downloading an individual paper.

Papers from Session 1

Session Titles – These include the starter questions for each day’s discussions

• Paper 1*1A An Exploration of Evangelical Exegetical and Hermeneutical Differences Over Gender Hierarchy

• Paper 1*1R Does Scripture teach some form of gender-hierarchy/”male headship” as God’s purpose in creation?

• Paper 1*2A Commissioning of Women in the Gospels, Acts and Paul

• Paper 1*2R Interpreting the Bible

• Paper 1*3A Exegesis of 1 Timothy 2: 8-15

• Paper 1*3R Discussion Paper on 1 Tim 2:8-15

Papers from Session 2

Session Titles These include the starter questions for each day’s discussions

• Paper 2*1A What does 1 Corinthians 11 tell us about gender and church order?

• Paper 2*1A What do the Trinity and marriage have to do with male headship in the church?

• Paper 2*1R 1 Corinthians 11:3: Headship, Trinity and Gender

• Paper 2*3A Does biblical teaching about husbands and wives shed light on the roles of men and women in the church?

• Paper 2*3R Ephesians 5.21-33 (with Colossians 3.18 & 1 Peter 3.1-7)

• Paper 2*4A Evangelical opponents of women bishops: What is sought and required?

• Paper 2*4R Women bishops: Q and A

Papers from Session 3

Session Titles These include the starter questions for each day’s discussions

• Paper 3*1A The Pastoral Epistles: Ministry, ordination and women

• Paper 3*1R The Pastoral Epistles

• Paper 3*2A The Bible and today’s debates – Issues in Human Sexuality and the Ministry of Women

• Paper 3*3A Hermeneutics and the evangelical debate about women’s ministry

• Paper 3*3R. Power, Equality, Humility and Suspicion

• Paper 3*4A AWESOME Summary Document

• Paper 3*4R The need for secure and adequate provision for conservatives

Statement July 2010 Summary on the discussions

Final Statement A final statement was agreed between the two groups, January 2011