Call to reconsider
marriage vote fails
By Edward Terry, The Layman, July 14, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS – Only 30 minutes into the morning plenary session at the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on July 9, commissioners began the process of reconsidering Thursday’s action on same-sex marriage. But the attempt failed.
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After a few minutes of debate, that included calls for more debate and others declaring that God’s will already had been done, 60 percent of voting commissioners showed that they were content with Thursday night’s action.
On Thursday, the GA voted 439-208 to receive the report (both the majority and minority report) and commend it to presbyteries and sessions for prayer and study. Supporters of same-sex marriage were hoping for some guidance through other overtures under consideration by the Civil Union and Marriage Issues committee that were answered by the action on Overture 12-12.
The motion to reconsider actions answered by Overture 12-12 was denied in a 275-407 vote.
First thing Friday morning, signs were seen throughout the convention center calling for reconsideration. The commissioner who voted for Thursday night’s action, which gave her the right to call for reconsideration, moved a proposal to the floor based on the perceived need for more discussion.
“I think folks were tired and confused about the full implications,” she said. “We owe it to the committee and the church to have a full discussion on the remaining items of (Committee) 12, and an opportunity to vote on them.”
The remaining items include: Overtures 12-02, 12-03, 12-04, 12-06, 12-07, 12-08 and 12-09, which call for authoritative interpretations on same-sex marriage.
New Castle Presbytery commissioner Harry Hughes spoke against reconsidering the issue and warned that it could take away time from the important issues on the final day-and-a-half of the Assembly.
A pastor from Iowa, one of five states that have made same-sex marriage or civil unions legal in recent years, said that Presbyterian pastors in those states need help.
“We need guidance from this body,” said Karen Downey-Beals.