Fidelity/chastity’ ordination standard not an essential of Reformed faith and polity, commissioners decide
By Craig M. Kibler, The Layman Online, January 28, 2008
EDINA, Minn. – Scripture and the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) both took a beating Jan. 26 when the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area overwhelmingly voted that the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard in the Book of Order is not an essential of Reformed faith and polity.
Photo Courtesy PTCA
Paul CapetzWith several inches of snow on the ground and temperatures hovering in the high teens, more than 350 people were in the sanctuary of Christ Presbyterian Church as commissioners voted on a declared scruple to that clause by Paul Capetz, an openly gay former minister in the PCUSA. Later, the presbytery also voted overwhelmingly to restore Capetz to the exercise of the ordained office of minister of Word and sacrament, as well as validating his service as an associate professor at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in New Brighton, Minn.
Commissioners voted on the following motion:
“The Committee on Ministry recommends that Dr. Capetz’s declared departure from G-6.0106b be not found to constitute a failure to adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith and polity under G-6.0108 of the Book of Order.”
Of the 283 votes cast by written ballot, 197 commissioners voted in favor of permitting the scruple; 84 voted against; and there were two abstentions.
In a statement, Interim Executive Presbyter Sarai Schnucker said, “We are overwhelmed by the grace and love that this presbytery exhibited today. The members of the presbytery have conducted themselves with respect and restraint, even while handling such a controversial issue. As a presbytery, we listened to each other and heard each other. In the midst of this time of debate and discernment, there was true worship by the Body of Christ as we sang songs and broke bread together.”
“We are unaware of what might take place as a result of today,” she said, “but we have come together as the Body of Christ and we are grateful for the presence of the Spirit with us. Thanks be to God.”
Second declared scruple
It was the second time in 10 days that a presbytery had approved a declared scruple regarding the denomination’s “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard. On Jan. 15, San Francisco Presbytery approved a scruple in the case of Lisa Larges, a lesbian who is seeking to take the first steps in the ordination process.
The three votes in Edina came in response to a request by Capetz that he be restored to ordained ministry. In April 2000, he had requested, and the presbytery agreed, that he be released from the exercise of ordained ministry because of clause G-6.0106b in the denomination’s Book of Order.
That “fidelity/chastity” clause, approved by a majority of the PCUSA’s 173 presbyteries in 1997, requires those called to office in the denomination to “lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church,” including living “either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness.”
At the time, Capetz said in a document provided to the presbytery for the Jan. 26 meeting, he was “unable to construe that amendment to the constitution as implying anything other than commitment to a life of permanent celibacy on the part of homosexually-oriented persons who serve as ordained officers in the church.”
PUP report
In June 2006, the 217th General Assembly approved the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity that included an authoritative interpretation that allows individual church sessions and presbyteries to declare whether G-6.0106b is essential. The authoritative interpretation focuses on the “conscience” clause (G-6.0108) and states that the judgment of ordaining bodies cannot be bound by any rule that they deem non-essential.
In August 2007, Capetz cited the PUP report in making a request for restoration as a minister to the presbytery’s committee on ministry. At that time, he said he was “grateful for this new authoritative interpretation of section G-6.0108 in our Book of Order that makes it possible for me to request reinstatement as a minister with a good conscience and for this presbytery to have the authority to determine my fitness for holding this office once again.”
Capetz documents
Request for reinstatement
Questions regarding membership
According to a November letter provided to commissioners by Stated Clerk Nancy E. Grittman, at the time he was released from ordained office, Capetz “was a member in good standing of the presbytery. … There were no charges pending against Paul, nor was there reason to believe that there might be. As Paul says in his letter, he acted in good conscience following the passage of Book of Order G-6.0106b. …”
“Following the passage by the denomination of the Peace, Unity and Purity report and the authoritative interpretation,” Grittman wrote, “Paul has asked to be restored to the ordained office of minister of the Word and sacrament.”
The presbytery’s committee on ministry voted 11-3 that same month to approve Capetz’s request, saying that his declared scruple to the “fidelity/chastity” clause did not constitute a failure to adhere to an essential of Reformed faith. A Dec. 1 special meeting to consider the issue was postponed, however, after presbytery commissioners at their November meeting directed the committee to provide the presbytery with “a clear statement of what the departure from the constitution is and what was the rationale of the committee on ministry to recommend his reinstatement.” That material was provided to commissioners for the Jan. 26 meeting.
