Overture calls for reversal
of 218th GA actions on ordination
The Layman, September 1, 2009
Leading a list of overtures for the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly in 2010 is a call to roll back actions of the 2008 General Assembly that have undermined enforcement of the denomination’s sexual behavior standards.
Proposed by the Presbytery of San Diego, the overture calls on the GA to restore “to full force and effect” the denomination’s “Authoritative Interpretations of 1978 and 1979, and all subsequent affirmations.”
Authoritative interpretations are statements by the GA or its highest court, the Permanent Judicial Commission, that spell out the meaning of a constitutional standard in the context of current conditions. Prior to 2008, the GA and its court have consistently stated that sexual behavior outside the covenant of marriage is a sin and that persons who openly practice it shall not be ordained into church leadership.
But in 2008, the GA approved a constitutional amendment to remove the sexual behavior standard from the Constitution. At the same time, it declared null and void all previous authoritative interpretations that affirm the constitutional standard. The constitutional amendment was defeated when it was submitted to the denomination’s 173 presbyteries for ratification. But the GA’s 2008 nullification of all supporting authoritative interpretations remains in force because interpretations of the Constitution, unlike amendments to the Constitution, do not require presbytery approval.
Thus the denomination is left with a constitutional standard that is devoid of any implementing interpretation. This means that Presbyterians may define for themselves what “is” is.
To clarify the standard, San Diego is calling on the 2010 GA to: “Issue an authoritative interpretation of G-6.0106, ‘Restoring to full force and effect the interpretive statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190th General Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of American, and the 191st General Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and all subsequent affirmations including the Bush v. Pittsburgh Presbytery (218-10) GA PJC decision.’”
The interpretations, which had been adopted prior to reunion, read as follows: “For the church to ordain a self-affirming practicing homosexual person to ministry would be to act in contradiction to its charter and calling in scripture, setting in motion both within the church and in society serious contradictions to the will of Christ (UPC) and therefore our present understanding of God’s will precludes the ordination of persons who do not repent of homosexual practice. (PCUS)”
The overture was part of a scolding resolution that declared San Diego’s disagreement with the GA’s actions on ordination standards. The resolution was approved by a vote of 66-20 at the Aug. 12, 2008 stated meeting, only a few weeks after the conclusion of the 218th GA. The 219th GA will meet July 3-10, 2010, in Minneapolis, Minn.
San Diego’s overture was listed among the first set of overtures announced by the Office of General Assembly Monday. It was noted that the presbyteries of Central Florida, Washington (Pa.), Cherokee and Yukon concur with San Diego’s overture. Cherokee and Yukon offered supporting statements.
Defending the authoritative interpretation of 1978 and 1979, Yukon’s rationale says that it has been of great benefit to the church’s life and wellness, and the denomination is “poorer” for removal of that guidance. Cherokee, in its rationale, calls for the reversal of the authoritative interpretation of the 218th General Assembly that is in direct opposition to G-6.0106b and the previous statements that support it.
“When acting as interpreters, commissioners to the General Assembly, like members of the GA PJC and the Advisory Committee on the Constitution, are duty-bound to discern and act objectively on what the Book of Order says, not what they believe it should say,” Cherokee’s rationale states. “The power to interpret is not to be used to change clearly expressed church polity. Thus, it was an abuse of power to approve the AI without making it contingent on the presbyteries’ approval of the amendment.”
In the spring a majority of presbyteries voted down the amendment that would have removed the “fidelity/chastity” requirement from the Book of Order. However, the close 95-78 vote signals a shift toward more liberal ordination standards. At least one presbytery has already signaled its intent to overture the 219th GA to remove the standard.
In the last 45 days, both the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Episcopal Church (USA) voted to allow ordination of homosexuals. This, accompanied with actions of the 218th General Assembly that weakened existing constitutional standards, has many Presbyterians wondering if PCUSA will be next.