Proposed overture would radically change theological task force's recommendations By John H. Adams The Layman Online Thursday, January 19, 2006 The Presbytery of Philadelphia will debate and vote on a proposed overture that would radically change the recommendations of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The overture, submitted by Tully Memorial Presbyterian Church in Sharon, Pa., proposes an edited version of the task's force's recommended Authoritative Interpretation. The presbytery will consider the proposal during its Jan. 24 meeting at Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. The overture includes a warning about what might occur if the General Assembly approves the task force's recommendations: "This Authoritative Interpretation would break the connectional nature of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the unity of the Church." If adopted as proposed, the Authoritative Interpretation would allow ordaining bodies to decide on their own whether practicing homosexuals would be eligible for office. The Tully overture would prohibit that discretion by adding this sentence: "It shall not be deemed reasonable or responsible for an ordaining/installing body to fail to maintain any standard stipulated in the Book of Order." The overture includes numerous other proposed changes, including drawing attention to the Book of Order requirement that candidates for church offices must give an affirmative answer to the question, "Will you be governed by our church's polity, and will you abide by its discipline?" The constitutional "fidelity/chastity" standard – G-6.0106b in the Book of Order – is part of the polity of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The presbytery's Committee on Bills and Overture opposes the overture. "It is inappropriate to attempt to amend a Task Force Report before it has been received by the General Assembly or discussed and studied by the presbyteries," the committee says in its report to the presbytery. "Before the Task Force Report is presented at a plenary session of the General Assembly, one or more committees of the General Assembly, which may offer substitute provisions, will consider it. Thus it is impossible to know at this time whether the General Assembly will receive the Report and what the exact wording will be when it is considered by the General Assembly." But many overtures addressing issues raised in publicly released reports are considered by the General Assembly and its committees during their deliberations on the reports. Frequently, those reports are revised or rejected because of the information and views stated in those overtures. In the rationale for the overture, the Tully session says the recommendations of the task force are at odds with the requirements of the Book of Order. It says the Book of Order is clear about what is required and what is not, quoting four definitions in the preface: "Shall" and "is to be/are to be" signify practice that is mandated, "Should" signifies practice that is strongly recommended, "Is appropriate" signifies practice that is commended as suitable, "May" signifies practice that is permissible but not required." But the task force's "Recommendation 5 would allow sessions and presbyteries to decide whether mandated sections of the Book of Order (those that include the words 'shall' or 'is to be/are to be') are essential or not," the rationale says. "This would produce the absurd result of allowing sessions and presbyteries to decide that there are nonessential requirements in the Book of Order when examining a candidate for office." All of the changes proposed by the Tully overture deal with the task force's recommendations, beginning on line 937. The text of the overture can be found here.

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