Another congregation joins list of those defying the constitution By Craig M. Kibler The Layman Online Thursday, November 7, 2002 The leaders of a Los Angeles congregation have joined dozens of others nationwide who have made public declarations that they are defying – or will defy – the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The leaders of United University Church in Los Angeles, in a letter to The Layman Online, wrote that the congregation, since 1985, "has been about the business of ordaining and installing to ordained leadership those whom we confidently discern that God has called to serve – regardless of sexual orientation or any other category of worldly condition as guaranteed by our Form of Government." A recent story reported by The Layman Online described how, during a search of Web sites of More Light Churches, 17 congregations were discovered whose leaders declared that they have violated or intend to violate one or more of the constitutional provisions. Those congregations were in addition to high-profile cases that resulted in charges being filed against more than 20 ministers and elders – some dating back to March of 2001 – but none of those cases has come to trial. The denomination's highest court has said that even a statement by church officers of their intent to defy a constitutional standard is a violation of their vows. Among the constitutional standards that they openly violate: 1. The "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard. 2. The prohibition against "marrying" same-gender couples. 3. The admission of members who declare that they are not Christian, but agnostic. 4. The proclamation that there are other "gateways" to God besides Jesus. 5. Open communion in which non-Christians are served the elements. Meanwhile, a petition drive is under way to secure enough signatures for an historic called meeting of the General Assembly to deal with what many have described as a "constitutional crisis." In a letter to The Layman Online, the Rev. Susan Halcomb Craig, the pastor of United University Church in Los Angeles, and elder Susan Stouffer, moderator of the church's Outreach Committee, wrote to say that the session was "shocked and dismayed to read the Layman Online article 'Constitutional Defiance List Increases By 17 Churches.'" The shock and dismay apparently arose from United University Church not being included on the list. Craig and Stouffer wrote, "For many years our congregation has counted itself a member of the community of congregations that has publicly and in good faith and conscience declared our intent to refuse to cooperate with the discriminatory policies of the PCUSA in reference to the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians in our church's full ministry and leadership." Craig formerly was a general assembly staff member who participated in the 1993 ReImaging God conference that created an uproar at the 206th General Assembly when it met in Wichita in 1994. The assembly received 51 overtures calling for the PCUSA to dissociate from the ReImagining movement because of its goddess-worship themes, denial of the atonement and contradictions of Christian doctrines. The PCUSA was one of the principal financial supporters of the ReImagining conference and a number of PCUSA staff leaders attended the event. The 1994 General Assembly tried to overcome the church crisis with a statement expressing regret "that many in the Presbyterian family were offended, dismayed, hurt and angered when they read what happened at the conference … It is our opinion that members of the PCUSA were offended, dismayed, hurt and angered because they believe that the PCUSA no longer adheres to its traditional theological moorings or is afraid to say that it does." The commissioners used the statement to reaffirm Presbyterian confessional standards and declare, "Let there be no doubt that theology matters, that our Reformed tradition is precious to us, and that we intend to hand it down to the next generation: our children and grandchildren." The controversy over the 1993 ReImagining event had a major impact on the denomination. Unrestricted giving to the denomination fell dramatically. The denomination lost more than 38,000 members that year – nearly twice the losses of the previous two years. At the 1997 General Assembly in Syracuse, N.Y., in a speech at the Voices of Sophia breakfast in which she introduced Mary Ann Lundy, Craig – referring to her time as a general assembly staff member, said, "In Voice's formative days, I was a silent member. I went to the St. Louis meeting with a figurative bag over my head because I was national staff – so it's wonderful to be out of the closet." And, in a June 18, 2002, speech at the "Three Sisters' Lunch" (the "Three Sisters" being the groups More Light Presbyterians, The Shower of Stoles Project and That All May Freely Serve), Craig described herself as "an openly 'self-affirming and practicing' Presbyterian bisexual woman." Lundy, who held several high-ranking staff positions in the James Brown administration of the General Assembly Council, was a key leader in the 1993 ReImagining Conference. Her efforts resulted in channeling a $66,000 Bicentennial Fund grant into the event. When the content of the conference became known, outrage spread throughout the denomination and resulted in massive financial losses to the national church budget and Lundy's firing on the eve of the 1994 General Assembly, when it was clear that many congregations were ready to leave the denomination over the issue. Shortly after she was fired, Lundy was named deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches. At the "ReImagining Revival" in 1997, Lundy quipped that she had been "fired up." During her years at the World Council office in Geneva, Lundy has promoted a broadened definition of ecumenism that includes organizations and movements that do not affirm Jesus Christ as Lord. The recent Layman Online story said that its "discovery of the 17 additional defiant congregations was based on Web searches of congregations that are affiliated with More Light Churches. Only a fraction of the 100-plus More Light Churches have Web sites, which means there might be many others in defiance whose 'mission' statements are not in the public domain." In their letter, Craig and Stouffer confirmed that point, writing, "Please be aware that there are many congregations like our own that you may have overlooked in your research." In case their congregation's defiance wasn't clear, Craig and Stouffer included in their letter a March 20, 1997, statement "issued immediately upon the adoption of what was then Amendment B (now G-6.0106b)." That statement reads: "The passage of this Amendment and its inclusion in the Form of Government abridges our constitutional right to elect our own officers (G-5.0103) and forfeits the opportunity for all our members to participate in the privileges of our church, particularly the right to vote and hold office (G-2.0202). It furthers the atmosphere of intolerance in the Church. "As a matter of conscience, the Session of United University Church reaffirms its commitment to be an inclusive community, demonstrating the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the community of the Holy Spirit. We intend to continue to welcome all persons into full and active membership in our church. Therefore, we have determined that we cannot agree to abide by Amendment B." That statement, according to Craig and Stouffer, was forwarded to the "Moderator and Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Acting Director and members of the General Assembly Council, and the Stated Clerk, General Presbyter and the General Council of the Presbytery of the Pacific." Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick repeatedly has said that it is not his job to enforce the constitution, but he also has said ministers and elders have no right to defy the requirements of G-6.0106b. He's come under fire from the Virginia lawyer who has accused 19 ministers and one elder of violating the constitution. "To date you have done little more than express opinions," Paul Rolf Jensen said in his Nov. 5 electronic letter to Kirkpatrick. "The integrity of our constitution is being violated every day that you do not take substantive action." Jensen's letter included a request that Kirkpatrick support the petition for an historic called meeting of the General Assembly to deal with constitutional issues. Kirkpatrick opposes that meeting and has insisted that the constitutional process is working. But none of the people Jensen has accused of violating their ordination vows has been brought to trial, even though most went public with their declarations of defiance. "While you have written two letters (to my knowledge) expressing your opinion that disobedience is not an option, you otherwise stand aside, idly watching disobedience occur," Jensen added. "So that you cannot say you are unaware of the extent of the defiance, I enclose for your reference a copy of each accusation I have filed." Jensen's letter cited chapter and verse of disciplinary rules to encourage Kirkpatrick to help ensure that presbytery leaders do not summarily dismiss his accusations. Kirkpatrick, who, by nature of his office, is charged with preserving and defending the denomination's constitution, has contended that it would be unconstitutional for him to take an enforcement role. He has not publicly advised other presbytery executives and stated clerks of measures they should take to deal with open defiance of the constitution, other than to suggest that they should work "pastorally" with defiant church officers.

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