Using a 2008 More Light Presbyterians event as an example, the Presbytery of Santa Barbara has asked for oversight of General Assembly events sponsored by Presbyterian Church (USA) aligned groups to make sure they honor the denomination’s constitutional standards.
 
Citing a “wedding” between two men officiated by a Presbyterian pastor at the 218th General Assembly in San Jose, Calif., Santa Barbara asks that such events be evaluated by the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) in advance. The same-sex marriage, even though legal on a secular level at the time, was in violation of section W-4.9001 in the Book of Order and the GA Permanent Judicial Commission’s ruling that church officers will not state or imply that same-sex ceremonies are a marriage.
 
According to the overture: “These organizations identify themselves within the PCUSA and seek to work within the denomination to further their particular ideas and concerns. It is, therefore, of common interest to the denomination as a whole that each group conducts its endeavors in a manner that honors the constitutional standards of the church. While each coalition may seek to change the constitution, it is nonetheless incumbent upon each to uphold the standards until such a time as they are legally modified. To do otherwise is divisive and undermines the unity and trust that we value in our church. This singular event of a homosexual wedding at the 218th General Assembly (2008), which was reported in various media, indicates the need for a new level of oversight.”
 
The overture directs the GA to establish a Board of Oversight and Review to hold accountable Presbyterian organizations conducting affairs or events that violate constitutional standards. The board could receive complaints from GA commissioners.
 
A violation of the church’s standards would result in denial of privilege at future GA-sponsored meetings and events, as well as denied access to GA commissioners’ mailboxes. The organizations could appeal for reinstatement.
 

A better understanding

Hoping that it will help influential staff understand the implications of their decisions and recommendations, Great Rivers Presbytery is asking that being active in a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation be required for key General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) staff.
 
“These are the bodies that set the direction of the denomination and represent its public face to the world,” the overture states, adding that some GAMC staff influence the entities that formulate PCUSA policy. “From time to time, these policies and pronouncements create situations for local congregations that cause consternation or worse.”
 
If approved, the overture would amend the GAMC manual to require personnel who serve as an executive director, deputy executive director or staff committees that recommend policies to the GAMC or GA, “actively participate in the work and worship of a PCUSA congregation.” The requirement would be part of the employee’s annual review.
 
“It is important not only for the members of committees to take into account the ramifications of their decisions, but it is also important for their staff to be cognizant of the struggles often faced at a session table, in a Sunday school name or as a congregational member in a community after the General Assembly or a committee has taken a stand on a particular issue,” the overture’s rationale states.