EA discontinues membership of the Oasis Trust
The Evangelical Alliance, the representative body for over 1 million Christians, have terminated the membership of the Oasis Trust, the organisation founded by ordained Baptist minister, Steve Chalke.
The decision was made following ongoing talks between both organisations, after some members of the EA board and council expressed what they saw as a disconcerted effort by the Oasis Trust to change the Church’s historic view on human sexuality.
This comes following Steve Chalke’s surprise call last year for the Church to re-examine its attitude towards homosexuals, and be more accepting of same-sex relationships. Chalke shared that he came to his conclusion following Bible study and prayer.
A statement published on the EA’s website states, “After many months of prayerful discussion, the Evangelical Alliance council concluded that a relationship between an organisation and one of its members, in which the member felt it could not comply with a reasonable request from council, was not tenable.
The Evangelical Alliance council remain deeply respectful of the work and achievements of the Oasis Trust, and have a strong desire to avoid any unseemly dispute and to speak well of each other.”
The Oasis Trust responded to the EA’s decision with a statement on their website, where they say that the values of their organisation ‘sits within the evangelical tradition’, and that ‘at no point has anyone within Oasis tried to impose the Founder’s view on Oasis staff, volunteers or church members (let alone anyone else)’.
