Uniting Church in Australia (NSW)

January 30, 1998

Moyes bounces back

The Pastoral Relations Committee of the Uniting Church’s Sydney Presbytery has let the Rev. Dr Gordon Moyes continue as Superintendent of Wesley Mission pending an appeal against a December 10 presbytery decision not to extend his settlement for three years.

Dr Moyes, formerly a minister in the Churches of Christ, has led the mission for 21 years.

Wesley Mission appealed to the Synod against the presbytery decision on the grounds that the presbytery did not comply with procedures for extensions of settlements.

Wesley Mission, with an income of $60.65 million last financial year, describes itself as the largest church in Australia. It conducts an extensive ministry throughout Australia including aged care hostels, child and family care, clothing recycling, community care, conference and recreation centres, congregational and pastoral services, counselling services, disability services, drug awareness and education employment, training and education, homeless persons services, hospitals, media ministries such as Turn Round Australia and Swordfish, nursing homes and retirement villages.

The dramatic and continued growth of the mission was cited as ample evidence of Dr Moyes’ unique ability to provide the leadership it needed.

The Rev. Dr Tony Chi, Senior Minister of Wesley Mission, said it was deeply regretted that the presbytery made its decision despite unanimous support for Dr Moyes from the mission’s congregations, parish elders’ council and staff and from the presbytery’s own pastoral relations committee.

The pastoral relations committee had reported that Dr Moyes had fully met presbytery’s requirements for being granted an extension. Despite criticism of aspects of Dr Moyes’ style there was overwhelming support for his extension within the mission.

Other matters _ such as Dr Moyes’ forthright expression of his views on controversial issues in the life of the church, the independent profile of the mission, and the mission’s recent threats to cease funding the ministry of the wider church _ were deemed to be not solely the responsibility of Dr Moyes and did not, according to regulations and guidelines, affect the extension of his ministry.

The pastoral relations committee found that where those issues directly involved Dr Moyes the regulations provided other procedures for dealing with them.

In a sermon on December 28 Dr Moyes said the presbytery had “gained 24 votes including those from the gay and lesbian group and their supporters to unjustly and improperly prevent me from continuing in ministry at Wesley Mission”.

He said among the hundreds of letters, cards, faxes and emails he had received many people pointed out that injustice often triumphs temporarily.

Presbytery chairperson the Rev. Tony Balleine said it was wrong of Dr Moyes to say the presbytery acted improperly. The decision was made in accordance with the regulations, he said.

Mr Balleine said there was no gay and lesbian lobby in Sydney Presbytery. “My knowledge of Sydney Presbytery,” he said, “is that there are two groups at extreme ends and that 80 per cent sit in the middle.” He said the vote was by secret ballot and it was not possible for Dr Moyes to know who voted or why.

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The Religious Media Agency

Ramon A.Williams