 'A day 30 years in coming' cheered by homosexual ordination advocates The Layman Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Covenant Network – an organization that seeks to work for a fully inclusive church – has a statement at the top of its website. It reads "The 218th General Assembly fully lived into its theme, 'Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly with your God.' It took important and historic steps toward a more welcoming church …." They were referring to actions taken by the Presbyterian Church (USA) to change ordination standards temporarily (by removing previous authoritative interpretations preventing homosexual ordination) and permanently (by changing the constitution to include the ordination of homosexuals), among others. The co-moderators of the network, Deborah Block and Jon Walton note that, "This is a day that has been thirty years in coming …." They concluded that "The effect of the two AIs is to allow presbyteries to consider all candidates for ordination, regardless of sexual orientation …." In a telephone interview, Jon Walton confirmed that these actions seem to be "an important affirmation of the traditional Presbyterian process for examination" of church leaders. On his Web site, Michael Adee, executive director and field organizer for More Light Presbyterians, states that "This is an amazing moment in history." His blog goes on to say that he "give[s] thanks to God for all of you who have been praying, believing and working for the Presbyterian Church (USA) to end discrimination against its own lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender daughters and sons, sisters and brothers in Christ." In reference to the AIs that were struck down, Adee said, "These profoundly uninformed and homophobic statements from the past of our Church have no further force or effect with the approval of this Boston Ordination overture." Adee did not respond to a request for a phone interview. |
||
Respond to this article |
||
| Home
· Archives
· The
Layman ·
PLC
Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |
||