Cincinnati council suggests delay in Mount Auburn case
The Layman Online, May 10, 2002
The council of the Presbytery of Cincinnati will recommend that the presbytery allow Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church to buy time as its session and minister continue to aggressively defy the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
In a letter on behalf of the council, Robert A. Keefer, co-stated clerk, said the council proposes that the matter be turned over to an administrative commission that would be appointed at the July meeting of the presbytery.
That would put the resolution of the case beyond the consideration of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which will deal with a number of constitutional issues during its meeting July 15-22 in Columbus, Ohio.
Two overtures are docketed for the presbytery’s meeting May 14 at Madeira-Silverwood Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati. The Madeira-Silverwood session wants the presbytery to enforce the constitution by ordering the Mount Auburn session to rescind its statements of defiance that are published on the Mount Auburn Web site.
If the Mount Auburn session does not rescind the statements, the overture seeks formal procedures that could result in declaring that the session and pastor have renounced the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – i.e., that they are no longer members of the PCUSA.
Mount Auburn has declared that 1) it will not abide by the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard that was recently affirmed by 73 percent of the PCUSA’s presbyteries in a national referendum and 2) the church will continue its practice of “marrying” same-gender couples.
The only recognized marriage in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is between a man and a woman. Furthermore, the highest court in the denomination, although approving “blessing” same-gender couples during church services, said that the services must not resemble or be likened to marriages and that they must not represent an endorsement of homosexual activity.
The General Assembly’s Permanent Judicial Commission has ruled that no session has the right to defy constitutional requirements. Dissent, including overtures that reflect that disagreement, is permitted, but disobedience is not.
Mount Auburn’s session proposed a counter overture, selectively citing a phrase from the first chapter of the Book of Order – “that there are truths and forms with respect to which men (and women) of good characters and principles may differ. And in all these we think it the duty both of private Christians and societies to exercise mutual forbearance toward each other.”
In his letter to presbytery members and commissioners, Keefer said, “The council will recommend to the presbytery that both overtures be referred to an administrative commission to be appointed at our July meeting. It will be up to the presbytery to decide if we should adopt one of the overtures or accept the Council’s recommendation. Since such discussions can become complicated, the moderator and I will attend to parliamentary matters, so that you – the members of and commissioners to the presbytery – may dedicate yourselves to matters of content.”
The Madeira-Silverwood resolution called for immediate action that would begin compelling Mount Auburn leaders to rescind their statements of defiance or face possible exile from the PCUSA.