GAC affirms traditional definition of marriage between a man and a woman
By Craig M. Kibler, Staff Writer,The Layman Online, April 28, 2008
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The General Assembly Council has affirmed the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman and will forward to the General Assembly a comment to an overture that seeks to change the definition to “two people.”
The 218th General Assembly will meet June 21-28 in San Jose, Calif.
The GAC action, which took place without discussion during a morning plenary session April 25 at the Brown Hotel, was in response to an overture sponsored by Baltimore Presbytery and concurred by the Presbytery of Hudson River that seeks to redefine marriage in section W-4.9000 of the Book of Order. That overture seeks the following changes:
In W-4.9001: “Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage is a civil contract covenant between a woman and a man two people and according to the laws of the state also constitutes a civil contract. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman two people are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage a lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other between two people, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.”
In W-4.9002: “a. In preparation for the marriage service, the minister shall provide for a discussion with the man and the woman two people concerning [The remainder of this section (Items (1)-(7)) remains the same.]”
In W-4.9002b, no changes.
In W-4.9003, no changes.
In W-4.9004, “The service begins with the scriptural sentences and a brief statement of purpose. The man and the woman two people shall declare their intention to enter into Christian marriage and shall exchange vows of love and faithfulness. The service includes appropriate passages of Scripture, which may be interpreted in various forms of proclamation. Prayers shall be offered for the couple, for the communities which support them in this new dimension of discipleship, and for all who seek to live in faithfulness. In the name of the triune God the minister shall declare publicly that the woman and the man two people are now joined in marriage. [The remainder of this paragraph remains the same.]”
In W-4.9005, no changes.
In W-4.9006, “A service of worship recognizing a civil marriage or civil union and confirming it in the community of faith may be appropriate when requested by the couple. The service will be similar to the marriage service except that the opening statement, the declaration of intention, the exchange of vows by the husband and wife couple, and the public declaration by the minister reflect the fact that the woman and man two people are already married to one another united according to the laws of the state.”
In its comment to the overture, the GAC said that, “The Directory for Worship states that marriage, both as a civil contract and as a Christian covenant, is a commitment made by a woman and a man. [The overture] seeks to change the definition of marriage in the Book of Order from ‘a man and a woman’ to ‘two people.'”
The overture, the comment stated, “has theological, ethical, cultural, legal, and liturgical implications. All aspects of this issue need to be considered. Because the church’s understanding of marriage is expressed in its services for Christian marriage, the overture’s liturgical implications are particularly significant.”
“Any change in the theology of marriage must be reflected in the Book of Common Worship services of Christian marriage. The current forms of marriage liturgy reflect (and shape) a particular theology of marriage. The Book of Common Worship grounds God’s gift of marriage in the complimentary creation of male and female, given by God, blessed by Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Thus, marriage is the proper context for the full expression of love between a man and a woman, an aid to faithful living, the environment for the birth and nurture of children, an element in the well-being of society, a holy mystery uniting a man and a woman, and a calling into a new way of life. (See Book of Common Worship, p. 842)”
In conclusion, the comment states that, “The church’s Statement on the Gift of Marriage would not make sense if ‘two persons’ were substituted for ‘a man and a woman.’ The change called for by the overture would require a new understanding and a different statement of what constitutes God’s gift of marriage.”
Craig M. Kibler is the Director of Publications and Executive Editor of the Presbyterian Lay Committee.