interviews on The Religion Report, ABC

Liz Yeo: My name is Liz Yeo; I have spoken to at least half a dozen people in the last two weeks, friends of mine who have had to seriously consider whether they should join this group, this Uniting Church group because they are very afraid it will affect their current or future work in the church, and I completely understand their fear. But I am marching because I don't think Christianity is about living in such fear. I believe it is about living life to the full, about living honestly, about being human; it is about love, compassion and justice. I am marching because I do believe the Uniting Church can become a truly inclusive church where we celebrate our diversity rather than fearing it. Thank you.

John Cleary: Elizabeth Yeo, a Uniting Church member declaring her intention to participate with other church members in this weekend's gay Mardi Gras in Sydney.

Hello, I'm John Cleary, welcome to The Religion Report.

Well Elizabeth Yeo was speaking at a press conference held at Eastside Uniting Church in Paddington, in the heart of Sydney's gay community. The minister at Eastside, the Reverend Rod Pattenden, called the press conference yesterday afternoon to announce that notwithstanding the opposition of leaders of the Uniting Church, he and others would proceed with their intention to place a float in this year's gay Mardi Gras parade under the theme 'Celebrating Diversity'.

Well coming in the wake of last year's acrimonious debate over gay clergy at the National Synod and the Reverend Gordon Moyes' accusations that a gay element was involved in the decision not to renew his position at Wesley Mission, the Uniting Church's leadership did not look on the Reverend Pattenden's initiative with much warmth. Last week the President of the Uniting Church, John Mavor, wrote to Rod Pattenden urging him not to go ahead with the float. Pattenden declined.

So at yesterday's press conference I was keen to understand why Rod Pattenden and his group intended to proceed, when to many the Mardi Gras festival was not so much a celebration of diversity as a festival of the flesh, an ancient carnivalus, celebrating carnality and hedonism and directly at odds with central tenets of the Christian faith.

Rod Pattenden: I think the Mardi Gras sends multiple messages. Every single float has a different message, a different celebration and that needs to be respected. I just know why I'm marching, and I'm marching under the banner of celebrating diversity. That is, I'm saying the church ought to be a place, and has to be a place that opens its doors to everyone and to anyone and who affirms the gifts, and particularly of gay and lesbian people. Now I recognise that the church in a sense may find that offensive, but I'm claiming that I have a faith that belongs to the centre, I'm not some crazy, whacko off on the fringe. My faith is about the centre that my god and the sort of faith I have, is about celebrating diversity, that this acclaim for orthodoxy, this is not some fringe idea.

John Cleary: Jesus certainly accepted those who were different and were marginalised; he accepted the woman for instance who was caught in adultery, but he didn't condone of advocate an adulterous lifestyle.

Rod Pattenden: I don't think we're out there preaching on this occasion; I don't think we can give a very particular answer to a particular set of issues. We are marching because in the particular context of the last six months, the general public have got a perception that the church is being led by moralisers who speak with hatred and violence. And at this particular time at this particular Mardi Gras, we need to be there to give an alternative expression to say to the gay and lesbian community that they are welcome in church and also to say to the church that it must conduct itself with respect and love and grace.

John Cleary: What about those who would say 'That's all very fine, but by picking this issue, that is the Mardi Gras as an issue, muddies the waters and risks damaging the cause'?

Rod Pattenden: I think people make their choice about the way they interpret the Mardi Gras. I mean for anyone who's actually seen it, the majority of floats have to do with local community groups, there are some church groups in there, it's a community celebration. Sure there are floats there that are actually over the top and it's probably quite appropriate they are. I'm not going to make any affirmation or denial or comment on that. All I can say is that I'm very clear about the message we are trying to express and I have no problem being alongside the most crazy group or whatever it is. I mean the church has been used to this for centuries. We march in nuclear concerns, Wik decisions, we march alongside communists, we march alongside weirdos and wonderful people, that's how humanity is, but if I'm misunderstood, nevertheless that's where I want to be.

John Cleary: How many ministers of the Uniting Church or full time employees of the Uniting Church are participating in the march with your group?

Rod Pattenden: There are 100 to 120 people, 20 of those are coming from interstate as far away as from Perth. There are about 15 ministers and another five or six employees of the Uniting Church, so we feel it's made quite a strong cord even in the last few days; there's been people, particularly ministers, ringing me saying they've had enough, they really feel the need to make a public stand on this issue.

John Cleary: Are you worried that this could affect your position within the church?

Rod Pattenden: The Uniting Church is quite respectful of diversity; I'm not sure how far it can be pushed on this one. I know that I'm already being ostracised and marginalised in some of the courts of the church. Whatever my ministry has been here in Paddington in other areas of the church's life, I will now always wear the label of the minister who organised the Mardi Gras. Well, I remember in theological college the story of Martin Luther taking on the Catholic church of his day; at a crucial point in his decision-making process he said 'Here I stand, I can do no other'. Well on Saturday 28th February, I'll make my stand except it'll be dancing up Oxford Street.

John Cleary: And we shall be watching. Rod Pattenden of the Eastside Uniting Church parish in Sydney.