Committee on ministry report
Some of the reasons the committee on ministry cited in stating that Capetz’s declared scruple was not an essential of Reformed faith and polity were:
- “Dr. Capetz has theological integrity – celibacy was a tenet that Martin Luther was reforming against.
- “The church is reformed and reforming and homosexuals should be treated the same as other persons.
- “Persuaded by covenant call/vocation that Dr. Capetz was called by God; his homosexuality does not rise to the level of essential.
- “Dr. Capetz has clearly articulated that it is not essential – we must rethink in every generation.
- “Scriptural references to homosexuality are very few; why lift them out? Far greater emphasis [is] on the Great Commandment – Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.
- “Does not concern Dr. Capetz’s willingness or ability to serve members of the church. He is willing to perform the duties of a Minister of Word and sacrament. He does not reflect a lack of theological understanding or understanding of the Reformed tradition.
- “A significant minority of the PCUSA believes that the departure has Biblical, confessional, theological and pastoral integrity.
- “Dr. Capetz serves a Reformed seminary of a denomination (UCC) that rejects exclusion from ordained office based upon sexual orientation or practice.”
Minority report
A minority report – which, on a voice vote, was overwhelmingly received by the presbytery – took a different view. In it, the members of the committee on ministry who opposed the majority’s recommendation wrote:
“We are being asked (as a result of recommendation 5 of the report of the Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church) to decide if this stated departure is an essential tenet of the Reformed faith. Dr. Capetz, who is currently in compliance with the standards of G-6.0106b, has clearly stated his intention to depart from the constitutional standard in practice given opportunity in the future. We believe that the restoration of ordination to an individual intending to depart in practice from a clearly stated constitutional standard essentially allows the will of the PTCA to supercede the Constitution of the PCUSA [emphasis in the original]. In this light, we believe that an action to restore Dr. Paul Capetz as a minister member of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area sidesteps the authority of our constitution and gives the ability to a very few to decide a matter of constitutional import.
“Furthermore, we are uncomfortable with the hermeneutical or interpretive gymnastics required to provide Biblical sanction for sexually intimate same-sex relationships. Affirming the authority of the Scripture and our submission to them as followers of Jesus Christ, we therefore must object to a behavioral departure from the standard of G-6.0106b or any intention to do so.”
Not changing the standard for ordination
In a letter sent to commissioners announcing the special Jan. 26 meeting – and signed by Ward Sessing, moderator; JoAnn Simser, vice-moderator; Anita Cummings, chair of the Council; Nancy Grittman, stated clerk; and Deb Kielsmeier, David Liddle and Gale Robb, members of the committee on ministry task force – commissioners were reminded that it also is “important to keep in mind that the request of Dr. Capetz for restoration to the exercise of ordained office does not ask us to change the standard for ordination as stated in G-6.0106b. We are only asked to consider:
- “Whether or not Dr. Capetz’s stated departure constitutes a failure to adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith and polity.
- “Whether or not to restore Dr. Capetz – given who he is as an actual, fallible human being and considering the reasons for his principled objection to one particular section of the constitution – to the office of minister of Word and sacrament in a particular ministry, at this particular time and place in the life of the church and with the blessing of this particular presbytery.”
Those comments were reminiscent of a similar statement made by General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick who, after the 217th General Assembly approved the PUP report and its authoritative interpretation, said, “We have not in any fundamental way changed our standards.” He said “the standards remain the same, but the assembly’s action has offered a more pastoral way and spirit to uphold those standards.”
Moderator Joan Gray echoed Kirkpatrick’s statement, saying, “The standards have not changed, but more weight has been put on sessions and presbyteries to make a decision on whether, in the case of a particular candidate, that candidate’s departures from the standards of the church are essential or non-essential.” Craig M. Kibler is the Director of Publications and the Executive Editor of The Layman and The Layman Online. He may be reached at cmkibler@layman.org.
Craig M. Kibler is the Director of Publications and the Executive Editor of The Layman and The Layman Online. He may be reached at cmkibler@layman.org.