A vote for the constitution
The Presbyterian Layman Volume 32, Number 5, November 11, 1999
The Covenant Network has suffered a blistering defeat. Unable to change the Presbyterian Church (USA) constitution by constitutional means, this organization offered aid and counsel to a handful of dissidents who tried to undermine it. But a Permanent Judicial Commission saw the end run for what it was, declaring that actions defended by the Covenant Network are “null and void and of no effect.”
Had the court viewed these cases as referenda on homosexuality, it might have rendered a different decision. The Synod of the Northeast, where the cases were tried, is known for its tolerance of same-sex linkages. But whatever their personal preferences, members of its Permanent Judicial Commission did not lose sight of their duty. In their 8-3 and 11-0 rulings, they made it clear that they have no sympathy for those who defy the constitution.
The arena of public debate remains open to those who would honestly engage one another on issues of Christian faith and life. Presbyterian polity offers the Covenant Network an opportunity to take its case to the people. But disingenuous tactics and outright defiance of publicly enacted constitutional policy have no place in the life of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We are grateful to the court for saying so.