Letter asks Presbytery of Baltimore to enforce the ordination standard
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, April 15, 2002
A group of 30 evangelicals has called on the leaders of the Presbytery of Baltimore to enforce the constitutional fidelity/chastity ordination standard that the presbytery majorities have strongly opposed.
In a letter to the presbytery’s moderator, stated clerk and interim executive, the pastors, elders and deacons from 11 congregations — six of which are Confessing Churches — acknowledged that “Your job will be difficult!”
But, they added, “you bear a special responsibility at this important time because of your leadership role in the Presbytery of Baltimore.”
Enforcement of the constitution will not be popular in Baltimore, which has been among the presbyteries that most strongly oppose the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard.
In the 1997 national referendum, when the proposed ordination standard was ratified, 70 percent of the Baltimore commissioners voted against it. More recently, 65 percent of the commissioners voted for Amendment 01-A, which would have repealed the standard. Meanwhile, nearly 75 percent of the 173 presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to stand by the constitutional standard.
Philip Sorensen, the interim executive in Baltimore, said the letter “is being, and will be, discussed by the presbytery council.” It has not been docketed for consideration by the full presbytery.
Besides Sorensen, the letter was addressed to the presbytery’s moderator, William C. Starke, and its stated clerk, Charles P. Forbes.
The text of the letter:
- Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are writing to offer you encouragement and support as you begin what will be the difficult task of upholding the Constitution of our Church, specifically G-6.0106b, in a presbytery that voted in favor of Amendment 01-A.
- The issue of ordination standards has been before the Church for many years, but, having been voted upon three times in the past five years, the will of the majority has been made clear. The historic ordination standards have been upheld repeatedly. Still, there will be those who disagree, and they have the right of dissent. The Historic Principles, Conscience, and Church Government, adopted by the General Assembly in 1983, outlines the appropriate responses by those who dissent:
- 1. The right to work for change
- 2. The right of dissent, protest, or appeal
- 3. The right of active concurrence
- 4. The right of passive concurrence
- 5. The right of peaceful withdrawal
- However, the Church does not recognize the right of defiance.
- In fact, in the case brought before the GA-PJC as Londonderry et al v Presbytery of Northern New England, the court found that the statement of intent not to obey G-6.0106b made by Christ Church, Burlington exceeded the limits of dissent and crossed over into defiance.
- The court said that dissent “may not include an intent by those who have vowed to be governed by the church polity to violate the Constitution.” The court ordered the Presbytery of Northern New England to work pastorally with Christ Church to assist it in fulfilling its obligation to comply with the Constitution. The initial pastoral approach was to be loving but firm, and constitutional compliance was required.
- Neither a decision of the highest church court nor the Constitution itself is self-enforcing. Our form of government gives responsibility and power to the governing bodies to insure that officers honor our Constitution and abide by its discipline. While we have all taken vows to be governed by our Church’s polity and abide by its discipline, you bear a special responsibility at this important time because of your leadership role in the Presbytery of Baltimore.
- The decision of the highest court in Londonderry (2000) calls for pastoral and administrative action by the Presbytery of Northern New England.
- This decision also applies to all presbyteries who have churches within their bounds which are in defiance of the Constitution – even our own presbytery. In addition, we are aware of calls for “ecclesiastical disobedience.
- And so your job will be difficult! We want you to know of our prayers for you, that God would strengthen you, that you would be steadfast, loving but firm as you seek to uphold the Constitution of our Church.
- We stand with you in this important task.