Gay minister 'must go'

2005-08-24 09:25

Cape Town - The general synod of the Dutch Reformed Church will be asked to suspend one of its ministers, Laurie Gaum, until he agrees to remain "celibate regarding people of the same sex".

A request will also be made that Gaum be removed from his position as minister of the St Stephen's congregation because he had had a homosexual relationship.

These requests will come from the legal commission of the Circle of Cape of Good Hope after an investigation into Gaum. The congregation will be officially informed of the outcomes of the investigation this week.

Although the investigation into Gaum's affairs was launched after a former life partner, Douw Wessels, accused him of cheating on him and acting promiscuously, the commission found that there was no proof that Gaum acted promiscuously.

'Not much hope'

However, it was found that he and Wessels had been involved in a "monogamous gay relationship" for four years and the commission therefore decided to recommend that Gaum be relieved of his duties in his congregation and that he be suspended as a minister of the church.

Although the findings of the commission will be released officially only later this week when the church council is informed, Gaum's immediate family and friends already expressed their dissatisfaction with the report.

Members of the congregation were concerned about what the future would hold for St Stephen's.

"The Circle of the Cape of Good Hope's decision has not left us with much hope," doctor Frits Gaum, Laurie's father and former editor of the Kerkbode (the Dutch Reformed Church's magazine), said in reaction.

He said an appeal against the decision will be lodged with the regional synod soon.

Dominee Hannes Steenkamp, chairperson of the legal commission, said they could not comment on the report until the church council of St Stephen's has been informed. "We do not want to hide anything, but we want to work in an ordered manner."

Laurie Gaum said on Tuesday that he was glad that the allegations of promiscuity against him were found to be untrue. Commenting on the possibility that he will be punished for having been in a gay relationship, he said it would be like "looking back into obscurity".

The Dutch Reformed Church decided at its general synod last year that it could not yet accept an official policy on the acceptability of homosexual relationships because there is still too much division on the issue in the church.

Because of this, the legal commission apparently founded its rulings on Gaum on the synod's earlier decision in 1986 where it was found that homosexual behaviour is a sin.

Dominee Hendrik Scott, spokesperson of the congregation, said the congregation could also not comment before it was officially informed about the decisions.

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- Die Burger