 
GA defeats attempt to remove ‘fidelity and chastity’ from Constitution By Robert P. Mills The Presbyterian Layman |
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CHARLOTTE – By a vote of 412-92 the Charlotte Assembly rejected an overture from Milwaukee Presbytery that sought to remove G-6.0106b, the so-called “fidelity and chastity” clause of the PCUSA’s ordination standards, from the denomination’s Constitution. Had Milwaukee’s overture been adopted, it would have required a majority vote of the PCUSA’s 173 presbyteries to take effect. However, with nearly two-thirds of the presbyteries having just voted against Amendment A, which would have accomplished Milwaukee’s desired ends by different means, commissioners proved unwilling to make their presbyteries debate the same Book of Order paragraph for a third straight year. Committee debate The overture first went to the Assembly Committee on Church Orders and Ministry, where Youth Advisory Delegate Keegan Staker of Hudson River Presbytery declared that G-6.0106b “was written solely to discriminate against homosexuals.” Rex Stewart of Western New York Presbytery added, “I believe this language makes us all hypocrites and therefore should be dropped from the Book of Order no matter what you believe about homosexuality. We all sin if we own stocks or earn interest.” Greg Esselman of John Calvin Presbytery responded, “The Word of God calls us to be better than what we are. The church needs to say there is a standard beyond what feels good. Is the church going to become whatever is in vogue at the time or are we going to stand up for the Word of God as the rule of faith and life?” Charles Frew of Cherokee Presbytery added, “We have heard that a particular group will be alienated if we do not pass this overture. I submit that if we do pass this there will be enormous hurt in congregations and presbyteries that has not been expressed in this room.” Doris Peterson from Newark Presbytery spoke against the overture saying, “I am really offended as a woman and an African American when you tell me that you want to do for homosexuals what you have done for me, because the last time I checked it was not a sin to be a woman or an African American.” By a vote of 42-1 the committee recommended that the Assembly not ask presbyteries to remove G-6.0106b from the Book of Order. ‘You have heard the church’ When the committee recommendation came to the Assembly floor, John Scotland from West Jersey Presbytery, former interim executive director of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA), spoke in favor of the overture “because there are persons involved. My clerk of session declares himself to be gay and non-practicing. He continues to be our clerk and attends our presbytery meetings. He is a person, he is in great pain because of this amendment. His pain and the pain of many persons who have much to give us would be eased if this were stricken from the Book of Order.” However, Doug Pratt of Pittsburgh Presbytery said, “I want to affirm the committee. You have heard the church. The 42-1 vote shows great consensus.” Commissioners then voted 412-92 not to send the proposed amendment to the presbyteries. |
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The Presbyterian Layman, July/August 1998 contents |
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