# 30: Spurgeon

"Better that Demas should forsake us, than that he should abide with us, and import the world into the church"

(Charles Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry, p. 295).

# 26: Another Apology

As ministers of various churches and denominations we recognise that the churches we belong to, and the church in general, are not in agreement with our statement. Indeed the church has always held profoundly different views to our own. For these things we apologise, whatever the pastoral concerns that led to this colossal blunder – to which pastoral concerns we remain committed. We are deeply sorry and ask for the forgiveness of the church community. We long that the church would be a place of robust thought by all Christians and commit ourselves to eliminating feel-good statements that compromise the church's holiness.

We ARE a group of Christian ministers who voluntarily and individually bring this apology.

We ARE NOT official representatives of our churches or denominations.

We ARE NOT making a statement on the biblical position on church discipline.

We ARE recognising the lack of forethought, Biblical responsibility, and Christian orthodoxy that went into the apology to the gay and lesbian community.