 After dire warnings, GA backs off gay marriages By John H. Adams The Layman Saturday, June 28, 2008
"If you want to completely shatter this denomination, vote for that amendment," said Marge Carpenter, a former moderator of the denomination. John Hamilton of the Blackhawk Presbytery made a similar plea. "So much has been decided at the General Assembly this week that will be very, very hard for the churches to accept. Please do not push these churches beyond their tipping point." They were referring to a proposal that "The Office of Theology and Worship, in earnest consultation and dialogue with Presbyterians for Renewal and the Covenant Network, prepare a comprehensive study of the overture which explains among other questions how the Spirit of God may be reforming the church's theology of marriage." The amendment was proposed as an alternative to the recommendation of the General Assembly's Committee on Church Polity. The committee voted to disapprove an overture from the Presbytery of Baltimore that called for new constitutional language about marriage. Instead of "man and woman," the change would have said "two people" could be married. Although it voted against the overture, the committee added a comment, saying it trusted that "The PCUSA will continue to seek ways and means to see God's blessing on alternative forms of covenant between two people." But the comment was not allowed to go to the full General Assembly because it was part of a decision that called for no action by the commissioners. William Myers of the Great Rivers proposed the amendment for collaboration between Presbyterians for Renewal and the Covenant Network. PFR is a moderate evangelical group and the Covenant Network is one of the leading advocates for ordaining gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. The two groups have collaborated before despite their sharp theological differences. Their constituencies, as members of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity, played a key role in the compromises in which professed evangelicals agreed to allow sessions and presbyteries the leeway to ordain gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates for deacon, elder and minister. After Meyers introduced his amendment, a commissioner immediately responded: "This is not the time to bring this controversy to the PCUSA. The churches are already going crazy on what we have already done." Earlier Friday, the commissioners voted to eradicate the authoritative interpretations that provided the Biblical rationale for the denomination's opposition to ordaining men and women who will not limit their sexual behavior to marriage. They also voted to send to the presbyteries a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the "fidelity/chastity" requirement. Not everybody was worried about the likely fallout. Jane Smith, a youth advisory delegate from the New Hope Presbytery, asked, "Doesn't every child of God deserve a chance at love?" And John Sterner of Lake Michigan Presbytery wasn't deterred by warnings. "In light of what we've already voted today, it is necessary that we take this next step." Likewise, Magan Keller a youth advisory delegate from Winnebago Presbytery, said, "We've already made a giant leap toward full inclusion of all Presbyterians." She argued that the failure to give full privileges to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people "goes against our constitutional right to the pursuit of happiness." But Tim Havlicek of the Coastal Carolina Presbytery urged commissioners to vote against the amendment. "I serve a small church … with casserole-loving Presbyterians. They happily welcome all who love Jesus. Many consider this redefinition of marriage to be a radical denial of Scripture." |
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