Defiance rewarded as More Light honors 13 congregations that defy constitution By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Monday, May 26, 2003 215th General Assembly Denver, Colo. May 24-31, 2003 General Assembly news index DENVER, COLO. – Defiance against the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) was rewarded during the 215th General Assembly when More Light Presbyterians presented its "Inclusive Church Award" to 13 congregations in the Presbytery of Hudson River for ordaining practicing homosexuals, conducting same-sex unions and recognizing them as marriages and practicing open communion. The Presbytery of Hudson River long has been a center of defiance in the denomination, but moved into the limelight in 1999 when judicial action was brought against it for allowing its ministers to conduct same-gender blessing services. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission ruled that ministers could conduct the services, called "holy unions," if they did not call the unions "marriages." Since then, some of its congregations have made public declarations that they conduct same-sex unions and recognize them as marriages, as well as practicing open communion, both in defiance of the constitution. In another case, the presbytery promoted by e-mail to its ministers a "Universal Worship Service" in which the participants offered prayers to a smorgasbord of gods - including those who, "whether known or unknown to the world, have held aloft the light of truth through the darkness of human ignorance." After the congregations in Hudson River declared that they would not obey the standards, the presbytery formed a committee to discuss the matter with those sessions. To date, the presbytery has initiated no disciplinary or remedial actions to require these congregations to comply with the constitution. The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the General Assembly, also has declined to take any administrative action that would require the presbytery to ensure compliance. According to the standing rules of the General Assembly, Kirkpatrick's duty is to "preserve and defend the Constitution," but his office has told leaders of the Presbyterian Coalition who have criticized his inaction that ensuring constitutional compliance is not his job. And, notwithstanding the continued acts of defiance, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly has declared that the denomination's "constitutional process is working." Late last year, while an effort seeking a called meeting of the General Assembly to deal with constitutional issues was under way, church officers in the presbytery held a public worship service to reaffirm their acts of defiance. "Christian conscience calls us together to support our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) sisters and brothers," the invitation read. "Churches and individuals from across the Tri-State Area of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey will celebrate the gifts and diversity of all God's people." The preacher for the service was the Rev. Hal Porter, who also has been in the forefront of the defiance movement. Porter is pastor emeritus of Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, a congregation whose session has issued declarations saying that it is violating – and will violate – the constitution's "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard and that its ministers "marry" same-gender couples. In presenting the award May 24 to a delegation headed by Jim Vanderberg, executive presbyter of Hudson River, the More Light board said that, "These congregations have worked together to build a more inclusive church at the local and national levels. What is remarkable about these congregations, more than their long history of concerted action, is their ability to work together on a local level and influence debate at the national level." The board also said that the award "seeks to recognize congregations or More Light chapters in presbyteries or seminaries/colleges for their ongoing history of commitment to the mission of MLP, namely … 'seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality...[by working] for the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." The New York congregations are First Presbyterian Church in Bedford, Brook Presbyterian Church in Hillburn, First Presbyterian Church in Congers, South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, First Presbyterian Church in Goshen, Mt. Kisco Presbyterian Church in Mt. Kisco, Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church in Pearl River, Palisades Presbyterian Church in Palisades, Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham, All Souls Parish in Port Chester, Stony Point Presbyterian Church in Stony Point, Good Shepherd Presbyterian in Yonkers, and First Presbyterian Church in Yorktown Heights. The public declarations of defiance vary with, for example, South Presbyterian publicly announcing that, "Since 1991, our ministers have conducted services of worship joining lesbian and gay persons in same-sex unions, which are, in every important respect, marriages: two hearts declaring themselves home to each other, before God, with gratitude." In 2001, the pastors and ruling elders of the Mt. Kisco Presbyterian Church declared that they "have not [complied] and cannot comply" with the constitutional ordination standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA), while Nauraushaun Presbyterian Church expressed their "refusal to abide by this ungracious statement." The More Light board offered other examples: As early as 1984 and as recently as 2003, congregations in Hudson River presbytery have named themselves More Light churches as a public declaration of welcome. Both before and since the passage of Amendment B, these churches and others in their presbytery have declared their opposition to unjust laws that would prohibit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from full participation in the life of the church. In 1998, South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry was charged with violating the Book of Order because it allowed – as it had for many years – the use of the property for same-sex union ceremonies. The First Tuesday Group at Mt. Kisco Presbyterian Church produced and broadly distributed a document entitled "What We Wish We Had Known," more commonly referred to as the Blue Book. This resource has been well used in high schools, university and seminary libraries, and by congregations studying how and whether to stand for justice for LGBT people. In 2000, eleven church sessions in Hudson River Presbytery collaborated in declaring – or re-affirming – their unwillingness to abide by G-6.0106b, and in writing a letter to the stated clerk of the presbytery stating their dissent. These churches further invited other churches in their presbytery, and indeed, across the denomination, to join them; many did. As the circle of dissenting churches widened, a group of individuals from these congregations offered a memorable street-theater witness at General Assembly declaring, "G-6.0106b is barbed wire around the hospitality of God." Collaborating with other more light and dissenting churches in their presbytery, as well as Presbyterian Promise and Presbyterian Welcome in Southern New England and New York City Presbyteries, South Church Dobbs Ferry hosted a Reformation Sunday service in October 2002. Hundreds of participants from throughout the region nailed messages to the denomination to the door of South Church, and then reaffirmed the ordinations of LGBT clergy. Similar events were organized throughout the country.

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