All three candidates for moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s 221st General Assembly declared their support of same-sex marriage at a dinner held by the Covenant Network (CovNet) on Friday night.
John Wilkinson, Heath Rada and Kelly Allen, all vying to be elected moderator of the assembly this evening, briefly spoke at CovNet’s Commissioners’ Convocation Dinner.
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians is an organization that works for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) people in the PCUSA and is working especially hard at this General Assembly to persuade commissioners to approve measures that would allow couples of the same-sex to by married in PCUSA churches by PCUSA pastors.
Calling it “inevitable,” Wilkinson stated his support for same-sex marriage in the denomination. He acknowledged that there were those in the church that didn’t believe that way, and if elected, he would be their moderator as well.
“Whatever is adopted, I hope it can advance both marriage and the well-being of the church,” he said. He added that as a minister in New York, he would “welcome the breathing space” to say yes or no to whoever wants to be married.
Rada expressed his appreciation of CovNet’s mission, stating that he had participated in activities sponsored by the organization and calling those events “inspiring, meaningful and on target.”
“I, too, believe in the equality or rights of people to marry people who love one another,” Rada said. “I will be thankful when this is not the defining issue of the church … because people who love each other can marry without scrutiny.”
The final person to speak was the lone female candidate, Kelly Allen. She shared a story about her ministry to inmates in a prison in her area; one of whom handed her a note asking, “I am gay and I want to know if I am still going to be able to go to heaven if I don’t change.”
During her visit the following week, she had a two minute time frame to explain to him why he “wasn’t going to hell.”
Most of what she told him, Kelly said came from CovNet resources.
For her, the end result of the General Assembly, would be that “two people who love each other will be able to marry each other in the PCUSA.”
Commissioners will elect one of the three candidates as the moderator of the 221st General Assembly during this evening’s plenary session that will begin at 7 p.m. (EST) The election will be live streamed at http://oga.pcusa.org/section/ga/ga221/
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12 Comments. Leave new
I wonder if First Presbyterian Houston will win its lawsuit against the PCUSA over who ownes the church property before so many conservatives leave to render that moot.
In 5 years PCUSA will be in a shambles. Fewer than 1 million members, half of congregations struggling to pay bills, virtually irrelevant.
To me, this seems a signal that God is hardening our collective hearts against his will, or at least allowing us to harden our hearts.
Direct disobedience to Scripture on the part of our Moderator candidates. Difference of interpretation is a phony argument, meant to assuage conflict. Same-gender and other extra-marital sexual behavior is textually a behavior under the category of chosen sin. The argument for a same-sex marital worship service in the church is based on Context Without Text. Given, we’re all sinners, but we don’t seek to sin. Scripture is clear on this. No parallel with “women in leadership,” as being a woman or a man is not chosen sexual activity. This should not be sanctioned by the church.
I’m not really sure why plural marriage hasn’t received the blessing of our proposed Moderators. What’s so special about “one”?
Not surprised at all.
There is an interesting phenomenon happening. Evangelical are not as present at this GA and no
conservative/evangelical is running for Moderator. The PFR has united with The Fellowship
and will be a part of the ECO and the PCUSA. There has been a middle group that came out of PUP
and more recently out of the group that studied the “marriage” issue. This contingency has called for unity,
peace, with diversity and is having a hard time understanding why evangelical churches are leaving. They see themselves as moderate, supporting both sides of issues by listening and not makeing enemies.
As more evangelicals leave, this middle group will be the ” more conservative”, but by the time they realize
what they have allowed to happen they will be unable to stop the flow of un Scriptural behavior and theology.
What will the PCUSA look like with a majority of evangelicals gone?
It is hard to have the same zeal to seek a voice and vote this year for evangelicals and I think maybe
God will allow the PCUSA to go in whatever direction they want…..(see Romans 1)
Some will look back and say “what were we thinking when we supported “unity with diversity”
in matters of interpretation, morality, and theology.
When I came out a few years ago and finally lived into the fullness of who I have been created to be, my life, my faith, everything fell into place for me, except for the view that this is a choice. Why would anyone choose to be ostracized by the church they grew up in? The church who baptized me, taught me that I was part of a community. The church who baptized me, ordained me as a ruling elder. The church who baptized me has encouraged my faith and has helped me grow in my relationship with God, but the church who baptized me will not currently recognize my relationship as a marriage.
My spouse is someone who loves me as I am and loves me enough to push me to grow in positive ways. We spend time in devotions together and worshiping together. We have both grown up in the Presbyterian church and would like to see the day that our relationship which is recognized by the federal government for tax purposes, by many states and by our family and friends, be recognized by the church we love since we believe it to be recognized by the God whom we worship and serve.
Why the fuss? Liberals acting and behaving as well, liberals. It is who they are, it is that they do. Of course all the GA candidates worship at the foot of the Covenant Network and TAMSF. The PCUSA and its affinity groups are one in the same.
Flee the apostate entity.
They will look like Unitarians!
The debate on this topic is tearing the denomination apart and is damaging the larger body of Christ. This topic has pitted those that acknowledge the Biblical basis for marriage being between a man and a woman on the one hand, and those that feel that their same-sex relationships should be treated without what they view as historical prejudice or double standards. There is a compromise position which, while probably not something both sides would, like honors both positions: On the one hand, call the larger class of traditional and same-sex commitments something else, such as domestic union or relational covenant, and make clear that this is NOT marriage in the Biblical sense; at the same time to commit PCUSA to only perform such ceremonies to honor the view of those that believe both same-sex and traditional unions are equivalent.
Indeed, what’s so special about “two”? Why can’t three or four people get married as a group if they felt God made them that way?
And for that matter, what’s so special about humans? Why can’t I marry my dog?
Oops! I just noticed that “the acronym” has grown again. What used to be “Lesbian and Gay” (too short, really, for an acronym; “LG” sounds like a tire) grew to LGBT, which has a “ring” to it, and now, somewhat surprisingly, to LGBTQ. Can anyone guess what the next letter will be?
If the “Q” is not an “L” or a “G,” then what exactly is a “Q”?
And, if you call a gay person a “queer,” will you have committed a “hate crime”? I know I can’t call someone a “colored person,” but I can call him or her a “person of color.” I want to stay ahead of the curve and on the right side of the law.
But seriously, folks, does anyone think that God gives one hoot or holler about the PCUSA? What matters to God is our relationship with Him, and there is nothing in that relationship that requires the intervention of the PCUSA.
I can think of few things as irrelevant as the PCUSA. So, rather than letting the GA make your blood boil, just sit back and enjoy the entertainment.