Prayer becomes political statement on behalf of gays By John H. Adams and Paula Kincaid The Layman Online Thursday, July 1, 2004 2004 General Assembly Richmond, Virginia June 26-July 3, 2004 General Assembly news index RICHMOND, Va. – Two of the denomination's most outspoken critics of the denomination's "fidelity/chastity" ordination law were accorded the opportunity Thursday to stand before the full General Assembly and lobby against the standard – under the guise of offering a prayer. "Let us not be the church that continues violence, because it would be better to close the doors, take out the pews and tear down the pulpits," said Lisa Larges, a lesbian who was denied ordination to the office of minister of Word and sacrament by San Francisco Presbytery. That comment – and others she made – were part of what she called a prayer. But most of her "prayer" was directed to the commissioners and not God. Standing beside her was Paul Peterson, who at the June 22nd meeting of the Detroit Presbytery was, by his request, released from the exercise of ordained office. Calling himself a white, straight male, he told the presbytery, "I still feel a call to ordained ministry in my life. So, it is likely that sometime in the future I will seek to be restored to continuing membership in the presbytery. But when I do, I will be clear that I want no distinction made between me and people living in covenantal same-sex relationships. If their sexuality isn't good enough for the church, then neither is mine." Larges called on the assembly to see "especially the beautiful faces of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people." "Let us be the church alive – the body electric," she said. "Let us not waste your time because your time is precious and the time is now for the work of your love and justice," she added, calling on commissioners to, "on every vote taken, ask the question, 'Who is not at the table?" Finally, she instructed the "Holy Spirit, make us the church alive or no church at all." Rick Ufford-Chase, the new moderator of the General Assembly, chose Larges to have the prayer at the opening of the afternoon session of the commissioners. He did not know that Peterson would stand beside her during the prayer, a high-ranking Presbyterian staff member told The Layman Online. Before he was elected, Ufford-Chase told commissioners he favored the ordination of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people but that, as moderator, he would remain impartial on the issue. Ufford-Chase was not in the plenary session when Larges spoke. Larges was given a prayer slot a day before the assembly debates a committee's proposal to nullify the 1978 General Assembly's Authoritative Interpretation that theologically undergirds the constitutional ordination standard, G-6.0106b in the Book of Order.

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