The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) on Wednesday reconfirmed its stance that the practice of homosexuality was a sin.
AFM president Isak Burger said that five years ago his church council unanimously adopted a policy document on the practice of homosexuality, ”confirming our traditional understanding of scripture that it is a sin and out of step with God’s word and his will for mankind… In spite of some voices of different opinion from the broader church world, we cannot but stay true to our standpoint and conviction.”
Burger’s comments follow the widely-publicised case of AFM pastor Johan Swart, who left his wife Adri in July and moved in with fellow gay pastor Philip Liebenberg in Melville, Johannesburg.
Burger pointed out on Wednesday that in 1997 all AFM pastors received a copy of this policy and that it was accepted unanimously at the church’s workers’ council that year.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA) earlier threatened to reveal the names of ten other gay AFM pastors. GLA media director David Baxter reportedly complained that AFM policy infringed on the rights of gay people, and that it should be revised. – Sapa