Overture would
require stated clerk
to apologize to defrocked ministers
By John H.
Adams
The Layman
Online
Wednesday, January
7, 2004
By refusing to
discipline presbyteries and sessions that ordain homosexuals who are
openly defying the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the
denomination owes some apologies to ministers who were drummed out of
the corps because they opposed the ordination of women.
That's the gist of an overture that was approved on Jan. 6 by the
session of Bethany Collegiate Presbyterian Church for submission to the
Presbytery of Philadelphia. The approval of the overture by the
presbytery is required before it can be considered by the 2004 General
Assembly in June.
The overture would require the stated clerk to issue apologies to
ordained pastors who, because of their opposition to women's ordination,
were asked to leave the denominations that now make up the PCUSA.
The overture said the clerk's letter "will state that our
denomination is presently not upholding its Constitution by disciplining
those who are publicly defying the clearly established ordination
standards (G-6.0106b). Furthermore, he will state that the PCUSA was
wrong to enforce the ordination standards with those pastors who
exercised their conscience against the ordination of women and not
enforce the constitutional standards with those who are publicly
disobeying G-6.0106b."
The overture contrasted the denomination's strict enforcement of its
polity on the ordination of women with today's nonenforcement of the
PCUSA's constitutional requirement that prohibits the ordination of
practicing homosexuals.
It does not dispute the legitimacy of requiring ordaining bodies to
uphold church law on the issue of ordaining women.
"At one time local churches and presbyteries had the courage and
integrity to discipline pastors who had Biblical scruples against the
ordination of women," the Bethany Collegiate overture says. "These
individuals were disciplined, asked to change their view on women's
ordination and to abide by the Book of Order. If they refused to
abide by the Constitution, the local presbytery took the necessary steps
to release these individuals from their affiliation with the
denomination."
In contrast, the overture says, "Today, many clergy and laity are
aggressively standing against the clear instruction of the Book of
Order as it relates to ordination of elders, deacons, and ministers
(G-6.0106b). The Office of the Stated Clerk and local presbyteries no
longer have the courage to discipline those who are 'thumbing their
nose' at the Book of Order. This is a travesty as it relates to
the pastors who were told to leave this denomination because they had
Biblical scruples against the ordination of women."
The first ordinations of women as ministers of the Word and Sacrament
occurred in 1956 in the Northern mainline Presbyterian denomination and
in 1966 in the Southern denomination. Since the two denominations
reunited in 1983 to form the PCUSA, the number of ordained women has
grown dramatically. Today, 48 percent of all church elders and 22
percent of the pastors are women. More than half the students in
Presbyterian seminaries are women.
One of the key church
court cases in the women's ordination issue occurred in 1975 when
the highest court of the Northern denomination ruled in Maxwell v.
Presbytery of Pittsburgh:
- "The challenged decision of Presbytery [to ordain Walter
Kenyon, an opponent of women's ordination] was not unique or of but
minimal significance. The issue of equal treatment and leadership
opportunity for all (particularly without regard to considerations
of race and sex) is a paramount concern of our Church. Neither a
synod nor the General Assembly has any power to allow a presbytery
to grant an exception to an explicit constitutional provision."
The Bethany Collegiate overture noted that, "During the past
three years leaders of several dozen PCUSA congregations and
presbyteries have made public declarations that they are defying or will
defy the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Some
disciplinary charges have been filed. Only a few cases have come to
trial."
The overture cited a number of examples of public defiance:
- Rev. Don Stroud, a homosexual and the Minister of Outreach and
Reconciliation of the Baltimore Presbytery, has stated in the More
Light Presbyterian newsletter that "I can not comply with
G-6.0106b of the Book of Order because to do so, for me, can
come only at the price of denying my faith in God's grace in Jesus
Christ. G-6.0106b makes complicit unjust oppressive violence."
The presbytery investigating committee that was appointed to review
charges against Rev. Stroud refused to call a discipline trial.
- Northside Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, MI writes in their
core values that "We invite everyone regardless of gender
identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, socio-economic
status, or other worldly condition, to fully join us in worship,
leadership, and community.
- Trinity Presbyterian Church in NYC states that they are "a
congregation in which lesbian and gay persons can participate and
serve fully as members and leaders. It chooses and ordains elders
and deacons based on their character and Christian experience rather
than worldly categories that separate and harm people."
- First United Presbyterian Church in Troy, NY expresses in their
vision statement that they are "a church that welcomes lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender Christians into full membership and
participation in the PCUSA, including the opportunity and the
responsibility to serve in ordained leadership positions."
- Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA states, "We
have determined that we cannot agree to abide by G-6.0106b without
violating our informed conscience, faith, and interpretation of our
obligations."
- Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tiburon, CA writes, "We
welcome into membership and the offices of the church all persons of
faith, regardless of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation
or level of education, income, or other human condition."
- The Presbytery of the Redwoods voted in 2001 to approve Katie
Morrison, a lesbian, as a minister of Word and Sacrament. Her call
is to serve with the More Light organization as a field organizer.
Bill Moss, co-moderator of More Light Presbyterians, said Morrison "came
out as a lesbian in college, then at San Francisco Seminary, and has
been honest about being a lesbian Christian throughout her
ordination process. We are delighted to have her working with us to
help change and transform our church."
- Rutgers Presbyterian Church in NYC states that we are "a
church that welcomes individuals into full membership, including
ordained offices, without regard to sexual orientation."
- South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, NY held a Reformation
Day service (Oct. 27, 2002) as an act of public defiance of the
PCUSA Constitution. The worship included a "reaffirmation of
ordination vows of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender leaders."
- Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY expresses
that "we will continue to work to remove G-6.0106b from the
Book of Order, and in the meantime, we will interpret this
law so as to permit the ordination of those whom we deem qualified."
- The Presbytery of Milwaukee voted in September, 2003 to accept a
self-described lesbian, Elisabeth Marlow, as a candidate for
ordained ministry.
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