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One minister resigns |
| At the May 9 meeting of the Presbytery of
the Twin Cities Area, the Rev. Dr. Paul Capetz was, at his own request,
"released from the exercise of the ordained ministry." The
reason for his request was that he is gay. The letter in which he
explained his action tells much about the faith and courage of gay and
lesbian ministers -- and many others who strive to be faithful as
Christian, and as the persons they are. We share his letter here,
with his permission.
Capetz has reflected on his experience in a
talk at the conference on the Confession of 1967, viewing the concept
of reconciliation through his own "unreconciled" status. |
April 7, 2000
The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
122 W. Franklin Ave., Suite 508
Minneapolis, MN 55404-2467
My fellow Presbyters:
It is with deep sadness that I request to be released
from the exercise of the ordained ministry and to be enrolled as a member
of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church. According to G-ll.0414a of the Book
of Order, in the case of "a minister concerning whom no inquiry has
been initiated pursuant to D-10.0102 and D-10.0201, against whom no
charges have been filed, and who otherwise is in good standing ... [n]o
judgment of failure on the part of the minister is implied in this
action."
This decision results from my struggle to discern what
it means to be faithful to the promises I made at ordination in the light
of my experience as a gay man. After much prayer and examination of
conscience, I have concluded that fidelity to God requires me to relinquish my status as a minister of the Word and Sacrament during this
time of intense controversy within the church regarding the morality of
homosexuality.
I entered the service of the church's ministry in good
conscience after discerning that God had truly called me to this vocation.
The Presbytery of Chicago, in which I was under care and by which I was
eventually ordained, confirmed this inner sense of call through their
assessment of me as an excellent candidate for the ministry. I still
affirm the validity of God's call, but the external circumstances in the
church during the nine years since my ordination have combined to crush my
spirit.
In 1991 I was honored by the invitation of Union
Theological Seminary in Virginia to join its faculty and to teach in the
area of Reformed theology. I have to assume that I was chosen for this
prestigious position on the basis of my academic qualifications as a
scholar of history and theology. But before I had moved to Richmond to
assume my new responsibilities, an anonymous accusation concerning my
sexual orientation was leveled against me with the intent of preventing my
employment at the seminary. After honestly explaining that I did abide by
the moral norms of the church, I was allowed to assume my post even though
it was clear to me that my job at Union would always be vulnerable to such
threats. Since it was a terribly frightening experience to begin my
professional career under this extreme duress, within a year I had
accepted the offer of United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities to
join its faculty which assured me that I could pursue my work without fear
of discrimination.
Then in 1997 the church amended its constitution to
include so-called "Amendment B." I have been unable to construe
that clause in the Book of Order as implying anything other than
commitment to a life of permanent celibacy on the part of a gay person who
serves as an ordained officer in the church. In this connection it is
important for me to clarify that as a single person I am not, strictly
speaking, in violation of G-6.0106b. Nonetheless, I have to confess that a
vow of lifelong celibacy is an unrealistic expectation for the church to
ask of me. I fear that the prospect of having to face the future without
hope of ever finding someone with whom to share my life in a loving
relationship would result in unspeakable despair. If this clause had been
present in the church's constitution in 1991, I would not have been able
to assume the responsibilities of ordination in good conscience.
In spite of the personal turmoil and anguish of the last
nine years, it has been a sacred trust for me to serve as a Presbyterian
minister. I have great respect for the church's historic theological
traditions, its polity, and the high educational standards required of its
ministers. I have taken great pride in the many fine students I have
taught and mentored who are now serving as Presbyterian ministers. I
shall, of course, continue to work with those Presbyterian students who
come into my classroom at the seminary, though no longer in the official
capacity of one ordained to represent our tradition in the public forum.
Should the church ever decide to grant unconditional
acceptance and equality to gay people, I would be happy to reaffirm the
ordination vows and to resume the responsibilities of the ministry
according to the provisions set forth in G-11.0414c. I would also consider
teaching again at a Presbyterian seminary. Until such time, however, I
intend to remain a faithful member of the church, all the while seeking to
discern what it means to live with the ambiguities involved in being both
a gay person and a Protestant Christian in the Reformed tradition.
Respectfully submitted,
Paul E. Capetz
Assistant Professor of Historical Theology
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
Minister Member, Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area
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Some blogs worth
visiting |
|
Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott,
who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years
of scholarship and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here,
we present the voices of feminist theologians of all stripes:
scholars, clergy, students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers,
artists, lovers and devotees, from many parts of the world, all
children of the God in whose image women are made. .... This blog
seeks to glorify God through prayer, work, art, and intellectual
reflection. Through articles and ensuing discussion we hope to
become an active and thoughtful community.
Witherspoon’s Facebook page
Mitch Trigger,
Witherspoon’s Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page
where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own
news and views, or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest
to you.
John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and
philosophical reflections on everything between summit to shore,
including kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy,
theology, politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), New York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by
a progressive New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a member of
the Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North
Presbyterian Church in Flushing, NY.
John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian
minister, currently serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church
of Elizabethton, Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion
(both organized and disorganized), life, evolution, literature,
Jesus, and lightening up.
Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note,
and we'll see what we can do! |
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Plan now for ...
GHOST RANCH PEACE & JUSTICE
WEEK
July 27 - August 2, 2009
Now's the time to make reservations to be a part of
the 2009 Peace & Justice Week at Ghost Ranch, July 27-August 2.
There are eight seminars to choose among, including the
Witherspoon-sponsored class “New Eyes for Peace & Justice from the
World Church” led by Clifton Kirkpatrick.
More
information >> |
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Check out our report from the
Conference
on
Terror, Torture,
and Security |
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