Blackhawk Presbytery votes against affirming PCUSA ordination standards Special to The Layman Online Friday, November 16, 2007 See chart below On Nov. 13, Blackhawk Presbytery voted against affirming Biblical standards for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA) by a vote of 48-68, with three abstentions. The overture, presented by First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Ill., and endorsed by four concurring congregations, reads as follows: The Session of First Presbyterian Church of Aurora, along with the endorsing congregations listed below, overtures the Blackhawk Presbytery at its September, 2007 meeting, that the following policy be adopted: The Blackhawk Presbytery in its discernment of the essentials of Reformed polity and for the sake of preserving the peace, unity and purity of the church does adopt the principle that compliance with the standards for ordination adopted and held authoritative in the Book of Order shall remain essentials of reformed polity and any departure from said standards for ordination set forth in the Book of Order will disqualify a candidate for ordination or installation by Blackhawk Presbytery. Those provisions of the Book of Order deemed to be standards and therefore essentials of polity include those statements using "shall," "is/are to be," "required," "requirement," or equivalent expressions. Rationale 1. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is a covenant community (The Book of Confessions, 5.124-.141). Section G-6.0108 maintains that, for the sake of the integrity of our common life as a covenant community, it is of great consequence that our leaders adhere to the essentials of the Reformed faith and polity. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long sought to maintain a healthy balance between requiring adherence to essentials of faith and polity, while permitting our officers liberty of conscience regarding nonessential matters. 2. The preface to the Book of Order states the following: In this Book of Order (1) SHALL and IS TO BE/ARE TO BE signify practice that is mandated. (2) SHOULD signifies practice that is strongly recommended. (3) IS APPROPRIATE signifies practice that is commended as suitable. (4) MAY signifies practice that is permitted but not required. 3. The General Assembly, through its Permanent Judicial Commission in the Londonderry decision (Minutes, 2001, Part I, p. 577, paragraph 12.1028), has determined that every part of the Constitution must be read with force, since the church is a covenantal community (The Book of Confessions, 5.124-.141). In other words, no ordaining body is permitted to selectively disregard or demote a mandate of the Book of Order, for this would break the bonds of covenantal community. This is foundational to the peace, unity, and purity of the church. Adopted upon motion duly made, seconded and approved by the Session of First Presbyterian Church of Aurora, Illinois, this 13th day of June, 2007. Moderator, Clerk of Session Endorsing Congregations First DuPage Presbyterian Church of Bolingbrook First Presbyterian Church of Belvidere First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle Sandwich Federated Presbyterian Church A substitute motion was proposed and rejected before the vote was called. This substitute motion, presented by members of the Covenant Network Board, was presented as an attempt to "simplify" the Aurora overture but, in fact, contained ambiguous language. It read as follows: Substitute Motion We, the members of Blackhawk Presbytery, do affirm our commitment to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and agree to abide within the constitutional boundaries set forth for us in our Constitution, the entire Book of Order and Book of Confessions. We direct the churches within the Presbytery to thoroughly and prayerfully study these documents along with Holy Scripture and, with the help of God in Jesus Christ, faithfully apply it within the specific context of their setting. Blackhawk is the 56th presbytery to have voted on the affirmation of Biblical ordination standards. To date, 35 presbyteries have voted to affirm the constitutional standards, Blackhawk is the 10th to have voted against affirming the standards and 13 have referred the matter to committee for additional study and a future vote. Presbyteries responding to calls for Constitutional enforcement Presbytery Congs. Members Actions 1 Central Florida 74 29,905 Affirmed constitutional standards 2 Donegal 62 22,822 Affirmed constitutional standards 3 Eastminster 54 11,578 Debate and vote scheduled for Nov. 13 4 Holston 66 8,367 Referred to Bills and Overtures 5 Mississippi 46 6,205 Affirmed constitutional standards 6 Pittsburgh 153 43,855 Affirmed constitutional standards, but synod PJC was asked to compel presbytery to rescind resolution. PJC ruled that presbytery can't make compliance with standards "essential" and must apply standards to candidates on individual basis. 