GA committee votes
against three
overtures affirming traditional marriage
By Paula R.
Kincaid
The Layman
Online
Saturday, June 17,
2006
217th General Assembly
Birmingham, Ala. |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The General Assembly Committee on Church
Orders voted three times Friday afternoon to reject overtures that
affirmed marriage between one man and one woman. The recommendations to
disapprove the three overtures will be presented to the full General
Assembly early next week.
The overtures included:
- Overture 4-11: (vote for approval lost 28-30; second
vote to disapprove won 32-21) The overture would add to the
PCUSA's statement on Christian Marriage the words: "… In
addition to marriage being a civil contract between a woman and a
man, marriage for Christians is also a covenant through which a man
and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives
of discipleship. … While the civil government may, from time to
time, authorize civil marriage contracts of various terms and
conditions, the Presbyterian Church (USA) affirms that all
'marriage' contracts should be between one woman and one man, and
proclaims that 'same-gender unions' are clearly in opposition to
Scripture and the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."
- Overture 4-12: (vote to approve lost 14-40; second
vote to disapprove won 43-10-3) The overture asks the assembly
to reaffirm that the PCUSA affirms that marriage between a man and a
woman is "'a gift God has given to all humankind for the
well-being of the entire human family' (Book of Order, W-4.9001).
Therefore, no sexual union outside the bonds of marriage, such as in
domestic partnerships or same-sex unions, is within the will of God
or approved by this body. The matter is so serious, and of such
great import in our own time, that we urge our churches to provide
loving and consistent teaching in this area and to call erring
members and leaders to repentance. We direct our national offices to
uphold and urge this historic understanding of marriage in their
communications with both church and society."
- Overture 4:13: (vote to approve lost 27-31; vote to
disapprove won 37-19-1) It asks the assembly to urge pastors,
elders and others "to offer pastoral counsel and support toward
repentance, forgiveness and new life in Christ to all those
struggling, sometimes failing, to live a life in accordance with
Biblical standards, … direct that the materials produced by our
national offices reflect both the standard of fidelity in marriage
between a man and a woman and chastity in singleness, and God's
readiness to forgive and restore every person through Christ;"
that the national offices not encourage recognition to "same-sex
or opposite sex, domestic partnerships or civil unions, the same
rights and benefits as those men and women living in a covenant
marital relationship as defined by our confessions and the Bible."
Committee discussion of 4-11
Elder Toni Spieth of John Calvin Presbytery asked if the committee "really
wants to narrow what we are already doing … How can we honor all of
our ministers? How can we help everyone? … narrowing our vision is
not what I would like to do."
"It is very important that we have clear understanding of what
marriage is and what constitutes it," said Theological Student
Advisory Delegate Mark Hughes of Dubuque Seminary. "We have
Presbyterian pastors who are marrying same-gender couples … The
stronger we can make the word, the clearer we can understand and the
better off we will be as a church."
Youth Advisory Delegate Olivia Lenz said, "Scripture clearly states
that marriage is between a man and a woman. … If the Lord wanted us
to recognize same-sex marriage he would have said something. … We
take all our standards from the Bible. Remember what the Scriptures say."
Elder Manley Olson of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area said he
hesitated to use the book of Leviticus, because in all of the Bible one
can find multiple wives. "We right now have a policy that talks
about what marriage is and what same-sex unions are. … This is an
issue of trust. This policy seems to say we don't trust our pastors and
sessions to know what our polity is and we need to trust."
Committee discussion of 4-12
Alyson Janke, a representative of the Advisory Committee on the
Constitution, told the committee that "adoption of this would
change the church's current standards." She said, if approved, the
overture would become an authoritative interpretation of the
constitution and that how it would "play out" would be
unclear. The ACC urged the committee to be very clear about what types
of participation in civil unions are or are not permissible -- the ACC
comments also referenced the section from Benson case.
Elder Robert Gagnon of Pittsburgh Presbytery disagreed with the Janke's
advice. He said that G-6.0106b states explicitly states that sex outside
of marriage between one man and one woman is not permissible. "There
is nothing in this proposal that is opposed to that view."
"Our actions continue to be Reformed," said Rev. Ronald Lewis
of East Iowa Presbytery, adding that the church should continue "adjusting
and correcting where we have been and where we are going."
He said that just because information came from the Louisville
establishment "doesn't make it gospel. We have been commissioned
and installed to use our God-given gifts to make decisions … keep
an open mind."
Committee discussion of 4-13
A substitute motion was brought before the committee by Elder Barbara
McLaughlan of Elizabeth Presbytery, which read:
- Recognizing biblical and theological teachings on sexuality and
the church's own long history of affirming all people as children of
God regardless of their sexual orientation or practices, the
assembly urges our pastors, elders, and all those who serve in
ministries of discipleship to offer pastoral counsel and support to
all those struggling to discern God's will for their sexuality.
- We direct the GA to produce materials to assist pastors helping
those with conflicting sexual yearnings and practices to (a)
understand the continuum of sexual orientation and practices and (b)
discern God's will for their sexuality and that materials produced
by our national offices reflect God's readiness to forgive and
restore every person through Christ.
Gagnon called the substitute motion "patently false." He
said that the context of the substitute motion said that the "Biblical
teachings on sexuality essentially affirm all sorts of sexual practices."
He said the "whole central focus of Jesus' mission is to take up
the cross and deny ourselves and follow him and that does not include an
affirmation of biological urges." He called attention to the phrase
"of affirming all people as children of God regardless of their
sexual orientation or practices" which would affirm pedophilia.
The vote to replace the overture with the substitute motion lost 25-34.
An attempt to disapprove the overture with the comment, "There is a
need for materials to help pastors, elders, deacons and other church
professionals to deal with sexuality issues," also failed. |