On Tuesday, May 10, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities cast the deciding vote to
change the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The presbytery was
the 87th of 173 presbyteries in the PC (USA) to vote in favor of the constitutional
change, thus making presbyteries supporting the change the majority. As a result,
presbyteries can now ordain persons as ministers, elders, and deacons without re-
gard to sexual orientation. Ordained people are no longer obligated to affirm faith-
fulness in marriage between a man and a woman and chastity in singleness. All
barriers to homosexual persons serving as ministers, elders, and deacons were re-
moved.
From Monday, May 9, until Thursday, May 12, I was attending the 23rd Annual
Ministers' Prayer Summit at a Christian conference center on the Oregon coast.
One of the themes that kept arising in our time together was that of sexual puri-
ty in our lives as Christian women and men who hold positions of church lead-
ership. We had a marvelous time and I will write about the conference in the near
future. When I returned to my apartment and got caught up on the news, I learned
about the deciding vote cast by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities.
I cannot say that I was surprised; I knew that it would happen sooner or later. In
one sense I was surprised that it took this long. I had thought that the Presbytery
of the Twin Cities would have cast their vote in favor of the change well before
now. The Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota) are known for their
more liberal positions concerning social and theological issues. The sexual revo-
lution and the cry for liberation from all forms of oppression exploded into the
consciousness of the USA and entered into the theological scene in the late 1960s.
Since then the Episcopal Church in the US, the United Church of Christ, and the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have affirmed persons who are openly
homosexual and welcomed them into church leadership.
For 33 years, there have been Presbyterians who have been unrelenting in their
efforts to remove every obstacle that prevented gay and lesbian people from serv-
ing in positions of leadership in the PC (USA). I remember as if it were yester-
day when the issue first came before the General Assembly in 1978. Little did I
realize then that it would lead to intense debate among Presbyterians for over
three decades. I witnessed the heated debates and the failed efforts by the pro-
gay lobby in 1997 and 2001. But I had an ever-increasing sense that it was inev-
itable that they would be successful. There was another failed effort in 2008, but
more and more conservative evangelical Presbyterians and churches left the de-
nomination. Then on May 10, the long struggle to ordain openly gay and lesbian
people was successful. I found it odd that it took this long for there to be enough
presbyteries to form a majority for change of the constitution.
I know many Presbyterian colleagues who are celebrating what they see as a
great victory for gay and lesbian people and for the PC (USA). The struggle
was hard-fought and long, but they persevered and were successful. I perceive
that the slow and gradual decline of the denomination continues, and that grieves
me and saddens me. The dike of biblical authority has been breached and sexual
integrity and purity in marriage and singleness have been swept away. It is only
a matter of time before those of us who question and oppose what has happened
will be labelled homophobic, exclusionary, and unloving. If so, so be it. Such key
biblical concepts as fidelity in marriage, chastity in singleness, and repentance for
sin have been swept aside and cast into utter darkness. I expect that very soon
same-sex marriage will be brought forward and approved without any opposi-
tion.
I am deeply saddened that there are fellow members in the PC (USA) who inten-
tionally walk in a way that is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am dis-
turbed that the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord is divorced from the authority
of Scripture. But as a disciple of the Lord Jesus and as one who recognizes the
authority of the Scriptures, I re-affirm fidelity in marriage between a man and a
woman and chastity in singleness. I also re-affirm that those who refuse to repent
of breaking these standards should not be ordained and/or installed as church of-
ficers. Such is the ground upon which I stand.
Blessings to you and yours,
No comments:
Post a Comment