Rev. John Mavor, President of The Uniting Church of Australia

The president of the Uniting Church in Australia is distressed by the public behaviour of Uniting Church minister Fred Nile, who has threatened to quit the denomination if some members march in the upcoming Sydney Mardi Gras parade.

Rev. John Mavor said Rev. Nile had contacted neither him nor the New South Wales synod before making his threat of resignation public and he found this discourteous and inappropriate.

“These sorts of issues should first be dealt with in the life and councils of the church - not in the media,” Mr Mavor said.

Mr Mavor, who did not endorse the actions of the Mardi Gras marchers, nor of the Uniting churches planning a large public advertisement against the marchers, acknowledged that both those groups had been open and communicative with himself and other sections of the church about their intentions, before going public.

“I appreciate their honesty and their commitment to their beliefs - that is part of the Christian journey.”

He said he would be saddened if Mr Nile chose to leave the Uniting Church.

Despite some strong differences of opinion between Mr Nile and other members, he too was part of the diversity and unity which the denomination valued and celebrated.

Wednesday 25 February 1998

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