Covid 19 & Vaccination
The ICBC has produced a paper on the COVID vaccines to assist Christians with their understanding of the vaccines as they become available (March 2021) download and an update (October 2021), download.
Legalisation of cannabis referendum
New Zealanders will be given the opportunity to vote on legislation to legalise recreational cannabis at the 2020 election. The Interchurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) has produced a guide for churches to facilitate discussion on the referendum into the Legalisation of Cannabis for Medicinal and Recreational Purposes in New Zealand. Read or download the ICBC resource
Sex-selection and Euthanasia debate
The 2018 General Assembly referred the Church's Assembly Doctrine Core Group report on euthanasia to church councils and congregations for study. In late 2018- early 2019, the report was updated to include robust alternative points of view expressed in the 2018 General Assembly debate on the End of Life Choice Bill, before being made available. This report was sent to parishes for study in May 2019. DOWNLOAD THE GA18 DOCTRINE CORE GROUP EUTHANASIA END OF LIFE CHOICE BILL REPORT
The InterChurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) is an ecumenical cross-cultural body, the Presbyterian Church is a member as are the Anglican and Methodist Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more about their work.
In July 2020, the Interchurch Bioethics Council prepared two articles on the referendum for the End of Life Choice Act 2019 - one is a FAQs list and the other is an opinion piece by Rev Dr Graham O’Brien, Co-Chair InterChurch Bioethics Council: ICBC EOLC Act FAQs (July, 2020) and ICBC EOLC Act Opinion (July, 2020)
- End of life and a Referendum: Where are we up to? In November 2019, the End of Life Choice Act 2019 (EOLC Act) passed its third and final reading in Parliament after a two-year process. Read this response paper by Rev Dr Graham O’Brien, Co-Chair InterChurch Bioethics Council
- The 2018 InterChurch Bioethics Council submission on the End of Life Choice Bill
- InterChurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) submission against introducing legislation to allow “physician-assisted dying” (18 Jan 2016).
- Press release "The Interchurch Bioethics Council challenges sex-selection of embryos"
- Synopsis from "The Euthanasia Debate" seminar at Te Papa, Wellington. Written by Helen Bichan, a Presbyterian member of Interchurch Bioethics Council. A copy of all seminar presentations available at www.interchurchbioethics.org.nz.
- Press release by the ICBC on their opposition to euthanasia
2007 Ageing in place: making it real - Written by Bonnie Robinson, Presbyterian Support Northern, for a meeting between Church Leaders, including the Right Rev Pamela Tankersley and the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers (published Sep 2007)
2014 Call for Action on Alcohol by 37 New Zealand Leaders: