"The Board of the Ordered Ministry invites the whole fellowship of the Evangelical Covenant Church to prayerfully read and discuss this resource paper, and with us discern what God has said and is still saying to the Church about human sexuality and our identity in Christ," says Howard Burgoyne on behalf of the board. Burgoyne, who served as the principal writer for the project, most recently was senior pastor of Newport Covenant church in Bellevue, Washington, and soon will assume responsibilities as superintendent of the East Coast Conference.

To read the full text of the paper, please see Human Sexuality Paper.

"Like many Christian denominations in our time, the Evangelical Covenant Church has been studying and discussing beliefs and practices related to human sexuality over many years," states the introduction to the paper, which was approved for release during the board's June meeting in Grand Rapids.

"What is the Creator's will for human sexuality?" the introduction asks. "Which forms of loving relationships are blessed by God? Who will God join together? These questions emerge both from external pressures from the broader culture and from our own desires to reflect biblically and compassionately as a missional church regarding the ministry of the Gospel in a sexually created and fallen world where these realities stand within the greater hope of Christ.

"For the Evangelical Covenant Church, the starting place for our ongoing discernment regarding matters of faith, doctrine and practice is still the foundational confession, 'Jesus is Lord!' " the introduction continues. "It is our shared confidence in the love of God our Father, the life-giving presence of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the liberty we experience in the Holy Spirit through the Word of God that are at the root of our Covenant identity. It is our vision to be 'a companion of all those who fear Thee' (Ps. 119:63). We affirm we are a biblical, devotional, connectional and missional people. We are part of the Protestant Reformation and Free Church movement of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."

Release of the paper comes two years following a request from the Covenant Annual Meeting that the Board of the Ordered Ministry develop resources for churches and leaders, expanding on the foundations and rationale for the historic perspective of the Church, particularly as expressed in the 1996 Resolution on Human Sexuality & the Marriage Ethic.

In early 2005, the board appointed a task force to develop biblical and theological teaching resources for the church. Dwight Nelson of Libertyville, Illinois, who at the time served as board secretary, was appointed to chair the task force. Other appointed members included Sherry Peterson from Santa Barbara, California; Dave Kersten, executive minister of the Department of the Ordered Ministry; and Burgoyne.

A working outline of nine themes emerged and was presented to the full board a few months later. Burgoyne was given the task of research and writing. By the end of the summer of 2005, an initial draft was circulated among the task force. Editing continued during the fall months with the draft initially presented to the board last January. Following a series of discussions and recommended changes and additional editing, the board in June approved release of the document.

"Our hope is that this resource and any that may follow will facilitate a clearer discussion about how we read (Luke 10:26) and participate in the Scriptures related to human sexuality, and how we live in faithful obedience to Jesus' moral vision," the paper's introduction states. "Some in the Church are seeking more definitive pronouncements on these moral issues. On every side, attractive and persuasive voices urge us toward conformity to the spirit of this age. There is no escaping from these pervasive influences. Only the church that hears, prays and responds to the Word will find a way to be a royal priesthood - a people with a listening ear, a prophetic voice and a compassionate heart who bring hope and healing to a troubled world. The Church needs compassionate truth telling and compelling truth living to be relevant and authentic witnesses of Jesus Christ."