Presbytery that ordained gay minister votes in favor of 01-A
The Layman Online, January 21, 2002
Not unexpectedly, the presbytery that approved the ordination of a homosexual minister in violation of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has voted overwhelmingly in favor of an amendment that would repeal the “fidelity/chastity” standard.
The 102-49 vote by the Presbytery of Redwoods in California was one of five presbytery votes that occurred on Jan. 19. A complaint has been filed, challenging the presbytery’s vote to ordain Kathleen Morrison, who said she was “chaste” as she defined the word despite her sexual relationship with her lesbian partner.
But the Redwoods vote fell into a declining column. Three of the other four presbyteries reporting their Jan. 19 actions voted against Amendment 01-A. One of the three (Kiskiminetos) had previously opposed the ordination standard when it was on the ballot in 1996.
To date, with one-third of the presbyteries having voted, the tally is 46-14 (76.7 percent) against Amendment 01-A. Nine of the 24 presbyteries that voted no in 1996 now favor the constitutional ordination standard. None of the presbyteries voting on Amendment 0-1A has switched from previously favoring the ordination standard to opposing it now.
Presbyteries voting against Amendment 01A on Jan. 19 were Kiskiminentas, 36-76; Missouri River Valley, 65-68; and North Central Iowa, 46-65. Des Moines (69-46) joined Redwoods in voting for Amendment 01-A.