The result was an overwhelming “No,” in what may be the first presbytery vote on an amendment to redefine the definition of marriage in the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Book of Order.
By a vote of 22 in favor and 76 opposed, commissioners to the Presbytery of San Diego’s September 16 meeting, disapproved the proposed amendment which would change the definition of marriage from between “a man and a woman” to “between two persons, traditionally a man and a woman.”
The San Diego Presbytery’s action may be the first in the nation, according to Executive Presbyter Rev. Dr. Clark Cowden. Based largely on the rationale that the church should adjust to state laws allowing same-sex unions, the proposed amendment was passed by the PCUSA’s 221st General Assembly in June and recommended for ratification to the presbyteries over the course of the next year.
San Diego Presbytery is well known within the denomination for its conservative stand on social issues involving standards for ordination of pastors and church officers, and sexuality ethics and practices.
The Ecclesiastical Committee of the presbytery recommended the negative vote to the commissioners. The members included Rev. Tom Straeter of Grace Presbyterian Church of Vista, CA, and Rev. Dr. Jerry Andrews of First Presbyterian Church of San Diego.
Clark Cowden
In his presbytery report, Cowden spoke of the General Assembly as a system that has “become stuck and dysfunctional. … We don’t create the conditions where we can be at our best. I think we set ourselves up into polarized situations – where we push people into yes/no, up/down decisions. There is no room for nuance or simply saying – we’re not ready to decide yet.”
He continued, “I think the GA chooses decisions over discernment, taking positions over building relationships, and does not have a heart that is focused on congregations. I wish GA would follow the medical guideline – ‘do no harm.’ When what they do is harming congregations, something is wrong. I have never heard of people streaming into Presbyterian Churches because of what the GA has done. But, I have heard of people who have left Presbyterian Churches because of what the GA has done, and that is wrong.”
But he then asked, “Does it matter anymore what our GA does?” Cowden cited a recent U.S. Study of Congregations which indicated a trend of growing disaffiliation between congregations and their denominations. “We have long known that most people don’t join churches because of their denomination. They join because they like what is happening in the congregation,” he said. “So, where does that leave us?”
“I believe the decisions that we make as congregations and as a local presbytery are more important than the decisions that are made by the General Assembly,” Cowden said. “I have said before that I believe our denomination is a mission field, and that we still need strong, Biblical, evangelical, Reformed disciples reaching people for Christ and making a difference in the PCUSA. I still believe that. I have said before that I believe we have the freedom to make all of the decisions we need to make. I still believe that.”
Cowden said he believes that “We are in a time and place where the only way we can make our denomination any better is if we focus our time and our energies on making our presbytery better. We have to stop worrying about what other Presbyterians are doing in other places. We have to stop agonizing over other Presbyterian things that happen that we can’t control. We need to focus our time and energy on what we can control, what we do here, who we are, and what we are going to be about. All we can do is make our people and our congregations and our presbytery as strong as they can possibly be. We will trust God with the rest and we will not lose sleep over that.”
The meeting took place at Village Community Presbyterian Church in Rancho Santa Fe. CA. For more information, go to www.presbyterysd.org.
16 Comments. Leave new
Though I’m too lazy to look it up, I’m guessing San Diego Presbytery also voted, in a losing cause, to preserve the fidelity and chastity amendment. Their vote on this issue will also be a losing cause — probably this time, but if not, certainly next time.
I think it a very sad commentary on PCUSA polity to think of it as “winner take all”, I win, you lose zero-sum-game. Though I think in this post AI world, the constitution as well as anything in terms of functional polity are quite dead.
I am sure all concerned at SDP know full well the national state of the denomination, as well as the rule and control of the majority in all levels of the organization. And all know they will be in any minority point of view on this matter. But there was a day and age in the church where commissioners saw their votes as an expression of individual conscious and, or reflecting the religious and cultural ethos of those who elected them. Not so much a means to an ideological end. Such was the case in SD I think on this matter.
The Quakers have a saying, something is still wrong even though everybody says it is right, and something is right even though all say it is wrong. Words to ponder on the marriage matter.
Draw a diagonal line across the USA from San Diego Presbytery and it will end in the polar opposite (theologically, politically, and socially) Presbytery of Northern New England. The contrasts between the two presbyteries on many levels are apparent. One is healthy and vibrant, while the other is comatose and and ready to flat line.
Any one care to guess which one is in better condition?
Presbytery of San Diego can keep telling themsleves that it doesn’t matter what other Presbyterians are doing, at some point if they don’t tow the louisville line, the heavy hand will come down on them.
Okay, I looked it up. San Diego voted against amendment 10(A), 66-22. Amendment 10(A) passed anyway.
Now they’ve voted against marriage redefinition, 76-22. But the redefinition will be passed by a majority of presbyteries.
I’ve asked this question before: do the “stay and fight” Presbyterians, like the 76 voting “no” last week, really think things will turn around and they’ll start winning these fights in the future?
Of course not. But at least SDP stands as a larger body speaking the truth, as opposed to a few voices in a Presbytery which overwhelmingly supports marriage redefinition and the AI.
