October 31, 2002 Reformation Day An Open Letter to the Presbytery of Baltimore and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) By the grace of God, we the Session of Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian in Baltimore, Maryland, endeavor to serve Christ Jesus, who gathers us into a community of faith, hope, and love that is open to all who seek the risen Christ, forgives us our sins as we forgive the sins of others, summons us to love God with all our being and our neighbor as ourselves, strengthens us to participate in Christian life that nurtures our congregation, our local community, and the global community. Now we are compelled to address publicly what some have called a "Constitutional Crisis" within our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over the amendment to the Book of Order known as paragraph G-6.0106b. We acknowledge pain and distress among us. Paragraph G-6.0106b calls for ordained church officers "to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." Bluntly, there are those who resolve that the national church w ill not be whole until all congregations purge and/or preclude gay and lesbian members from ordination. Others have held that such action would violate commandments as deep as Christian faith itself. We recognize first the dutiful desire of all Presbyterians to uphold compliance with the tenets of the denomination. We have sought, and continue to seek, prayerful dialogue with members who hold opposing and diverse viewpoints. We recognize also a conflict about interpretation and consistency within the body of church rules. Paragraph G-6.0106b stands by vote of the General Assembly. Some prescribe from it an overriding, absolute measure of compliance. Others find that G-6.0106b contradicts numerous rules of mainstream authority from the Book of Order. Among these older, no less binding provisions are the following: [1] the right of all members "to vote and hold office" (G-5.0202) [2] the ban on denial of membership for "reason not related to profession of faith" (G-5.0103) [3] the requirement for "Diversity and Inclusiveness" in a church "open to all persons and to the varieties of talents and gifts of God' s people" (G-4.0402) [4] the standard that "ordained officers differ from other members in function only" (G-6.0102) [5] the compound promise at ordination to be "in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions" (G-14.0207d for deacons and elders, G-14.0405b4 for ministers) [6] the principle that church government is representative, with the "inalienable" right of God's people to elect their officers (G-6.0107). We give thanks that since 1870 the Holy Spirit has guided our congregation in continual, reforming search to discern the gifts and requirements for church leadership. We further give thanks that the Book of Order provides an initial method for addressing dispute over qualifications for church office. The paragraph headed " Within Certain Bounds" provides that the "decision as to whether a person has departed from essentials of Reformed faith and polity is made initially by the individual concerned but ultimately becomes the responsibility of the governing body in which he or she serves" (G-6.0108b). This provision places upon our session a constitutional duty to set the latitude of conscience within the meaning of church rules. Accordingly, with prayerful trust in Christ Jesus, we exercise ultimate responsibility as our congregation' s governing body by resolving that G-6.0106b is not an essential of Reformed faith and polity for members to be called, ordained, installed, and sustained as officers of our congregation. We further resolve that G-6.0106a meets the essential standard. In so doing, we affirm and declare compliance with the Book of Order. We urge other governing bodies to do likewise. This step is sufficient for truce, but not for resolution and peace. One path – to impose a single-minded enforcement of G-6.0106b – requires the larger church to repeal or ignore conflicting standards at the risk of selective inquisition, which would embody the most fearful mistakes of Christian history rather than the faithful example of Christ's love. There is no instance in scripture where Jesus turned aside anyone w ho came to him in faithfulness. Jesus w as persecuted, never persecutor. Disciples still suffer doubt, error, and affliction, but find surpassing comfort in Christ. Therefore, we submit that the root cause of constitutional crisis in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the very presence of G-6.0106b in the Book of Order. In letter, it threatens the peace, unity, and purity of our denomination. In spirit, it violates our reverent search for God's boundless love. With prayerful trust in Christ Jesus, we commit ourselves to the removal of G-6.0106b from the Book of Order. We commit ourselves also to the goal expressed by the Council of the Presbytery of Baltimore, to work toward reconciliation within our Presbytery and throughout the denomination. We support the Investigating Committee of Baltimore Presbytery in its finding of no basis for heresy charges against the Rev. Don Stroud. We fully support Rev. Stroud in his courageous ministry of reconciliation and outreach. We stand with Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati, and with other churches similarly at risk for striving toward full justice and full inclusion for all people in the fellow ship of believers. We reaffirm our decision to join with the More Light association of Presbyterian congregations, pledged to embrace members of every human kind and characteristic. We pledge with all those who come among us to nurture a common bond in faith. We pray for Christ's strength to seek justice and shun hatred, to open our hearts and beg forgiveness, to offer sacrifice for the healing of bodies and souls. In all this, we draw sustenance from the teaching of Jesus when faced with contentious interpretations of religious practice: And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him. 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.' (Matthew 22:35-40) Wishing you the peace of God that passes all understanding, w e humbly transmit this unanimous letter of conviction from the undersigned members of session at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church.

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