Opposition to ‘fidelity/chastity’
may be headed toward 19-vote win
The Layman, February 25, 2009
The odds have increased slightly that most presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA) will vote to eliminate the “fidelity/chastity” clause from the Book of Order.
Those favoring the ordination requirements still maintain a majority – 46-36 – but the vote against Biblical standards in 2001 continues to grow.
The Layman identified 70 presbyteries where the votes in favor of G-6.0106b were relatively close in 2001 and predicted that many of those presbyteries would change. Through reports of through Tuesday, Feb. 25, 15 of the 70 presbyteries had changed their votes and six continued to support the constitutional requirement. If that pattern continues throughout the voting in the national referendum, which ends in May, the opponents of requiring Biblical morality will add 50 votes to their column.
The 46 votes in 2001 against the ordination standard are unlikely to change. Combined with 50 switchover votes, the tally would be 96-77, a 19-vote victory for the advocates of ordaining homosexuals, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people.