Presbytery approves overture to 218th G.A. seeking to rescind AI from PUP report
The Layman Online, March 1, 2007
The Presbytery of South Louisiana has approved an overture to the 218th General Assembly that seeks to rescind an authoritative interpretation that allows scrupling of the denomination’s constitutional ordination requirements.
The presbytery also approved a resolution in response to the Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing in which it affirmed the Trinitarian formula of “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” and declared it to be “an essential of the Reformed tradition.”
After about 45 minutes of debate on the resolution, which one participant said was approved by a 90 percent margin, a minister reportedly said, “I am embarrassed to be a member of this presbytery right now. You mean we can’t affirm the Trinity without debate?”
In June 2006, the 217th General Assembly approved Recommendation 5 of the report by the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity, which was an authoritative interpretation that allowed individual sessions and presbyteries to declare whether the “fidelity-chastity” ordination requirement (G-6.0106b) in the Book of Order is essential.
The authoritative interpretation focuses on the “conscience” clause (G-6.0108) and states that the judgment of ordaining bodies cannot be bound by any rule they deem nonessential.
Since that action in Birmingham, 23 presbyteries have affirmed the constitutional requirements. Four – Pittsburgh, Olympia (Washington), Sacramento and Mid-South (Tennessee) – face remedial complaints filed with synod Permanent Judicial Commissions. The complaints ask the courts to order the presbyteries to rescind their actions.
The 218th General Assembly will meet June 21-28, 2008, in San Jose, Calif.
The overture on rescinding the authoritative interpretation that was approved by the Presbytery of South Louisiana by a 57-43 vote reads as follows:
“Whereas the recent adoption of Recommendation Five of the report of the Task Force on the Peace Unity and Purity of the Church does not seem to be promoting the peace, unity and purity of the church, and …
“Whereas, with one significantly divided vote the General Assembly apparently made the constitution’s standards for ordination optional (“Ordaining and installing bodies acting as corporate expressions of the church … determine … whether a candidate being examined for ordination and/or installation … has departed from scriptural and constitutional standards [and] … whether any departure constitutes a failure to adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith … thus barring the candidate from ordination and/or installation), and …
“Whereas this authoritative interpretation has been perceived by many as accomplishing a change that would more properly have been done through a constitutional amendment for action by the presbyteries, and …
“Whereas in 1998 66 percent of the presbyteries and in 2001 73 percent of the presbyteries voted to retain G6.0106b as an ordination standard, and …
“Whereas the adoption of this authoritative interpretation has resulted in the loss of several churches, and may result in the loss of more churches and members throughout the denomination, and …
“Whereas General Assembly actions now take twice the time to address since the decision to move to biennial assemblies, now therefore …
“Be it resolved that the Presbytery of South Louisiana requests that the 218th General Assembly (2008) rescind the action of the 217th General Assembly (2006) on Recommendation Number Five, the Authoritative Interpretation, of the Report of the Task Force on the Peace Unity and Purity of the Church.”