EPC: Women’s ordination
issue will have to wait
By Edward Terry, The Layman, June 26, 2009
BRIGHTON, Mich. – A proposal to experiment with affinity presbyteries will not be voted on by the 29th General Assembly, but discussion on how to deal with the issue of ordaining women in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church will continue.
Kicking the day off with worship, led by host pastor the Rev. Richard Alberta of Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the assembly got down to business early as it accepted the Permanent Judicial Committee’s suggestion that the issue of women’s ordination could only be considered through an amendment to the denomination’s constitution. Supporters argued that the proposal offers a solution for the divisive issue.
Having congregations on both sides of the issue, the Presbytery of Mid-America proposal would have created two affinity presbyteries, one allowing female teaching elders and the other not, within the existing presbytery. Congregations would choose between them. The experiment would have occurred from October 2009 until the 2012 General Assembly with the intent of dissolving it or administering the model for all presbyteries if successful.
Unlike other larger Presbyterian denominations that have clear-cut rules on female ordination, the EPC leaves the decision up to individual congregations. EPC presbyteries then have the option of deciding whether they will receive ordained women. Only two presbyteries, Florida and Central South, currently do not receive female teaching elders.
During debate on the PJC’s recommendation, several speakers were disappointed but gracious in accepting the decision.
“We still face the matter in our presbytery and we want to find a way to live together,” said the Rev. Clay Smith, of Central Presbyterian in St. Louis. “We look forward to the guidance of the assembly, the wisdom of the assembly to help us continue to reflect that essential unity of the body of Christ while respecting one another’s consciences enough to allow us to practice differing convictions in our presbytery.”
The PJC’s ruling dealt only with the constitutionality of the request and not the merits of it. John Graham, moderator of the Permanent Judicial Commission, said it was charged with two tasks: To determine if the overture could be offered for acceptance as an act of the assembly and to see if it was compatible with the denomination’s constitution.
“It is not our task to consider the merits of such an overture in presenting it either as an amendment or otherwise, and our task was not to suppress in any way any ongoing dialogue and discussion of the matters set forth in the overture,” he said.
Backing up that statement, the PJC immediately offered a proposal to create an interim committee to explore ways to include those pastors and churches with conflicting positions on women teaching elders in the EPC’s presbyteries.
The proposal, which was approved with a majority voice vote, was amended to require two representatives from each presbytery, including the New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery. Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah said if the assembly gives its final approval on forming the committee, it will report back to the 30th General Assembly in 2010.
In other business, the General Assembly:
- Heard the outgoing address of Moderator Allen Roes, who was succeeded by the Rev. Nate Atwood. Jeremiah thanked Roes for going above and beyond in his service to the EPC.
- Honored the EPC’s World Outreach Missionaries and chaplains.
- Heard a report from the Board of Benefits, which had planned several meetings on health coverage and retirement.
- Introduced new member churches to the Assembly.
- Named All Saints Church of Memphis, Tenn., as the 2009 Bart Hess Award.