Three overtures seek "middle
ground" by respecting freedom of conscience
from Raymond Kersting, Stated Clerk,Presbytery of Santa Fe
[5-9-01]
The two overtures Santa Fe Presbytery has sent
to the General Assembly for action in June (01-27 and
01-28, along with
00-48 from Hudson River) seek to establish a middle ground in the long
simmering debate on the issue of sexual-conduct standards for ordination
to church office.
Santa Fe recognizes that neither the
"right" or "left" will like these overtures. But
Santa Fe also recognizes that non-negotiable positions on the
requirement of G-6.0106b ("…live in fidelity within the covenant
of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness")
have cornered us.
The way things stand, whichever
"side" wins a vote one year, the other side is coming right
back the following year with an effort to overturn the previous vote.
The two waivers would allow governing bodies
which cannot equitably and justly apply the requirements of G-6.0106b to
apply for a waiver for up to three years. It would require a majority
votes of the presbytery (or synod if the presbytery were seeking the
waiver). The waiver could be extended or revoked at any time by a
majority vote.
The overtures also say that no amendment can
be made within 10 years.
Santa Fe Presbytery believes this would
allow the church 10 years of breathing room while the church comes
closer to one mind on the issue. Current votes are nearly evenly split.
In looking at the history of the PCUSA,
Santa Fe Presbytery discovered that the Presbyterian Church has a rich
history of finding middle ground:
• In the 18th Century, candidates for ministry
were allowed to declare "scruples" when they could not
subscribe to certain portions of the Westminster standards.
• An early "form of government" in
1788 held that agreement on principles and compromise on details was
necessary if the unity of the church was to be preserved.
• At the time of the reunion in 1983 a waiver
allowed churches which had not ordained women to continue in that
practice for 15 years.
• Currently, there are provisions that by a
three-fourths majority, a presbytery may grant an exemption to the
requirement that both men and women be elected as elders and deacons.
• Currently, a presbytery may grant an
exemption from the requirement that elders and deacons serve rotating
terms (G-14.0402a and b).
• Currently, presbyteries may seek an
exemption from requirements for ordination of a minister of word and
sacrament in an exceptional situation (G-14-14.0308).
In submitting its overtures, Santa Fe Presbytery holds several
assumptions:
• We agree that "the responsibility of…[governing]
bodies to interpret the Scriptures is done from a limited perspective
and a bias rooted in a particular time and place. All those who
participate in such interpretations are shaped by their culture and,
consequently, bring to the scripture a subjective filter which sometimes
screens out what is central and fixes upon a peripheral matter."
(History, Principles, Conscience, and Church Government, adopted by the
195th General Assembly, 1983).
• We believe that local churches and presbyteries
are in the best position to determine who has the necessary gifts for
ordained office in the church (G-6.0106a).
• We believe the church needs a way to embrace
and affirm our diversity while at the same time not endorsing or
approving partisan positions.
• We fear the church is losing the God-given
gifts for service to Christ of countless faithful men and women who in
good conscience cannot agree with the provisions of G-6.0106b because of
its graceless rigidity and harshness.
• We recognize that there is a selective
recognition of practices in the confessions of the church and in
scripture which are called sin - making application of G-6.0106b almost
impossible (some things which the confessions and scripture call sin are
not longer considered so today).
Sarah Melcher discusses Calvin's
views on conscience.
The Rev. Chris Iosso of Hudson River
Presbytery offers another possible version
of a "waiver" action.
