John Stevens: Evangelical unity & 'secondary issues'

The appointment of Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury has inevitably raised questions as to how evangelicals deal with what are often termed "secondary issues," including differences over women’s ministry and whether it is right to remain in mixed denominations.

These are more complex issues than a simple distinction between primary and secondary issues would suggest, a distinction which is rarely agreed upon anyway, such that the real issue is often whether the point in disagreement is primary or secondary. The New Testament (NT) stresses the importance of maintaining unity, but also recognises that there are times when separation is both justified and necessary.

Scripture

All evangelicals - as people governed by the authority of God’s Word - inherently believe that their beliefs and practice are reflective of Scripture, or at least not contrary to it. No true evangelical says "I believe/do X even though X is clearly contrary to God’s Word."