This article by former TPPC pastor Laura Collins originally appeared in Church Life in the summer of 2003.
It appears here with her permission.
Last month it became official that Amendment A, the latest attempt to change our church's constitution in a way that would be more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered members, failed to get enough Presbyteries to support it and therefore will not become part of our current Presbyterian law.
Amendment A passed last summer's General Assembly by a 60% margin. At this annual gathering of lay and clergy representatives from the 173 Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The vote was made to change our current church law which reads that nobody can be eligible for church office (that is, being ordained as an elder, deacon or minister) unless they "live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, 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 minister of the Word and Sacrament."
Before this section was added to the church constitution (known as the Book of Order) a few years ago, the constitution itself was more or less silent on these issues. Since 1978 our denomination has lived with what was called "definitive guidance" which came from our top elected church consitutional officer (the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly). At that time the clerk was a man named Bill Thompson and he stated that it was not allowable to ordain/install "self-avowed, practicing homosexuals." Thompson later changed his mind about his ruling and has become an advocate for inclusion.
Takoma Park Presbyterian Church has long been an advocate for full inclusion of g/l/b/t folk in our denomination through our work in the More Light movement. More Light Presbyterians have said that we will not exclude from ordained office those whom we feel God is leading us to elect, regardless of their sexual orientation. This puts us at odds with Presbyterian law, essentially forcing us into ecclesiastical disobedience.
However, More Light Presbyterians firmly believe that we are upholding our church's constitution which elsewhere says, "An active member [of the church] is entitled to all the rights and privileges of the church, including the right ... to vote and hold office." And again, "No person shall be denied membership because of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition or any other reason not related to profession of faith. (italics mine) Each person must seek the grace of openness in extending the fellowship of Christ to all persons. Failure to do so constitutes a rejection of Christ and causes a scandal to the gospel."
If we are to extend Christ's welcome and church membership to all people and if all members of the church are to be eligible for church office, then it is impossible to uphold this part of the constitution and simultaneously exclude g/l/b/t folk from office.
We mourn the failure of Amendment A and ache for the heartache and exclusion this failure causes our brothers and sisters in Christ who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered. We long for and will continue to work towards the day when our whole denomination offers the welcome which our congregation offers and we will cease to be a people divided.
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