Another presbytery passes overture seeking to delete G-6.0106b, authoritative interpretation
By Craig M. Kibler, The Layman Online, June 29, 2005
Another presbytery is targeting the General Assembly in an effort to overturn the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s ordination standards and rescind its “authoritative interpretation” regarding homosexual behavior.
The Presbytery of the Cascades, according to a report on the Web site of More Light Presbyterians, on June 25 voted 92 to 61 to delete both items. Heartland Presbytery on April 19 voted 109-92 to approve a similar overture on the issue to the 217th General Assembly, which will meet in Birmingham on June 15-22, 2006.
Both overtures, promoted by More Light and similar to one defeated in 2004, asks commissioners to:
- “1. Provide the following authoritative interpretation: Interpretative statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190th General Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and the 119th General Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and all subsequent affirmations thereof, have no further force or effect.
- 2. Direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes: Shall G-6.0106b be stricken?”
The Authoritative Interpretation is a thorough assessment of what the Bible teaches about homosexual behavior. It unequivocally says that homosexual behavior is contrary to the will of God and that self-acknowledged, practicing homosexuals could not be ordained.
G-6.0106b is the Book of Order requirement that says candidates for deacon, elder and minister must demonstrate either fidelity within the marriage of a man and a woman or chastity in singleness to be eligible to serve as officers. The action, if approved by the General Assembly, would nullify the 1978 and 1979 Authoritative Interpretations – first adopted by the United Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Church U.S. and later affirmed by the Presbyterian Church (USA) – and reaffirmed by later assemblies and court decisions after those predecessor denominations reunited in 1983.
There have been numerous attempts to try to rescind the 1978 declaration, most recently in 2004, but they all have failed.
In 1993, ten years after the UPCUSA and the PCUS evolved into the PCUSA, the General Assembly affirmed the 1978 statement.
The 1996 General Assembly ratified it again and called on presbyteries to enact a constitutional standard that reflected the gist of the authoritative interpretation. The presbyteries responded by approving the “fidelity/chastity” requirement (G-6.0106b) for inclusion in the PCUSA Constitution. Heartland Presbytery voted 99-152 against it.
Opponents of the “fidelity/chastity” standard have twice convinced General Assemblies (1997 and 2001) to seek repeal of the constitutional provision. In both cases, the presbyteries voted overwhelmingly against allowing the ordination of practicing homosexuals.
The ballot for the 2001 referendum included a rider. To repeal G-6.0106b, the presbyteries also would have had to repeal the 1978 statement, which is stronger and more pastoral than the constitutional wording. But a majority of nearly 75 percent said no to both.
In 2004, the General Assembly voted 297 to 218 to do nothing to dismantle the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard in the denomination’s constitution or its theological underpinnings in the authoritative interpretation.