 Church's session decides no more marriages; gays, straights to be treated the same By John H. Adams The Layman Online Wednesday, November 9, 2005 For the time being, there'll be no more wedding ceremonies for heterosexual couples at Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Va. The session of the 70-member More Light congregation believes that civil law and denominational requirements discriminate against homosexuals.
The new terms of post-engagement for heterosexual couples are: Go to the courthouse and get married with an officially signed certificate and then drop by Clarendon and talk with Pastor David Ensign about an added "blessing service." Henceforth, the session ruled, Ensign will no longer be an agent for the state in signing a marriage certificate. Everyone, homosexual or straight, will be treated the same until civil law and church polity allow the minister to conduct and sign off on marriages for both kinds of couples. "Whether heterosexual or same-sex, we will ask them to make vows of commitment to live together faithful lives," said Ensign, who uses the term "holy unions' to describe homosexual couples and "marriages" for heterosexuals. The goal of the Clarendon moratorium – ultimately to recognize homosexual marriages – conflicts with most states' civil laws and the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s constitutional standard that the only valid marriage is between a man and a woman. In addition to renting church space to a martial arts school and the Northern Virginia Dog Training Association, the congregation advertises its facilities for weddings. The new policy could put a crimp in business. Clarendon, with its stained-glass windows, cozy sanctuary and room for receptions, and its location near a Metro stop, has for years promoted wedding services for traditional (man and woman) couples who are not members of the congregation. For a fee, ranging up to $1,125, including $300 for the minister, the church would provide the sanctuary, reception hall, organ music and clean-up services. The minister's fee included one counseling session. And because non-members might not be as considerate in caring for the building, the wedding page of the Clarendon Web site instructs participants to "refrain from the use of alcohol or other drugs immediately prior to the rehearsal and the wedding." But it also notes that alcoholic beverages are allowed in the fellowship hall upon permission of the session.
With its new policy, Clarendon has moved out further on the cutting edge of matters pertaining to homosexuals. In 1997, Christian Century recognized Clarendon's session as one of the first in the denomination to adopt a "Covenant of Dissent" that states, "[W]e have determined that we cannot agree to abide by the recently passed amendment to G-6.0106 [Amendment B] without violating our informed conscience, faith, and interpretation of our obligations." G-6.0106b is the "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard in the Book of Order. Ensign said the ordination standard is "another matter," entirely separate from the issue of dealing with homosexual and heterosexual unions. He does not dispute that Clarendon has openly defied the constitution. In its weekly advertisements in the online Washington Blade, a newspaper that targets readers who are homosexual, bisexual and transgendered, Clarendon describes itself as "Virginia's First More Light Church." As a More Light congregation, and also affiliated with the Covenant Network, Clarendon agrees "to treat all Presbyterians equally without regard to sexual orientation. Generally, this means they include gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) Presbyterians in the full life of the church with all rights and responsibilities of all other Presbyterians, including the right to be ordained and hold office as ministers, elders, and deacons." The constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) says just the opposite: Practicing homosexuals and bisexuals – as well as adulterers – are not eligible for ordination as deacons or elders in local congregations. Ensign said the policy of fee-based nonmembers was not a major revenue producer at the church – and that it conflicts with the new policy. Ensign was ordained in 1999 and installed at Clarendon in October 2003. He is a second-career pastor who previously served as a policy analyst for the Council of State Governments. Many of his sermons reflect his strong agreement with liberal government programs. Ensign is married and has three children. Ensign received a Ph.D. in philosophy from DePaul and a master of divinity degree from a Disciples of Christ seminary in Lexington, Ky. He said he got the idea for the new policy on treating heterosexual and homosexual couples on an equal basis by reading an article by Will Campbell, a Southern theologian with a flair for liberal causes. "Campbell talked about rendering unto Caesar and rendering unto God. I don't fully agree with his perspective – that a wedding is a license for two people to sue each other for property – but what we're doing here is a reflection the role of faith in a marriage as distinct from a legal document." |
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