Time to Address Sex In The Church

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Monday, 11 June 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St john's - Chairman of the Provincial Elders Conference (PEC) of the Moravian Church in the Eastern Caribbean, Rev. Dr. Cortroy Jarvis, says the time has come for there to be open discussion about sex in the church.

In an article entitled ‘Sex in the Church’ published in the June edition of “The Information”, a monthly Publication of the Moravian Church, Rev Jarvis said the time is now for church leaders to talk about and to address the topic.

“There is the perception that if one speaks about sex, that it will encourage persons to experiment to figure out all of the details for themselves. In addition, there is the feeling among some church members and pastors that sex is only to be spoken about in the bedroom or behind closed doors,” he wrote.
 
Rev. Jarvis said he believes that sex is a gift given by God, noting that if Christians believed that they were created by God, and that he placed in them the desire for sex, then it could not be a bad thing.
 
“However, sex ought to be engaged in the right context -- that is, in the context of marriage. If God didn’t know that sex was good for us, he would not have given us that desire. The fact is, our people are engaging in sex, but much more, our young people in the church are having sex,” he acknowledged.
 
He pointed to a 2009 survey among young people in the Evangelical Churches in four Caribbean territories including Antigua & Barbuda, which revealed that there was a high level of sexual activity among young people who were part of these churches.
 

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“We might put our heads in the sand and declare that it is not happening in our church. Yes, the survey was done among Evangelical Churches in Antigua, St. Lucia and St. Vincent, but like the old saying, ‘when your neighbour’s house is on fire, wet yours’. I believe that this study is pertinent to every Church,” he stated.
 
The survey also revealed information about the young people’s attitude towards HIV/AIDS and noted that there was a deficiency in their level of knowledge about the disease. It also revealed that young people in the church were having sex in significant numbers between the ages of 15 and 17, but that some had started even earlier.
 
According to the PEC Chairman…the Moravian Church is firm in its belief that sex should wait for marriage between a man and woman or a single person remaining abstinent. But he called for open discussions on the issue.
 
“Sex in the Church is real. As Leaders, we are therefore challenged to work through these issues in the best way possible. I believe that education is the key. In addition, we need to be more open in discussing about sex and allow especially our young people to share their concerns and talk about those things that affect them and how we might help them navigate those issues,” he concluded.

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