Presbytery meeting on gay ex-minister’s request for G-6 scruple, reinstatement scheduled Jan. 26
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman Online, January 11, 2008
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area will hold a special meeting Jan. 26 to decide if a gay former minister can be restored as a minister member of the presbytery by declaring a scruple to G-6.0106b of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s constitution.
In April 2000, Paul Capetz requested that the presbytery release him from the exercise of the ordained ministry because of G-6.0106b – the “fidelity-chastity” ordination standard in the denomination’s constitution.
When he made his request, Capetz said, “I was unable to construe that amendment to the constitution as implying anything other than commitment to a life of permanent celibacy on the part of homosexually-oriented persons who served as ordained officers in the church. Aside from the fact that I am a gay man who could not in good conscience pledge a vow of celibacy, as a theologian of the church I could not then, and cannot now, affirm such an interpretation as in accord with our Protestant and Reformed tradition. …”
The 217th General Assembly’s approval of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity’s report – including its authoritative interpretation – was the reason Capetz said that he made the request for reinstatement to the presbytery’s committee on ministry.
He said he was “grateful for this new authoritative interpretation of section G-6.0108 in our Book of Order that makes it possible for me to request reinstatement as a minister with a good conscience and for this presbytery to have the authority to determine my fitness for holding this office once again.”
Naming the departure
In “Attachment A – Naming the Departure” of the special meeting’s presbytery packet, Capetz said that, as a gay man, “I know at first-hand the existential toll this amendment has taken on the lives of persons of faith and integrity who seek to discern what it means to follow a call to serve God as an ordained officer in the church. … My views on these questions have not changed since the time I requested to be released from the duties of the ministry and I remain as firmly committed as ever to a future for the Presbyterian Church (USA) when it will recognize the moral demand to grant ‘unconditional acceptance and full equality to gay people.'”
Capetz said he insisted on expressing a “scruple of conscience or principled objection to G-6.0106b in particular and to the unsatisfactory moral position of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the issue of homosexual relationships in general. That having been said, however, I know myself to be otherwise fully in compliance with the norms and standards set forth for persons holding ordained office in the Book of Order and I affirm with deep conviction the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as taught in The Book of Confessions.”
The presbytery’s committee on ministry earlier had voted 11-3 to concur with Capetz’s request to be restored to the ordained office of minister of the Word and sacrament.
A Dec. 1 special meeting to consider the issue was postponed after a November vote by presbytery commissioners directed the committee on ministry to provide the presbytery with “a clear statement of what the departure from the constitution is and what was the rationale of the committee on ministry to recommend his reinstatement.”
Not all in favor
A minority report from members of the presbytery’s committee on ministry on the issue also will be considered at the January meeting. It requests that the presbytery:
- 1) “Find that portions of the Book of Order using the word ‘shall’ must be seen as ‘essential’ to the expression of the Christian Faith embodied by the Presbyterian Church (USA).
- 2) “In so finding, return a negative response to Dr. Paul Capetz’s request for restoration.”
Those signing the minority report – Kirsten Berry, elder; and Amy Flack, Deborah Kielsmeier, Eugene Orr and Zachary Wilson, minister members – wrote that they recognized that the issues surrounding Capetz’s request have been the “source of heated debate and division” within the presbytery, the PCUSA and the church universal. “We wish to make clear that it is our intention neither to further inflame tension nor cause division within the body through a minority report.”
They said that while Capetz has stated he currently is in compliance with G-6.0106b, he has also “clearly stated his intention to depart from the constitutional standard in practice given opportunity in the future. We believe that the restoration of ordination to an individual intending to depart in practice from a clearly stated constitutional standard essentially allows the will of the [Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area] to supersede the Constitution of the PCUSA. In this light, we believe that an action to restore Dr. Paul Capetz as a minister member of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area sidesteps the authority of our constitution and gives the ability to a very few to decide a matter of constitutional import.” (emphasis from the original)
COM’s rationale
According to attachment B of the presbytery packet, the committee on ministry met Dec. 1 to develop a “theological rationale for deciding whether Capetz’s departure from G-6.0106b constitutes a failure to adhere to an essential of Reformed faith and polity under G-6.0106b of the Book of Order.”
The majority of the committee decided that Capetz’s departure does not constitute a failure to adhere to an essential of Reformed faith for reasons including:
- “Dr. Capetz has theological integrity – celibacy was a tenet that Martin Luther was reforming against.
- “The church is reformed and reforming and homosexuals should be treated the same as other persons.
- “Persuaded by covenant call/vocation that Dr. Capetz was called by God; his homosexuality does not rise to the level of essential.
- “Dr. Capetz has clearly articulated that it is not essential – we must rethink in every generation.
- “Scriptural references to homosexuality are very few; why lift them out? Far greater emphasis on the Great Commandment – Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.
- “How can we say ‘no’ when God, within the broader context of scripture beyond the limited texts, cited to exclude, has already said ‘yes?’
- “For more than 20 years, the PTCA has engaged in discernment processes and a significant majority of the presbytery has consistently held the same departure as expressed by Dr. Capetz.
- “A significant minority of the PCUSA believes that the departure has Biblical, confessional, theological, and pastoral integrity.
- “Sexual orientation has no bearing on fitness for ministry.”
The minority of the committee on ministry believed that Capetz’s request was a departure from an “essential of Reformed faith and polity for reasons including:
- “The witness of Scripture, the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order support the view that marriage is between a man and a woman.
- “The Bible says nothing is impossible with God and therefore there is hope for change in orientation and practice.
- “The Scriptures speak against homosexual practice (vs. orientation), as does our constitution.
Commissioner letter
In a Jan. 7 letter to presbytery commissioners, it is noted that the presbytery must deal with each specific declared departure on an individual basis. “The decision made regarding Dr. Capetz’s request pertains only to his request for restoration. Should another request come to the presbytery with a declared departure, the Presbytery will consider that request, apart from any previous decisions,” the letter states.
It says that “it is also important to keep in mind that the request of Dr. Capetz for restoration to the exercise of ordained office does not ask us to change the standard for ordination as stated in G-6.0106b. We are only asked to consider:
- “whether or not Dr. Capetz’s stated departure constitutes a failure to adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith and polity;
- “whether or not to restore Dr. Capetz – given who he is as an actual, fallible human being and considering the reasons for his principled objection to one particular section of the constitution – to the office of Minister of Word and Sacrament in a particular ministry, at this particular time and place in the life of the church and with the blessing of this particular presbytery.”
The letter is signed by Ward Sessing, moderator; JoAnn Simser, vice-moderator; Anita Cummings, chair of the council; Nancy Grittman, stated clerk; and Deb Kielsmeier, David Liddle and Gale Robb of the COM task force.
Paula R. Kincaid is a staff writer for The Layman and The Layman Online. She can be reached at prk@layman.org.