Presbytery approves resolutions on constitutional compliance, ordination, per capita, and property
The Layman Online, September 11, 2006
The Presbytery of Sacramento has approved four resolutions in stark contrast to the recommendations of the denominational leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The resolutions prohibit deviation from constitutional ordination requirements, as was allowed by the 2006 General Assembly when it approved the PUP task force report; oppose scruples; honor withholding of per capita; and oppose the enforcement of “any general trust interest claimed against any property.”
The four resolutions and the votes from a Sept. 9 special meeting are as follows:
1. To promote the peace, unity, and purity of our presbytery, we resolve that the Sacramento Presbytery holds that all candidates for ordination, installation, and/or membership in this Presbytery shall comply with all standards for ordination set forth in the Constitution of the (PCUSA) (G-1.0500), or shall be ineligible for ordination, installation, and/or membership (approved 87-59-1).
2. To promote the peace, unity, and purity of our presbytery, we resolve that the Sacramento Presbytery shall not receive into membership, nor recognize as a member, anyone who has been ordained or installed under a scruple (that is taking exception to any of the ordination standards as set forth in the Constitution of the (PCUSA) (G-1.0500)) (approved 82-63-2).
3. To promote the peace, unity, and purity of our presbytery, we resolve that the Sacramento Presbytery shall honor the protest of every congregation that chooses to exercise its right to withhold its per capita, therefore, only designated congregational per capita funds shall be used to fulfill presbytery per capita obligations, and presbytery per capita assessments shall not be increased to compensate for such protests (approved 73-66-6).
4. To promote the peace, unity, and purity of our presbytery, we resolve that the Sacramento Presbytery shall take no action to enforce any general trust interest claimed against any property, real or personal, held by an individual congregation within the Sacramento Presbytery (approved 73-65-2).
Before the presbytery meeting held at Fremont Presbyterian Church, the church’s pastor told The Sacramento Bee that the General Assembly’s approval of the PUP report was “like they put aside the Constitution.”
“They’ve changed the rules outside the process,” the Rev. Donald Baird told the paper. “These resolutions lay the ground rules by which future decisions will be made,” he said.