I don’t see myself as a “stay and fight” sort of person. Instead I hope to speak the truth of God’s Word before those who are corrupting the plain truths of the Gospel of Jesus. While I might be “heard,” I’m a realist in that I know most will ignore.
However, the weakness in this position is that we will be identified by those on the outside, that the mere act of remaining, lends credence to those who are corrupting.
San Diego Presbytery is a great presbytery. They need to be given credit for being a prophetic witness in a rapidly crumbling denomination.
Sigrid, please don’t put words in my mouth. Express your own thoughts and please don’t try to twist the thoughts of others. I really did mean what I wrote.
I was contrasting the stand of SDP to my Presbytery in Northern New England. Nothing more, nothing less. I was not casting stones at those who leave, nor at those who acquiesce.
I’m simply saying, bravo SDP! As a larger governing council, they understand the truth found in Biblical teachings, and they stand as a lone voice (or one of a few voices) among the 170 presbyteries. I rejoice that they have taken this stand.
My prayer is that SDP will remember in prayer those individual commissioners who will be the lone voices speaking Biblical truth when their presbytery votes by an overwhelming majority to pass the redefinition of marriage amendment.
Amen. And a truthful witness as well!
I think all give or assume too much power and influence to “Louisville” , OGA, HQ PCUSA. Call it what you will. In reality the governing matrix of the PCUSA is nothing more than a collection of left-hard left religious, political action groups and single issues matters (LGBT) lobby more or less housed under the PCUSA mast-head. Linda, Grady and alike are no more or less than paid mouthpieces, and when they do speak are only able to speak for themselves or those committees they represent. No more or less. They “speak” for the PCUSA no more or less than me, or the janitor that empties the trash at Witherspoon St.
What the PCUSA, post AI, is now is a rather lose affiliation and collection of 170 or so regional or local groups, Presbyteries , that are all over the map in both theology and ideology. Some are far more conservative than the rest, SD, Beaver-Butler, Pittsburgh to an extent. Some far more liberal and hostile to people of faith, Tropical Florida, Hudson Valley, Baltimore, N. New England come to mind. Some are comatose, flat-lined or close to death, other are doing very well. Again a mixed and regional bag. As far the dreaded property clause and all things anti-Semitic out of the Detroit. One can just roll over and take it, others can actively resist. But here is the truth, the “emperor” has no cloths, it’s apologists are old, tired, cynical and just plain out of faith and ideas. The culture of death. They will pass. The Word of God and His grace endures forever, praise God. As well as the people of God who will come out of the ashes of the failed denomination, as they always have done.
Peter Gregory “I think all give or assume too much power and influence to “Louisville”
Peter, you’re wrong, just plain wrong, ALL the troubles for churches wanting to leave, it comes from louisvilles’ marching orders…..end of discussion.
What I see in the PCUSA is also happening in the UMC and other denomintions. Divisions are here and will come in profound ways.
I foresee that biblically and theological sound presbyteries will survive. The others who deflect from the Bible and sound theology
will diminish in membership numbrs, churches will dwindle and die,
and survival will require merger, a temporary solution.
American Protestantism is fragmented to the extent that as a religous force in culture, its influence not diminished or low will disappear.
Secularism [“life organized without God”] announced in the 1950’s
in Perry’s “The Gospel in Dispute” is a reality and gaining strength.
If the outcome is expected as predicted by Pitirim Sorokins’s “The Crisis of Our Age” [1941] there is a dawn ahead, as we are living in the late stages of “a sensate culture,” a culture that is oriented to
satisfying the senses to the full.
The PCUSA staff in Louisville are unaware or do not care about the future of the larger church. Either way, our beloved Church is destined to crash on the breakers.
an astonishing lack of awareness of the end times events currently in our face.
i hope you don’t have any money in the financial markets, or are advising anyone who does, that’s all i can say at this point. i’ve been preaching here ad nauseum and still you people are talking as if you have all the time in the world; long term history, in10 years time, 40 years from now….
the warning sometime between now and year end, illumination of conscience, you might want to do some research about that rather than flawed human logic. your post reeks of academic arrogance.
As long as PCUSA does not give scripture and God the proper authority and makes up their own…churches will leave. What PCUSA needs to do is stop blackmailing these churches. If they want to leave they should be able to go…period. That’s grace…not making churches pay to leave. Sounds like a cult!
But he then asked, “Does it matter anymore what our GA does?”
This brought a smile to my heart. Congregations & pastors have long felt this way. Now, even an executive presbyter is stating the obvious. Maybe this will lead to more presbytery officers saying similar things.
Back in the 1990’s, as life-long members, we were constantly questioning the liberalism in the PCUSA. It got to the point where we didn’t want to contribute any more money knowing pastors were getting abortion coverage. It’s worse now. Liberals don’t change & they’re in charge. My departed grandparents could never have believed that same-sex marriage & abortion are sanctioned in the denomination. We found a conservative denomination & moved on to find peace of mind.