The unity of the Australian church is again being stretched over the issue of sexuality and relationships.

The progressive Diocese of Perth is the latest to amend Faithfulness in Service guidelines, a national code regarding behavior for clergy and church workers. But some in the diocese were surprised when a decision endorsed by its synod in October made national headlines six weeks later.

The Perth synod voted to change the wording that required “maintaining chastity in singleness and faithfulness in marriage” to require “clergy and church workers to value the gift [of sexuality], taking responsibility for their sexual conduct.”

“You should be chaste,” the guidelines now say. “Your sexual behavior should be characterized by faithfulness and integrity.”

“Faithfulness has a far wider implication than sexual fidelity,” Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy of Perth said. “It requires faithfulness of the heart and mind as well as body.”

She added: “The matter was debated and voted on, resulting in a clear vote in favor of the changes under discussion. Synod means ‘walking together,’ and we try to do that listening to each other and for the grace of God’s holiness between us.

“In this matter, a two-thirds majority vote in favor of the changes clearly indicated the mind of the synod. It’s incredibly encouraging to understand how determined people are to strengthen this code. That is what these changes do — strengthen the code.”

Archbishop Jeremy Greaves of Southern Queensland was assistant bishop in the diocese when he guided similar changes in 2022.

He told The Australian that language like chaste was unhelpful and archaic, and relationships “characterized by faithfulness and integrity” is a higher bar than “faithfulness in marriage.”

But conservatives said the rewording waters down the standards set for all church workers.

The Faithfulness in Service guidelines were created by the Australian General Synod in 2004, in the aftermath of appalling revelations of abuse, particularly of children, within the church.

Faithfulness in Service outlines proper standards for pastoral relationships, child protection, sexual conduct, and financial integrity for both clergy and lay people in positions of responsibility in the church.

The policy also lays out the consequences of not adhering to the standards, so church workers in breach may require “guidance and specialized help. Such failures may result in formal disciplinary action.”

The national church has amended and added to those guidelines seven times, most recently in 2016.

In the Anglican Church of Australia, part of the global Anglican Communion, national policies must be adopted by each of the 23 dioceses, and they can be amended by each diocese. Eight dioceses have now amended their Faithfulness in Service guidelines.

It is those changes that have caused some anger, notably in the conservative Diocese of Sydney.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel of Sydney told The Australian that such rewording would permit sex outside marriage.

“Biblical standards have not changed, and yet one more diocese has changed the guidelines to permit sexual activity outside marriage, whether in heterosexual or homosexual relationships, and other sexually permissive practices. This is neither scriptural nor Anglican teachings,” he said.

Archbishop Goldsworthy said many Australian dioceses are participating in the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

“Many, many people — most of them women — understand firsthand how easily words like ‘chaste’ and ‘faithful’ have been weaponized by perpetrators of family and domestic violence,” she said.

“Unfortunately, research has shown that certain biblical texts are easily employed to mask the abuses of violence, coercion and control by the very people whose promises should show love and build deep trust in intimate relationships. Integrity and faithfulness are essentials.”

This article originally appeared at The Living Church and has been reprinted with permission.

Robyn Douglass, who has worked for church, local, and national media in South Australia, is a contributor to The Living Church.