The Uniting Church in Australia currently understands marriage as “the freely given consent and commitment in public and before God of a man and a woman to live together for life”.
We acknowledge that there is a diversity of opinion in our Church community on the issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and same-gender marriage.
We have always tried to maintain a respectful conversation on same-gender marriage between the councils of the church and to work constructively across our membership.
In recent years important work on the theology of marriage in the Uniting Church has been undertaken through the Assembly Doctrine Working Group.
We are committed to being an inclusive Church that embraces LGBTIQ people as full members and to culturally appropriate discussion about relationships and marriage across our diversity. We are engaging in respectful conversations with one another, guided by the Spirit, sharing our stories and understanding of marriage and same-gender relationships in culturally appropriate ways.
The Uniting Church will not be recommending any position to its members in relation to a postal plebiscite, should one take place.
Earlier this year Uniting Church President Stuart McMillan spoke of his hopes and expectations about the way Uniting Church members should conduct respectful conversations on marriage in his “Conversations from the Heart” statement.