7 Sacramento 42 15,941 Affirmed constitutional standards, but synod PJC was asked to compel presbytery to rescind resolution. PJC ruled unconstitutional a presbytery policy under which ordination candidates would not be considered if their behavior did not conform to constitutional standards. 8 San Diego 31 16,741 Affirmed constitutional standards 9 San Francisco 76 28,132 Adopted new policies which state that examinations for ministry candidates will include questions about the "fidelity/chastity" ordination requirement 10 Scioto Valley 113 23,940 Debate and vote scheduled for September 11 Sierra Blanca 22 2,162 Decided it will accept "scruples" from candidates for ordination, but not deviation from the behavior that is required in the PCUSA Constitution. Proposal referred to committee. 12 Utah 24 4,009 Decided not to take action 13 Western N.C. 115 19,937 Affirmed standards but approved exemption on case-by-case basis 14 Whitewater Valley 68 23,289 Voted not to support resolution; looking to continue dialogue. 15 South Louisiana 67 10,322 Affirmed constitutional standards 16 New Covenant 109 39,416 Affirmed constitutional standards 17 Beaver-Butler 87 15,329 Affirmed constitutional standards 18 James 113 28,259 Referred to committee. 19 San Joaquin 34 7,980 Affirmed constitutional standards. 20 Olympia 50 10,800 Affirmed constitutional standards. Synod PJC was asked to compel presbytery to rescind resolution, but PJC ruled in favor of presbytery. 21 Santa Barbara 30 9,378 Affirmed constitutional standards 22 Santa Fe 43 7,118 Under review 23 Mid-South 65 11,023 Affirmed constitutional standards. Synod PJC asked to compel presbytery to rescind resolution. 24 Cherokee 41 11,036 Affirmed constitutional standards 25 Great Rivers 110 19,818 Voted against affirming standards 26 Grace 180 45,040 Voted against affirming standards 27 Redstone 85 16,288 Tabled until September meeting for further discussion and discernment. 28 Tampa Bay 75 24,821 Proposal referred to committee for discernment. 29 Western Reserve 52 14,202 Voted against affirming standards 30 Nevada 24 5345 Affirmed constitutional standards 31 E. Oklahoma 72 13,106 Decided it will accept "scruples" from candidates for ordination, but not deviation from the behavior that is required in the PCUSA Constitution 32 Seattle 58 20,352 Affirmed constitutional standards 33 Prospect Hill 57 8,767 Affirmed constitutional standards 34 Northumberland 44 5,419 Voted to affirm constitutional standards, but total fell short of two-thirds majority required for passage 35 Stockton 22 4,115 Affirmed constitutional standards 36 Los Ranchos 51 2,159 Affirmed constitutional standards 37 Florida 44 8,617 Voted against affirming standards 38 Peaks 139 19,035 Tabled until future meeting for further discussion 39 Yukon 23 3,022 Affirmed constitutional standards 40 Palo Duro 55 9,491 Affirmed constitutional standards 41 St. Andrew 68 6,436 Affirmed constitutional standards 42 Albany 73 9,000 Under review by Committee on Preparation 43 Shenango 69 16,000 Affirmed constitutional standards 44 Pueblo 28 8,908 Tabled until future meeting for further discussion 45 Wyoming 32 4,868 Affirmed constitutional standards 46 Greater Atlanta 110 48,516 Decided it will accept "scruples" from candidates for ordination, but not deviation from the behavior that is required in the PCUSA Constitution 47 Alaska 15 1,300 Affirmed constitutional standards 48 Plains and Peaks 42 10,826 Approved examination policy that lets ministerial membership and ordination candidates declare a "scruple," but requires them to defend the "scruple" and that defense will be considered in determining whether it violates an essential of Reformed faith or polity. The policy also states that, "Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders or ministers of the Word and Sacrament." 49 Central Washington 42 7,500 Approved "principle statement" that does not allow ordination candidates to depart from constitutional standards 50 New Hope 130 32,629 Tabled until future meeting for further discussion 51 Coastal Carolina 189 30,618 Voted against affirming standards 52 Wabash Valley 96 17,000 Affirmed constitutional standards 53 South Alabama 31 5,162 Affirmed constitutional standards 54 John Calvin 59 8,600 Voted against affirming standards 55 Trinity 70 18,800 Decided it will accept "scruples" from candidates for ordination, but not deviation from the behavior that is required in the PCUSA Constitution 56 Northern N.E. 36 3,828 Voted against affirming standards 57 Charleston-Atlantic 48 18,055 Affirmed constitutional standards 58 Ohio Valley 83 8,023 Voted against affirming standards 59 Blackhawk 85 16,900 Presbytery voted against affirming Biblical standards for ordination by a vote of 48-68, with three abstentions

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