Members of the Church of God Doctrine and Polity (D&P) Committee have released companion papers on a contemporary cultural topic. The papers are intended to be read together and are entitled, “Same Sex Marriage: A Biblical Perspective,” and ”Same Sex Marriage: What Is the Christian Response.”
The papers are the seventh in the series. They are written by Dr. French Arrington, chairman of the Doctrine and Polity Board. Past topics have included defense of the denomination’s stance on total abstinence from beer, wine, and liquors, a commentary on observance of the Sabbath, and addressing the question of “Why Church?” Other topics have included human cremation, a commentary on Spirit-filled worship, and the most recent topic, Speaking in Tongues. The papers are located on the Church of God website (www.churchofgod.org) under the BELIEFS tab on the home page. They are also available in Spanish at the site.
The Doctrine and Polity Committee exists to routinely examine the belief statements, doctrines, and polity in place within the structure of the denomination. The group considers amendments reflective of modern culture and offers recommendations for modifications employing extensive biblical research.
Serving alongside Arrington are Lee Roy Martin, a professor at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, Dr. Jerald Daffe and Dr. Terry Cross, professors of religion at Lee University. Others include, professors at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary Dr. David Han and Dr. Steven Land, and Dr. Victor Pagan, retired leader with Church of God World Missions. Second Assistant General Overseer Dr. J. David Stephens serves as executive liaison.
To read the documents “Same Sex Marriage: A Biblical Perspective,” and ”Same Sex Marriage: What Is the Christian Response.” in their entirety, including endnotes, and to read previous papers, please visit www.churchofgod.org and click on BELIEFS.