Presbyterian Church Votes To Allow Openly Gay And Lesbian Clergy

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) passed a historic measure Tuesday evening allowing openly gay men and women in same-sex relationships to be ordained as clergy.

The move reflects a monumental shift in the 2.8 million-member church, which, along with other mainline Protestant denominations, has had increasingly contentious debates and struggles over issues pertaining to gay and lesbian members and clergy. A majority of the church's regional bodies, or presbyteries, defeated a similar measure to allow gay clergy two years ago.

"This is quite a day of celebration," said Michael Adee, the executive director of More Light Presbyterians, a Minnesota-based church group that has pushed to allow openly gay clergy in recent years. "We've restored the longstanding Presbyterian understanding of ordination: that the most important qualifications are related to faith, not marital status or sexuality."

The church's general assembly voted on the amendment to its Book of Order last summer, opening the door to gay, non-celibate clergy. The ruling also applied to deacons and church elders.

But the amendment needed the approval of a majority of the church's regional bodies. Nineteen of the bodies that voted against the similar measure two years ago switched their vote this time.

Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area's pro-amendment vote tipped the scale in favor of pro-gay clergy church members with a majority 87 votes.

"This is profound for me because the church will now choose clergy based on character and faithful lifestyles, not because they like men or women," said the Rev. Dr. Janet Edwards, a Presbyterian minister and activist from Pittsburgh who voted for the amendment. Edwards' presbytery famously put her on trial in 2005 for marrying two women, but acquitted her of the charges three years later.

As with other denominations that have allowed gay clergy, most notably Episcopalians, disapproving congregations will likely leave the church. According to the Presbyterian News Service, around 100 congregations have defected in recent years, many of which leaned conservative. Experts say the shift toward more liberal presbyteries could be a reason some church bodies switched their votes from two years ago.

"I think that the old homophobia and stereotypes are beginning to slowly melt away," added Adee.

The change will go into effect in July 2011 and does not mean presbyteries will be required to to start ordaining gay and lesbian candidates, but it makes it legal under church rules if they do.

The old text of the church's Book of Order did not refer specifically to gay clergy, but banned non-celibate clergy who did not live "within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman." That amendment was added in 1997.

The new, revised amendment also does not mention gay clergy, but it removes a requirement of chastity for non-married clergy. Significantly, it places more emphasis on specific character traits such as a "candidate's calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability" and church regional bodies' powers in picking ministers.

The amendment passed last year at the church's general assembly in Minneapolis amid heated debate, with 53 percent of delegates voting to approve. At the same meeting, a slight majority also voted against defining the church's stance on marriage as between "two people" instead of a "man and woman."

Late Tuesday evening, the church released a statement on the latest vote.

"Reactions to this change will span a wide spectrum. Some will rejoice, while others will weep. Those who rejoice will see the change as an action, long in coming, that makes the PC(USA) an inclusive church that recognizes and receives the gifts for ministry of all those who feel called to ordained office. Those who weep will consider this change one that compromises biblical authority and acquiesces to present culture. The feelings on both sides run deep," it said.

The statement continued: "However, as Presbyterians, we believe that the only way we will find God's will for the church is by seeking it together - worshiping, praying, thinking, and serving alongside one another. We are neighbors and colleagues, friends and family. Most importantly, we are all children of God, saved and taught by Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit."

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the latest of several Protestant denominations that have dropped bans on gay clergy. Others include the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church.

A smaller denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America, does not ordain women or openly gay clergy.

Read the full text of the amendments below:

New amendment to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order Standards for ordained service reflect the church's desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate's calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate's ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates

Old amendment in to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order
Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament

Watch Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s general assembly, react to the ruling in a video statement:

Comments

[Karl Kunker]

03:48 PM on 06/19/2011

I have a great idea for a series of cartoon sketches. Each showing a label on the confessional box door.

The case for OMGPSTO

“Oh My God Please Sort This Out!”

Confessionals after Acts Chapter 15.

First booth on the Right - any and all sins you are convicted of and would like to confess.

Or you can choose an express booth . . .

Second booth on the Right - issues of sexual immorality as defined by social conservatives in past historical contexts.

Third booth on the Right – Meat examined for idol contamination free of charge.

Fourth booth on the Right – Percentage composition of Blood tested free of charge.

Confessionals Today

First booth on the Left - no longer used – Don’t worry, no lines to wait in.

Second booth on the Left – issues of sexual immorality as defined by progressives in new historic contexts.

Third booth on the Left – Meat of any type bought and sold upon request.

Fourth booth on the Left – Vampires welcome.

