On Marriage and Sexuality

We are part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada who, at its General Assembly made a most significant change in doctrine and policy. The General Assembly decided there would now be two parallel definitions of marriage: A covenant relationship between a man and woman and/or a covenant relationship between two adult people. In addition, the Assembly made a further decision to allow for the ordination of LGBTQI individuals married or single as ruling and teaching elders within our denomination.

Liberty of conscience has been granted to ministers and congregations to choose to officiate or not officiate marriages of same sex couples. KesPres will continue to hold to the orthodox position that marriage is the lifelong covenant between a man and a woman and that sexual intimacy is intended to be exclusively expressed within that loving relationship alone.

KesPres is a diverse group of people, joined together as a family in worship and in discipleship. We believe we do not need to agree with each other in order to love one another. Together we all affirm that Jesus is Lord will continue to work out what it means to surrender to his Lordship in all matters of life and faith as a grace filled community.

We do acknowledge that the Church has done harm to our LGBTQI brothers and sisters in Christ. We have made them feel unwelcome by our words and actions and confess our own sin in this matter.

We do not stand in opposition to same sex marriages as administered by the state or speak against justice when it comes to the rights and privileges of those who enter into such unions.

KesPres will continue to be a welcoming church. All people, no matter their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation have value and worth in our eyes and more importantly in the eyes of God. All of us are welcome into Christ’s church where we can find a safe place to be loved and nurtured, encouraged to be the people that God has called us to be.

Our session has spent much time in conversation, study and prayer over these matters and we will continue to submit ourselves and our opinions to God and God’s word above all. To start anywhere else means we are giving someone else or something else authority over us. We hope you will join us on the journey.