Rebuked pastor vows to continue defiance By John H. Adams The Layman Online Tuesday, April 22, 2003 On Monday, A. Stephen Van Kuiken solemnly stood facing elder Barry Harrison, a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, while Harrison rebuked the pastor of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church. Cincinnati Enquirer/Michael E. Keating The Rev. Steve Van Kuiken, with his wife Debbie beside him, receives a rebuke from Presbyterian elder Barry Harrison, a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of Cincinnati. "[Y]ou … have been found guilty of the offense of performing same-sex marriage ceremonies, and by such offense you have acted contrary to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA)," Harrison said, reading from the court's ruling. "Now, therefore, the Presbytery of Cincinnati, in the name and authority of the Presbyterian Church (USA), expresses its condemnation of this offense, and rebukes you." Van Kuiken took the opprobrium in stride. He has appealed the verdict and declared that he will not repent. He told Soulforce, a radical religious group led by a defrocked Methodist minister, that he will continue to "marry" same-gender couples. The court's decision, which included acquitting Van Kuiken on a charge of violating church law by ordaining practicing homosexuals, won the expected approval of Presbyterians who oppose the denomination's ordination standard. More Light Presbyterians and That All May Freely Serve issued a joint statement, saying the case produced "tremendous strides towards justice and fairness, which have occurred as a direct result of the Rev. Van Kuiken's willingness to face a church judicial trial rather than compromise his commitment to equality." "Events and actions both before and after the Van Kuiken trial have demonstrated, now more than ever, that the days of the Book of Order's anti-gay clause G6.0106b are numbered" said Janie Spahr of That All May Freely Serve. "The tide is turning," said Bill Moss, co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, "and it is turning in the direction of justice." But there are some evangelicals in the Presbytery of Cincinnati who believe that Van Kuiken may be on the brink of self-destruction as a Presbyterian minister. They point out that there are still other avenues for taking stronger action that could lead to an official declaration that Van Kuiken has renounced the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – and his removal from the pulpit at Mount Auburn: 1. Because he has appealed the censure rather than agree to conform to its requirements, Van Kuiken could face an even stronger penalty in the synod or General Assembly courts, depending on how far the case proceeds. 2. The Presbytery of Cincinnati has already named an administrative commission that is considering an overture from Madeira-Silverwood Presbyterian Church that calls on Van Kuiken and Mount Auburn elders to recant their statements in defiance of church laws. That commission delayed its work until after the presbytery agreed to try Van Kuiken. The Rev. Tom Sweets, pastor of Madeira-Silverwood, says he and other evangelicals will ask the commission to resume its work. 3. If and when Van Kuiken "marries" another same-gender couple, evangelicals say they are ready to accuse him of renouncing the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and call for an up-or-down presbytery vote on that issue. 4. An overture calling for review of constitutional defiance is already on the agenda of the 215th General Assembly, which will meet in Denver May 24-30. Van Kuiken's unwavering defiance of the constitution could help tilt the commissioners toward constitutional enforcement that would target defiant church officers. "This decision by the Permanent Judicial Commission is a problem for the whole denomination," said Sweets. "The long-term problem is that we have a group of people who don't care about the constitution when it works against them." He included in that group some of the leaders in the presbytery and the majority of the members of the Permanent Judicial Commission. "The question is, Can they keep holding them [Mount Auburn's leaders] up?" Sweets doesn't believe the presbytery's leadership reflects the traditional values of the presbytery. He noted that the presbytery voted in 2001 against Amendment 01-A, which sought to repeal G-6.0106b, the "fidelity/chastity" clause. With Sweets leading a national campaign against Amendment 01-A, three-fourths of the presbyteries voted against repealing the constitutional standard. The presbytery voted 179-124 to appoint an administrative commission to consider the Madeira-Silverwood "Overture to ensure compliance with the constitution.

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