[Karl Kunker]

03:47 PM on 06/19/2011

The only three undesirable “practices” (i.e.) ongoing patterns of behavior that the church council at Jerusalem in Acts Chapter 15 issued as matters not merely of Hebrew origin were

1) to abstain from “eating of meat sacrificed to idols,”
2) to abstain from “eating meat with the blood still in it or the blood itself,”
3) and to abstain from sexual immorality (the Greek term is the fornication term meaning sexual relations either before, or instead of marriage). This should not be the common accepted practice even among the gentiles.

Trying to redefine sexual immorality among its leaders has changed denomination after denomination and church after church into organizations devoid of the Holy Spirits ability to convict of sin. You decide for yourself, you obviously will do so even when Acts 15 clearly demonstrated the wisdom of when and how to declare your liberty in Christ.

I guess if real evangelicalism, is not a part of a churches mission then “Christian Liberty” should embrace any and all behavior as matters of personal choice.

[Karl Kunker]

03:47 PM on 06/19/2011

Those practicing homosexuality that wish to encourage it in others have confirmed they walk a precarious line in witnessing to others of the Holy Spirit’s ability to convict of sin. These wish to have their sins not only forgiven, but also have their sin “redeemed.” God redeems sinners from their sin nature, but God does not remove the sin nature, until we are received into heaven. God also does not redeem sin from the list of thou shalt and shalt nots. God says to honor your father and mother, not your two mothers or two fathers. Trying to allow sexual immorality as a part of “Christian Liberty” weakens the ability of the Holy Spirit to convict of most other sins as well.

Acts Chapter 15 is interpreted as one pleases today, but the real reason for the Jerusalem Council between early Christians was to show that the Holy Spirit doesn’t work through external do’s and don’ts. Visible external behavior patterns do not save, but some make it hard for the Holy Spirit to convict an individual of any type of sin, period.

Many matters of Mosaic Custom, like circumcision, were not to be thrown out as useless, but they were no longer to be used as outward indicators of either Salvation or Sanctification.

[arh c]

09:05 PM on 05/29/2011

POINT:
In order to LOVE someone, you have to have two (2) separate persons. One person doing the Loving, and the Other Person, "being the one, loved, by the first person".

Ultimately, (even with the all the medical breakthroughs) it still basically takes a Man and a Woman to create "Persons" in the first place, BEFORE they can "love" each other.

SECOND POINT:
You have to have LIFE, before you can actually LOVE, correct?
And if you really want to promote "LOVE", you have got to promote "LIFE". And "LIFE" comes from heterosexuality, a man and a woman. Not homosexuality.

Nevertheless, one might then ask, can Homo-sexuality can be thought of as like, Attention Deficit Disorder? Except in this case, the "attention" is focused on the wrong sex?

And, if you can have drugs for Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), why can't you have drugs to treat Homo-sexuality?

LINK:
http://ahc504.blogspot.com/2011/05/is-homosexuality-just-another-form-of.html

[Jason N]

05:00 PM on 05/31/2011

Your sick. Flagged.

[Patrick Romandy-Simmons]

01:59 AM on 05/24/2011

I am baffled as to why any member of the LGBT community would want to continue to be a part of an organized religion like Christianity that openly bashes and hates gays and whose bible basically justifies the slaughter of homosexuals. As far as I'm concerned, those LGBT's that do have very little self respect and suffer from a subconscious need to punish themselves.

[teabagflush]

11:30 AM on 05/17/2011

Excellent! I am not religious but

[Atwill]

11:50 PM on 05/15/2011

If the story of Sodom is true, it is not, but... if it is. Then God burnt babies alive. Little innocent babies , roasted like hot dogs over a fire. That is one sick God.

[chuck91]

08:17 PM on 05/15/2011

I have no problem with gay priest or gay anybody. But surely to goodness they could find a better looking woman for this headline. She looks like Newt Ginrich in drag.

[Busterman]

01:30 PM on 05/15/2011

Many parents in our church will have a real problem with Gays holding hands and kissing in church. They will have a problem with extra maital affarts be allowed in the church breaking up families. They will have a problem with openly straight and gay church leaders who have many sexual partners. You can justify this all you want but the bottom line is many will leave the church. Not that any of you care as long as you get what you want, right?

[Atwill]

11:50 PM on 05/15/2011

good. i hope they do leave. no one needs them or wants them.

[LintLass]

04:41 PM on 05/17/2011

Imaginative, but no justification for bigotry.

The fact that the churches are rife with indiscretions as it is aside, most people, straight or gay, don't become clergy to go club-hopping and hooking up with random people.

