Logo

 

Banner Image:   National-News-banner-Purple
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

Evangelical Alliance discontinues Oasis membership

The Evangelical Alliance has discontinued the membership of Oasis Trust, it announced on Friday (2 May)


In a statement it said Oasis had been ‘unwilling to fulfil the council’s request to adjust the content of their website/resources and social media output to equally profile the traditional Christian view’ of human sexuality.

The concerns arose when in January 2013 Oasis founder and Baptist minister Steve Chalke published an article on the Oasis website (which also featured in Christianity Magazine) outlining his changed views on same sex partnerships.

The EA said that that having heard the concerns expressed by the Alliance’s board and council as to what has been perceived by some as a campaign to change the Church’s historic view on human sexuality, the Oasis board did clarify their position as having ‘no corporate view on this matter’.

However, after many months of prayerful discussion, the Evangelical Alliance council concluded that ‘a relationship between an organisation and one of its members in which the member felt it could not comply with a reasonable request from council, was not tenable.

‘The Evangelical Alliance council remain deeply respectful of the work and achievements of the Oasis Trust and have a strong desire to avoid any unseemly dispute and to speak well of each other.’

In response a spokesperson for Oasis, which joined the EA in 1987, said it was ‘deeply saddened’ by the decision.

‘We would like to take this moment to restate our profound belief that the ethos, values and mission of Oasis sit firmly within the evangelical tradition.

'Since the publication of his (Steve Chalke's) article ‘A Matter of Integrity’ in January 2013 the Oasis board has been in an on-going conversation with the Evangelical Alliance.  At their request, we have made several changes to our online content and believed that we had reached a point where both parties could be satisfied that our relationship would continue.  We are, therefore, disappointed  by their announcement  but will continue to seek and enjoy a warm relationship with the breadth of the Christian Church in Britain and across the world, forming partnerships to lift people and communities out of poverty and exclusion, and seeking to demonstrate the love of God to all through practical service.'



Evangelical Alliance:
http://www.eauk.org/current-affairs/media/press-releases/oasis-trust-membership.cfm

Oasis Trust:
http://www.oasisuk.org

Christian Today:
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/steve.chalkes.oasis.trust.removed.from.the.evangelical.alliance/37171.htm

 
Baptist Times, 07/05/2014
    Post     Tweet
Project Violet: Council affirms commitments to action
Baptist Union Council receives and affirms the commitments to action on women’s experience of ministry made from across Baptists Together in response to the findings of Project Violet
Collaboration; contextual approaches - first Everyone Everywhere national conference
Collaboration in sharing the gospel and a recognition that contrasting, contextual approaches are all needed to help people encounter Jesus were key themes at the first Everyone Everywhere national conference
Prayer bulletin for very small Baptist churches
A number of small, often rural, Baptist churches are being strengthened in their ministry by an initiative which sees them praying for each other on a regular basis
The Centre for Baptist Ministry at St Hild College officially launches
St Hild College has celebrated the launch of the Centre for Baptist Ministry during an event at St Thomas Crookes in Sheffield
A unified call to mission and renewal
Andy Glover reports on the recent day of prayer and fasting, which saw gatherings take place in all Associations, as well as online
We Will Repay - reparations study resource
A new study resource designed to help churches and Christians delve into the discussion of reparations on biblical terms has been released
     Latest News 
    Posted: 26/02/2024