Williamson: Court's ruling in Van Kuiken case 'undermines truth' and is 'profoundly wrong' By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Wednesday, May 5, 2004 Saying that it "undermines truth" and is "profoundly wrong," a leading evangelical calls a synod court's decision to disregard the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a ruling by the denomination's highest court that same-sex marriages are prohibited "symptomatic of a constitutional crisis that is destroying the integrity of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." The Rev. Parker T. Williamson, chief executive officer of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and editor in chief of its publications, said that Presbyterians "historically have understood themselves to be 'People of the Word.'" That self-understanding, he said, has been damaged by a recent action of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Covenant to reverse a decision by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, which had publicly reprimanded the Rev. A. Stephen Van Kuiken for conducting same-sex marriages. Van Kuiken was the pastor of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, a congregation that has defied church law for more than a decade. With former Mount Auburn members, he has started a nondenominational congregation called The Gathering. He said he no longer chooses to be a Presbyterian minister. "Historically," Williamson said, "Presbyterians have been People of the Word. Our ordained leaders promise to live under the authority of Scripture. In our Constitution (The Book of Confessions and the Book of Order), we Presbyterians affirm our understanding of God's Word and its application to our life together. Our constitution declares what we believe and how we intend to behave. Bereft of this document, we would have no identity. "By declaring that the word 'impermissible' does not necessarily mean 'not permitted,' and by opting for an illusive 'spirit' of the constitution in lieu of its 'letter,' the synod court has engaged in word games," he said. "According to the majority view of this court, words can mean whatever the reader wants them to mean. Truth is an illusion, and we are reduced to politics. Thus, the People of the Word have become mere people with words. "This court's decision is more than misguided – it is profoundly wrong," he said. "It undermines truth, and thereby denies the very faith that makes us not only Presbyterian, but Christian as well." Re-defining marriage In its 6-4 decision, the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Covenant ruled that the Presbytery of Cincinnati's court "erred by interpreting Section W-4.9001 of the Book of Order to prohibit same-sex marriages." W-4.9001 clearly states what Presbyterians have historically believed, that marriage – whether civil or in the church – is between a man and a woman only: "Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship." The synod court majority also challenged the wording of a ruling by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly, the denomination's highest court, which prohibited Presbyterian ministers from marrying homosexual couples. Referring to a case titled Benton et al v. Presbytery of Hudson River, the court's majority said, "While stating that same-sex marriages are impermissible, it [the GAPJC] avoids an outright prohibition by using the words 'should' and 'should not' in guidance for sessions and ministers which the Preface to the Book of Order defines as 'highly recommended.'" Thus, the majority of the synod court concluded from its reading of Benton et al v. Presbytery of Hudson River that same-sex marriages are both "impermissible" and optional by citing the "preface" of the Book of Order – which is not part of the constitution. The majority also cited a 1991 General Assembly authoritative interpretation prohibiting same-sex marriages. It concluded the Book of Order, the Benton case and the 1991 authoritative interpretation were too vague to interpret as prohibitions against same-gender marriages. Praise from gay activist group The board of directors of More Light Presbyterians, meanwhile, praised the synod's action, saying that the decision notes that "the Book of Order, reflecting the mind of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., does not explicitly prohibit ministers from performing such ceremonies. The decision correctly interprets our constitution's openness to alternative views and actions. As our society moves toward a greater understanding of what it means for two people to love one another, it is important to resist inflexible positions and ungraceful postures toward one another." More Light Presbyterians is one of the most aggressive of a handful of special-interest groups that have lobbied the PCUSA to end its historic and Biblical prohibition against ordaining practicing homosexuals as ministers, elders and deacons. The organization also opposes the denomination's Biblical definition of marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman. It also has rewarded defiance against the denomination's constitution by presenting its "Inclusive Church Award" to congregations for ordaining practicing homosexuals, practicing open communion, conducting same-sex unions and recognizing them as marriages. The board's statement makes no reference to W-4.9001 or Benton et al v. Presbytery of Hudson River but, instead, argues that, "Our denomination has much work to do in learning to honor the sanctity of life-long relationships based on love and mutuality rather than shaky definitions of gender status and procreative ability." Further disregarding W-4.9001's clear statement that marriage is a "civil contract between a woman and a man," the More Light board said it "is confident that both our denomination and civil society will come to recognize the equal value of committed, mutually loving adult relationships regardless of sex or gender; that society will honor these relationships with all of the legal rights and responsibilities that come with civil marriage; and that the full PCUSA will honor these relationships by granting them the spiritual grounding and commitment that comes with a religious marriage ceremony."

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