Synod court affirms Sebastian 'confession' By John H. Adams The Layman Online Monday, September 16, 2002 The Confessing Church resolution adopted by the session of First Presbyterian Church in Sebastian, Fla., does not violate the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the court of the Synod of the South Atlantic ruled in a unanimous decision that was dated Sept. 13. The synod court also affirmed the right of sessions to examine candidates for office beyond the nine Book of Order questions that are required in the oath of office for ministers, elders and deacons. The court did say that the Sebastian resolution could not be a litmus test for officers – as are the nine questions in G-14.0207. "I am glad that the synod has chosen to affirm the right of a church to confess fundamental values that the church hold which are consistent with Scripture," said Christy Wilson III, the attorney for the Sebastian session. "I am also glad," he added, "that they reaffirmed that a session of a particular church session has the responsibility 'to instruct, examine, ordain, install, and welcome into common ministry elders and deacons on their election by the congregation and to inquire into their faithfulness in fulfilling their responsibilities'" (G-10.0102 and G-14.025 in the Book of Order). David C. Wilson of Winston-Salem, N.C., the attorney for Norman F. Blessing, said there would be no appeal. Wilson said the decision affirmed Blessing's right to continue serving as an elder at the Sebastian church. The Sebastian session never took any action to deny him his right to serve on the session, even after he repeatedly stated his opposition to the Confessing Church resolution. The Sebastian session "had the right and power to pass such a four-point 'confession,'' the court said, concluding that the resolution was consistent with the denomination's constitution. Thus, the synod overturned the heart of the decision of the church court of the Presbytery of Central Florida, which had declared the Sebastian resolution unconstitutional and ordered the session to rescind it. The synod court focused on four bulleted declarations in the Sebastian session resolution: Jesus Christ alone is Lord of the Church and the way to salvation for all who will receive him. Holy Scripture is the revealed Word of the triune God, and the Church's only infallible rule of faith and life. God's people are called to holiness in all areas of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate. The leaders of Christ's Church are called to uphold these confessions and to be people who are chaste in singleness and faithful within the covenant of marriage. The synod court ordered the presbytery court to delete from its Feb. 20, 2002, ruling the following paragraph: "The Permanent Judicial Commission of the Central Florida Presbytery orders the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian to rescind their confession of May 22, 2001, which is in conflict with the Book of Order. G-18.0201 and G-14.0207b." It also vacated another paragraph in the Central Florida decision: "Further, this order shall be published in the next issue of their newsletter The Presbyterian Post. The statement that ordination and/or installation as officers requires affirmative answers to only the nine questions set forth in G-14.0207, along with the questions, shall be printed in this same newsletter." Without elaboration or rationale, the decision also declared that the presbytery court had treated the session of First Presbyterian Church unjustly and without due process. While the decision said that the Sebastian session could not use its "confession" as a litmus test for ordination or installation – in effect, a 10th question added to the nine now required for ordination – the court emphasized that there are other criteria for officers. Quoting from the Book of Order, it said elders "should be persons of faith, dedication and good judgment. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within the church and the world." The court's ruling concluded by calling the Sebastian church, which is comprised primarily of retirees, to "affirm itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new community." But that, and other similar statements affirming inclusiveness and ecumenicity, was not couched in the language of a court order.

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