Syracuse GA’s Amendment A trails in early voting

Initial returns show support for retaining current constitutional language

As the Layman goes to press, 14 presbyteries have voted on Amendment A, the Syracuse Assembly’s attempt to overturn the "fidelity and chastity" clause recently added to the Book of Order. The Stated Clerk’s office reports the vote as four in favor, ten against. While it is far too early for the vote tally itself to be significant, two early developments are noteworthy.

By Robert P. Mills

One development in the early voting is that some presbyteries that opposed adding G-6.0106b to the Constitution are now opposed to removing it. So far, three presbyteries that voted against Amendment B have voted against Amendment A. No presbytery that voted to approve B has changed its vote to favor A.

A second early development is that in most presbyteries, even those that did not switch sides, more votes have been cast against A than were cast for B.
Requirement removed
As proposed by the Syracuse Assembly, Amendment A would remove from G-6.0106b the requirement that ministers, elders, and deacons "live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness." That language, last year called Amendment B, was approved by 97 presbyteries. Removing it from the Book of Order is considered by many to be prerequisite to overturning the denomination’s ordination policy, which forbids the ordination of persons who refuse to confine their sexual activity to the covenant of marriage.

Misrepresentation by proponents

Concurrent with this early voting, some Amendment A supporters have decried misrepresentation by its proponents. In a December 3 note to a pro-gay-ordination Internet discussion group she moderates, Virginia Lewis observed that Amendment A supporters "are laying ourselves open to charges of dishonesty and deviousness" by arguing that Amendment A will not change the denomination’s ordination standards. Lewis continued, "It does open the door to the ordination of gay and lesbian persons by those sessions and presbyteries which ‘choose’ to ordain them. Are we doing ourselves any service whatsoever by trying to sweep that under the rug? The ‘opposition’ is right on that point; why don’t we just admit it and be honest about it ...?"

Vote updates

To replace G-6.0106b, Amendment A would need to be approved by 87 presbyteries, most of which will be voting on the issue between January and March. Supporters of the current constitutional language continue to emphasize the importance of elders and pastors being present and well prepared at these meetings.