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Church Taken to Court for Breaching Human Rights and Discrimination.
A homosexual man has told the Human Rights Tribunal how he was "totally humiliated" by the Anglican Church blocking his route to the priesthood.
The hearing, brought by the Gay and Lesbian Clergy Anti-Discrimination Society against the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Ross Bay, began at Auckland District Court this morning.
Geno Sisneros, 39 - events coordinator at St Matthew-in-the-city church - came to Auckland from the US in 2002 and became an active participant at the church three years later.
After taking on a Bachelor of Theology degree at Auckland University, he expressed his interest in entering the "discernment process", a three-year training programme which is a pre-requisite into being ordained in the Anglican Church.
However, after five years of study and protracted discussions with Bishop Bay, Sisneros was informed he would not be accepted on to the programme.
Today he told the tribunal how he "felt totally humiliated" by the process and could no longer face meeting fellow theological students, many of whom were now ordained as deacons or priests.
"Feelings of disappointment continue to this day," Sisneros said.
His lawyer David Ryken asked the three-person tribunal panel to determine whether the bishop had acted lawfully in barring him from training.
"It's whether the rules and doctrines of the church are in breach of the Human Rights Act," he said.
The fact openly homosexual church officials had been relicensed over the last few years was very important to the case, Ryken said.
Giving evidence this morning was also Rev Dr John Salmons, who said there had never been a doctrine or rule to exclude people in a same-sex relationship from entering the priesthood or the church in general.
It was promiscuous behaviour that was outlawed, rather than homosexuality, he said.
The tribunal hearing is set down for two weeks but is expected to conclude within a week.
The hearing, brought by the Gay and Lesbian Clergy Anti-Discrimination Society against the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Ross Bay, began at Auckland District Court this morning.
Geno Sisneros, 39 - events coordinator at St Matthew-in-the-city church - came to Auckland from the US in 2002 and became an active participant at the church three years later.
After taking on a Bachelor of Theology degree at Auckland University, he expressed his interest in entering the "discernment process", a three-year training programme which is a pre-requisite into being ordained in the Anglican Church.
However, after five years of study and protracted discussions with Bishop Bay, Sisneros was informed he would not be accepted on to the programme.
Today he told the tribunal how he "felt totally humiliated" by the process and could no longer face meeting fellow theological students, many of whom were now ordained as deacons or priests.
"Feelings of disappointment continue to this day," Sisneros said.
His lawyer David Ryken asked the three-person tribunal panel to determine whether the bishop had acted lawfully in barring him from training.
"It's whether the rules and doctrines of the church are in breach of the Human Rights Act," he said.
The fact openly homosexual church officials had been relicensed over the last few years was very important to the case, Ryken said.
Giving evidence this morning was also Rev Dr John Salmons, who said there had never been a doctrine or rule to exclude people in a same-sex relationship from entering the priesthood or the church in general.
It was promiscuous behaviour that was outlawed, rather than homosexuality, he said.
The tribunal hearing is set down for two weeks but is expected to conclude within a week.
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