Clerk’s call to enforce church law doesn’t point to those openly defying it
The Layman Online, January 10, 2002
Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), recently urged clerks of other governing bodies to uphold the PCUSA Constitution, including the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard.
But Kirkpatrick did not specifically suggest what steps should be taken to deal with sessions that have declared that they are openly defying the ordination standard.
Their declarations of defiance are highlighted on a Web page sponsored by More Light Presbyterians.
More Light Presbyterians is an organization that has promoted defiance of G-6.0106b since its inclusion in the PCUSA Constitution in 1997. Before that, the organization repeatedly urged general assemblies to declare that sex outside of marriage is not sinful.
Led by Moderator Jack B. Rogers, the 2001 General Assembly recommended repeal of G-6.0106b and invalidating the denomination’s historical stand that sex outside of marriage is sinful. So far, the vote among presbyteries is overwhelmingly against those two proposals, which are combined in Amendment 01-A.
On its Web site, More Light Churches includes 11 letters by sessions of Presbyterian congregations declaring their dissent from the constitution. More Light Churches urges other sessions “to join in an act of dissent and public statement of noncompliance with G-6.0106b.”
With his letter to clerks, Kirkpatrick’s office now has sent out mixed signals about how the denomination should enforce G-6.0106b. Previously, his office prepared “Polity Reflection # 19” as a guideline.
That document said in part, “In the examination of persons for church office the definition of being ‘single’ or being ‘chaste’ will be decided initially by those doing the examination.” The document also said the words “chastity,” “self-acknowledged” and “repent” – which are part of G-6.0106b – “are not defined. Examining bodies will need to consider reasonable definitions and decide which to apply.”
There have been several cases in which self-affirming, practicing homosexual candidates for elder and minister applied the kind of ambivalence that is stated in the clerk’s reflection and declared themselves “chaste.”
Kirkpatrick used much stronger language in urging other stated clerks to deal with ministers and elders who encourage congregations to leave the denomination or to withhold per-capita support for presbyteries, synods and the General Assembly.
“It is a violation of our ordination vows to promote schism or the defiance of constitutional sanctioned governing body directives.”
Violation of an ordination vow can be cause for severe disciplinary action, including defrocking a minister or excommunicating an elder. However, open defiance of a constitutional standard could also be considered a violation of one’s ordination vow to “be governed by our church’s polity … and abide by its discipline.”
But remitting per-capita apportionments is not a constitutional requirement. The General Assembly’s Permanent Judicial Commission, the highest court in the denomination, has ruled that per-capita payment is voluntary and that sessions have the final say over how to spend all contributions. Several general assemblies have voted against overtures that would make per-capita payments mandatory.