 Andrews, Kirkpatrick 'saddened' at filing of disciplinary complaint By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Monday, June 28, 2004
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, who is seeking re-election to a third term, also said he was saddened, criticizing the timing of the complaint being issued on "the occasion of the farewell report to and recognition by the 216th General Assembly" of Andrews. Paul Rolf Jensen of California handed Andrews a copy of his complaint after she presided at the opening plenary of the 216th General Assembly on Saturday – just hours before she ended her term as moderator of the 215th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The complaint alleges that Andrews promoted defiance of the church's constitution by participating in the installation of a member of her church staff – associate pastor Eric Scott Winette – who says he is a practicing homosexual. Previously, Jensen filed nearly two dozen complaints that alleged Presbyterian officers and ordaining bodies were publicly defying the prohibition against ordaining practicing homosexuals as deacons, elders and ministers. One of those complaints was against Winette, but the charges were dismissed by an investigating committee in National Capital Presbytery. Andrews is a long-time advocate of gay ordination who has been actively involved in the Covenant Network, an organization that seeks the repeal of the denomination's ordination standard. She resigned from its board a year ago after she was elected moderator, but used to tenure to repeatedly lobby for the repeal of G-6.0106b, the "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard in the Book of Order. That advocacy, Jensen charged, runs contrary to her obligation to "present, strengthen and encourage the church." He said she "has abandoned that obligation and her ordination vows, by first participating in, and, second, supporting the continuation in office, of her associate pastor at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church (of Chevy Chase, Md.) of the Rev. Eric Scott Winette." Andrews gave testimony to the investigating committee in the Winette complaint, Jensen said, which will be "powerful evidence against Andrews in the present matter." In response to the complaint, Andrews issued the following statement through the Presbyterian News Service: "Today I received from Paul Rolf Jensen a copy of a press release indicating that he is filing a disciplinary accusation against me, charging that my support of the associate pastor who serves with me on the pastoral staff at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church amounts to misconduct. "The facts of the case on which Mr. Jensen is basing his accusations are matters of public record in National Capital Presbytery, where my membership resides. He has included several factual errors that I am confident will be found to be false upon further investigation. "I am saddened that Mr. Jensen has felt it necessary to deal at the General Assembly level with what is really a presbytery issue. I hope and pray that this will not distract commissioners and advisory delegates from the real issues and important business before this Assembly. "I will cooperate fully with any judicial process initiated by National Capital Presbytery because I want to honor our denomination's constitution – as I promised to do in my ordination vows. "I am deeply grateful to my colleague, Scott Winnette, who together with the session of Bradley Hills church has served that congregation with faithfulness and dedication during my year as moderator." The Presbyterian News Service also released Kirkpatrick's statement, which reads: "The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly was saddened to learn that Paul Rolf Jensen had chosen the occasion of the farewell report to and recognition by the 216th General Assembly today of the Rev. Susan R. Andrews, Moderator of the 215th (2003) General Assembly, to issue a press release regarding the Moderator's participation in the installation and subsequent support of her associate pastor. "The Book of Order is clear that the purposes of church discipline are restoration and renewal, and that such cases are to be handled with great sensitivity to all parties concerned. "The process for handing allegations against ministers is clear in our Rules of Discipline: "D-10.0102a – An accusation is received by the stated clerk of a presbytery from a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). "D-10.0103 – Once received by the stated clerk of a presbytery, the clerk invokes whatever process the presbytery has provided to create an investigating committee. The stated clerk then forwards the accusation to the investigating committee. "D-10.0201 – The investigating committee is to be made up of three to five persons (elders and ministers) who will investigate the allegations."The Office of the Stated Clerk has published a judicial process manual, written in conjunction with the Association of Stated Clerks, which provides detailed advice and assistance in carrying out this process. " |
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