 General Assembly declines to endorse 'A Christian Declaration on Marriage' By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Friday, July 2, 2004
The assembly Thursday night approved the recommendation of its National Issues Committee to instead approve this statement: "That the 216th General Assembly (2004) ask all church members to join in a year of prayer for marriage renewal and reconciliation, and urge synods, presbyteries and local congregations to seek ways of working with other Christian bodies in their areas toward these same purposes." The committee's recommendation was presented to the assembly by its vice-chair, Elder Margo Tomlinson of Lackawanna Presbytery, while a committee member, the Rev. Donald Wade of Greater Atlanta Presbytery, presented a minority report that asked commissioners to approve the full overture from Santa Barbara Presbytery. That overture included asking the PCUSA to endorse "'A Christian Declaration on Marriage' as an apt expression of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s commitment to work ecumenically and practically to strengthen marriage, an institution that is honored in the Scriptures and important in U.S. society today." Tomlinson told the assembly that the committee discussed the overture thoroughly and, while "many agreed with some of the ideas of the Declaration," the committee had "questions about the implications of endorsing this declaration and, second, that the descriptions of marriage found in the PCUSA constitution more than adequately addressed this matter." She said the committee's recommendation was to call on "all of us to be in prayer for strengthening marriage." Wade said that, by endorsing the declaration, it would allow the denomination to do two things – join hands in an expression of unity with more than 50 denominations to affirm something all agree on, and enable the church to commit to practical efforts to support marriage. "It doesn't contradict anything in our Book of Order," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the Federal Marriage Amendment … it does not take a position for or against civil unions for same-sex couples." Some of the debate included: Youth Advisory Delegate Megan Grieshaber of Santa Barbara Presbytery spoke of the "intrinsic importance of family. … We should stand together in approval and affirmation of the institution of marriage in our church." An ecumenical advisory delegate spoke against the declaration, saying it described the "holy union of one man and one woman. I'm not sure all Presbyterians would agree with that statement. I don't think we have to equate supporting marriage with this statement." The Rev. Wayland Wong of Los Ranchos Presbytery urged support of the declaration. "Ethnic groups, especially Asians, are very family-oriented. As the PCUSA, we need to give a strong affirmation of marriage," he said The Rev. S. Ann Richards of Cascades Presbytery said she was not prepared to say that "marriage should be between one man and one woman." Elder Becky Dodson of San Joaquin Presbytery said that, while the declaration was not "exactly worded the way we like it, it gives the message to the world that we are united in one thing and that's strengthening marriage, and we do know that it is in trouble." |
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