By Carolyn Poteet, The Layman, July 4, 2012
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – At the end of a nearly 13-hour work day Tuesday, the Committee on Civil Unions and Marriage voted to pass item 13-04 from the Presbytery of Hudson River Valley, which would change all references in the Directory of Worship (w-4.9001) to marriage being between “a man and a woman” to “two people.” The committee took actions on three other specific items. It approved a two-year study of the issues of same-sex marriage. It disapproved item 13-07, an authoritative interpretation on the traditional understanding of marriage, by a vote of 18-29, and, by a slim two-vote margin, it disapproved an authoritative interpretation which would allow pastors to conduct marriages for any couple with a civil marriage license.
A Call for Study
In a desire to promote the peace, unity and purity of the church, we move that the whole Presbyterian Church (USA) enter into a season of serious study and discernment concerning the meaning of Christian Marriage in the two-year period between the 220th General Assembly and the 221st General Assembly. We would further move the Office of Theology and Worship prepare and distribute educational materials to all presbyteries and congregations.
These materials should include the relevant scripture key methods of biblical interpretations current understanding of our constitution and some suggested guidance for prayerful and reconciling ways of listening to one another.
We would ask that all presbyteries report to the Office of General Assembly on how this was conducted in their congregations at least three months prior to the 221st General Assembly.
This motion is offered in the hope and trust that such discernment will genuinely seek the rule and will of God be done in our Presbyterian Church as it is in heaven under the guidance of the triune God.
“Parliamentary quagmire” is one way to describe the day. After a brief time of discernment and reflection, the moderator opened the floor for motions. The first motion on the floor was made by Michael Wilson, a commissioner from Donegal Presbytery. He proposed a motion describing a way the presbyteries and congregations could study the issue for two years and provide feedback to a special task force, which would then compile the feedback and their findings to the General Assembly in 2016.
Item 13-07, the authoritative interpretation on the Biblical understanding of marriage was proposed as a substitute motion to this study. Another commissioner challenged whether this motion was germane to the issue, according to Robert’s Rules of Order, but the motion was ruled out of order by the moderator. The committee then voted to overrule the moderator and disallow the substitute motion. This was the first of three times the moderator was overruled by the committee during the day. It is rare to see even one time that the moderator is overruled, but for it to happen three times is almost unheard of.
Finally, after lunch, Allen Foster, a commissioner from Glacier Presbytery, proposed a substitute motion in the form of a second proposal for a study, this one only lasting for two years. The process of perfecting and debating these two motions finally concluded at 6 p.m. when the two-year study passed by a vote of 29-23-1.
After the dinner break, Joel Aelick, ruling elder commissioner from Charlotte Presbytery, made a motion to make a statement in response to the overtures before the committee, addressing the definition of marriage in the Book of Confessions. “Our confessions, based on their understanding of scripture,” the statement read, “define Christian Marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Any redefinition of marriage should recognize the confessional nature of the definition and should be preceded by careful and prayerful formal confessional amendment process.” After a tense debate with additional parliamentary quagmire, this motion failed 19-30-1.
The next motion was Item 13-05, the Authoritative Interpretation that would allow “pastoral discretion” – permitting pastors to marry any couple who had a civil marriage license, thereby allowing same-sex marriages in states where it is legal. Many commissioners rose to speak in favor of helping Teaching Elders address the current crisis of pastoral care in their churches for same-sex couples who wish to marry. However, two commissioners who had been speaking and voting on the more progressive side of the issues stood and shared that they felt like they should not make this kind of decision without input from the entire denomination and indicated that they preferred an amendment to the Book of Order.
A YAAD from the Presbytery of Alaska, spoke from his heart. “As much as it pains me to say it,” he quietly shared, “from what I read in the Bible and Paul’s letters, as confusing as this is, as much as I don’t like to believe it, I believe the practice of homosexuality is a sin. I don’t believe people in the church have done a good job at loving others, but I also don’t think it’s okay saying this is okay. We need to follow Jesus’ example to respond with love and then say ‘go and leave your life of sin.'” After he spoke those words, the moderator called for a moment of silent reflection, and the words still hung in the air like jewels.
After additional, sometimes frustrating debate (at one point there was an appeal to the Stated Clerk), the question was called, and the commissioners voted by secret ballot. The results on the Authoritative Interpretation were remarkably close: 24 for, 26 against, and 2 abstentions.
After a short recess, the committee came back together and decided to try to finish its business that evening, rather than having to start again Wednesday morning. At this point, it was 9:30 p.m. and the committee had not approved a single item of business before it. It had approved the study, which was new business, and denied two others, but nothing else had been done.
Doug Friesema, a TSAD from the Presbytery of the James, stood to move item 13-04, the amendment from the Hudson Valley, which changes the Book of Order’s Directory of Worship from “a man and a woman” to “two persons.” He told the committee that he thought that working on this issue via an amendment was better than AI. “I trust our churches…I trust our pastors… and I trust God, most of all, to guide us through this holy conversation and whatever effects it may have on the church.”
Laurie Loveless, a commissioner from Newcastle Presbytery, shared her concerns about this overture causing this General Assembly to be called the “tipping assembly.” “My fear is not of people leaving,” she shared, but more of a “fear of not being faithful, of not being in God’s will, of not doing what God wants.”
The commissioners again voted by secret ballot, and the motion carried 28 for, 24 against, with no abstentions.
A final motion was made to answer all other motions with these two actions – the study and the decision on amendment to the Book of Order A brief attempt was made to substitute 13-07 (the AI on traditional marriage) for this motion, but this action failed 18-29. A group indicated that they would work on a minority report.
The committee will now wait to present its results to the whole assembly in plenary. Its report will likely come later in the week, perhaps on Friday. And the whole process of voting will start all over again.