[Busterman]

01:15 PM on 05/15/2011

PCUSA is about to lose several of it's largest congragations over this issue. Beibg a christian at one of these churches makes you no different than a non christian. So why go to chuch at all

[LintLass]

04:59 PM on 05/17/2011

It's intriguing how Christianity seems to have become just about *solely* about homophobia for some, ...the sine qua non?

Ah, well, being non-Christian ain't so bad, really. You'd be surprised how much less-complicated it makes showing a bit of basic human respect.

[The Sight]

01:04 AM on 05/15/2011

This is a wonderful historic move.

http://sightlikeaconstructionworker.blogspot.com/2011/05/presbyterian-church-is-so-gay.html

[Atwill]

10:46 AM on 05/14/2011

No one but an insane person would beleive all of the bible. that is why the evangelical/ fundimentilist / Bible thumpers prey on the uneducated half wits of this country. Really read it. Talking snakes, towns filled with gay men who want to gang rape angels, talking bushes, giant boats, God casting magic spells. And all those insane rules. Kill witches. Kill a neighbor who says God D. kill your wife if she cheats. If a man rapes a woman he must marry her because he has devalued her as property. Slavery is good and normal. Can you picture what the world would be like if all of these and the hundards of other insanity rules in the Bible were really laws.?

[Honeejr]

10:29 AM on 05/14/2011

As with anything we often interpret the who, what and why. This will continue until the end of time. Sodom and Gomorrah often comes into mind when I think on this subject. I am not bible fanatic. I haven't even read the whole bible as some have and remembered verses but I do believe in God and I believe the Devil is working very hard and at the moment he is winning.

[Jason N]

05:03 PM on 05/31/2011

"Sodom and Gomorrah often comes into mind when I think on this subject."

Why would they when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for inhospitality and dereliction of the poor? Do you think gay people are naturally inhospitable?

[feetxxxl]

08:26 AM on 05/14/2011

romans 1 is about the BASIS OF ALL SIN..................not homosexuality



"they exchanged the truth of god's love for a lie and worshipped and served the created...... powers and principalities, and they were given over to the the things that served them( in this case) shameful lust."


being filled with shameful lust, they abandoned the things that were of the fruit of christ's spirit.




homosexuals have never desired to have women( one has to have something before they can abandon it), not from their earliest sexual memory. instead they have desired to have those of the same sex, 24/7 their entire lives. and those gays who eventually marry , their lives and marriages are full of the fruit of the spirit in the same way as those of heterosexuals.

it is those things that are of the fruit of the spirit that define the natural. we were created thru his spirit, the things that are of the fruit of his spirit(gal5) are of him.

what is your personal 1john1 witness of gays who are married as in peter's witness of the gentiles at cornelius's house. 1john1 calls all believers to an up close and personnal witness of fellowship with those who are in our lives.

do you think it is of christ to rail about something being a sin, with no spirit witness to substaniate your claim. do you think that some physicality can be a sin and still be filled with the fruit of his spirit?

[detroitblkmale30]

09:11 AM on 05/14/2011

feet your argument is entirely less than convincing. First of all actually quote the specific scripture that deals with it.

"Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

IT does talk about all sin of which same sex acts are sin. Period. Yes it is of Christ to call out people "Who changed the truth of God into a lie" Which is exactly what is happening here. The word of God is the witness, it is right here before us. No they cannot. sin distances us from God.

[feetxxxl]

09:58 AM on 05/14/2011

25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

niv...www.biblegateway.com

[according2ryan]

01:18 AM on 05/16/2011

What Paul is doing in this passage is compairng the exchange of the homosexuality with the exchange of idoloatry. In idolatry the created exchange the worship of the Creator for the worship of the created, just as in homosexuality a man trades realtsons with a womand for realtions with a man. Biblically marriage is a type for the relationship between Christ and the church. Homosexuality in this passage is used as a type for idolatry.

[feetxxxl]

01:16 PM on 05/16/2011

" idol worship beginning from ones first sexual memory of ones preadolescent life."

what i find so disconcerting is for heterosexual believers who have no understanding what it means to be gay, would attempt to tell those who are gay 24/7 their entire lives.

what part of that is of the godlove of loving our brother as we godlove ourselves?

in christ is would seem, that we would be compelled to listen, and to believe it unless we personnally witnessed in the godlove of fellowship something contrary.

should our personnal belief system trump christ's love who lives in us.?

[scottyknows]

10:31 PM on 05/13/2011

These people are truly without the simple discernment or wisdom that comes with the holy spirit.

"Many will come to me on that day and say, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and drive out demons and perform miracles?' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Matt. 7:22,23