"As a result of the recent decision of the Judicial Commission that there is currently no legal barrier to the ordination of practising homosexuals and lesbians, the Presbyterian Church in this country is now entering a time of unprecedented crisis, that could end in its disintegration", said a spokesman for the Executive of the Presbyterian AFFIRM movement, Stuart Lange.

"The crux of the issue is whether the Presbyterian Church is subject to Scripture, as in its basic constitutional and creedal statements. We will simply not stand for Scripture being totally disregarded, and the doctrinal
and ethical teachings of the Presbyterian Church ignored. If the Church's practice is to undergo such a radical and far-reaching change, it must be by the decision of a full Assembly, not that of a small appointed judicial group concerned only with narrow legal considerations".

"Biblically-minded and evangelical Presbyterians find the current situation totally unacceptable, and will be moving quickly to have an Assembly redress the situation. If the current and related issues are not resolved satisfactorily, once and for all, there is a grave risk of the church facing financial collapse and massive schism".

A very likely first step will be for evangelicals to exercise their constitutional and legal right to call for a Special Assembly.

The evangelical stream within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand involves at least one hundred congregations, many of them among the strongest in the denomination.

In an official Referendum of the denomination in 1997, 78% of Presbyterian members supported a legal ban within the denomination on the ordination of practising homosexuals and lesbians.

In the meantime, AFFIRM urges Presbyterians not to walk away, but pray, await developments, and to express their concerns within the church.