Stay of enforcement issued against presbytery for voting to uphold ordination standards
By Paula R. Kincaid, January 5, 2007
A stay of enforcement has been issued concerning Pittsburgh Presbytery’s action to allow no exceptions to the ordination standards in the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Book of Order.
The stay was issued by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Trinity after a remedial complaint was filed asking the synod to set aside the presbytery’s resolution. The remedial complaint was filed by the sessions and ministers of Sixth Presbyterian and East Liberty Presbyterian churches.
The presbytery has appointed Elder James Belliveau, Rev. James Glatz and Rev. Catherine Purves as its committee of counsel.
The presbytery’s action came after the 2006 General Assembly’s approval of an authoritative interpretation that, while not repealing G-6.0106b (the “fidelity-chastity” ordination requirement), does allow individual sessions and presbyteries to declare whether the standard is essential. The authoritative interpretation focuses on G-6.0108, the “conscience” clause, and states that the judgment of ordaining bodies cannot be bound by any rule that they deem nonessential.
Pittsburgh Presbytery is the fourth to be targeted for seeking to uphold the ordination standards. Remedial complaints have been filed with the Permanent Judicial Commissions of the Synod of Alaska-Northwest against Olympia Presbytery, the Synod of the Pacific against Sacramento Presbytery and the Synod of the Living Waters against Mid-South Presbytery.
Resolution approved
Pittsburgh Presbytery approved the resolution from the session of Union Presbyterian Church of Robinson Township in McKees Rocks, Pa., at its October meeting. The resolution stated in part that the presbytery:
- “adopts the principle that compliance with the standards for ordination approved by the Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Book of Order is an essential of Reformed polity. Therefore, any departure from the standards for ordination expressed in the Book of Order will bar a candidate from ordination and/or installation by this governing body. …”
- “resolves that no exceptions to the requirement that all ministers of the Word and sacrament must ‘live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or in chastity in singleness’ (Book of Order, G-6.0106b) will be allowed within the jurisdiction of this presbytery; and
- “resolves that ministers of the Word and sacrament shall be prohibited from conducting same-sex marriages within the jurisdiction of this presbytery.”
The resolution had concurrences from the sessions of Lebanon Presbyterian Church, Riverdale Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Bakerstown. Union Presbyterian and Lebanon Presbyterian are members of the Confessing Church Movement in the PCUSA.
The resolution said the G.A.’s approval of the authoritative interpretation caused confusion. It questioned what the authoritative interpretation means and “what changes, if any, will result. Indications are that this confusion will contribute to our financial distress and membership decline as well as compromise our mission. It behooves Pittsburgh Presbytery to bring clarity to the application of the standards set forth in the Book of Order to our local situation.”
Sixth Presbyterian, a member of More Light Presbyterians, states on its Web site: “Even as the world seeks to divide us according to our economic, racial and ethnic groups, ages, gender, abilities, theological position, marital status and sexual orientation, we believe that in Christ there is no such division. Our congregation is strengthened through its diversity. We welcome all to our church community and its activities. Our membership is open to anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The right and privilege to vote and hold office is extended to all active church members.”
The church will host Marcus J. Borg’s lectures in March. Borg, of the Jesus Seminars, debunks orthodoxy and proposes a post-Christian view anchored in political and sociological constructions.
The Web site of East Liberty Presbyterian Church invites “all to join our diverse, inclusive family of faith, transcending all boundaries of race, class, ability, culture, gender and sexual identity to become one in Christ.”
Paula R. Kincaid is a staff writer for The Layman and The Layman Online. She can be reached at prk@www.layman.org.