Students must read the two case studies below and write a 1500 word response to
each, suggesting a course of action that they would recommend as a pastoral carer to
assist those in each situation. In this, students are to interact with at least seven
academic sources for each case study response, to demonstrate an ability to critically
analyse the situation, in backing up their appropriate advice and support.
Case Study 1. Edna is a thirty year old woman who has been faithfully waiting for God
to open the door and reveal to her who she should marry. Waiting is becoming difficult
as she has seen most of her friends marry and begin the journey of parenthood. Edna
is feeling anxious about why God is taking so long and does not understand why He is
not delivering when she has been so pious and her prayers have been so fervent. She
has dedicated her life to serving her local church and wants to trust that God will bring
someone into her life.
Case Study 2. You are on the staff of a medium size church in an Australian urban
setting. Your senior pastor is a mature man with many years’ experience in ministry,
and you greatly respect him as a mentor. You enjoy being part of the ministry team,
which you think has a good balance of men and women, and some mature folk as well
as some great younger “movers and shakers.”
Recently however, the leadership team has been discussing the issue which is in all
the media – the redefinition of marriage. Conversations centre on the question of how
a possible legal redefinition of marriage might affect your church. Some on the ministry
team are quite concerned about this, others haven’t really thought much about it. The
younger team members seem to be of the mind that it’s inevitable, and the church
needs to “do more” to reach out to the LGBTI community. But the team doesn’t seem
to be able to agree on how to do that.
At home around the dinner table, your children also bring the issue up. One of them (a
teenager) says she has a transgender friend and a gay friend at school, that people
are born that way, and it’s not fair to deny marriage to same sex attracted
couples.Another of your children says, “But hang on, what does the Bible say?” The
teenagers begin to squabble at the table, and your spouse looks at you to deal with
this. You are also aware your primary school aged children are wide-eyed and
listening.
In your analysis of this case study, please address how you would approach the church
side of things, as well as your own family situation.