|
| |
|
Two inclusive congregations charged |
| Charges filed against Mt. Auburn church
in Cincinnati
[3-19-02]
The Session of Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, OH, has
adopted a Statement
of Dissent and Non-Compliance in relation to G-6.0106b, reaffirming
for the tenth straight year its policy of inclusion, which declares
"that gays and lesbians are part of God's good creation and that
they no less than heterosexuals, are meant to enjoy God's gifts of love,
joy and intimacy."
The Session has also adopted a "Statement
on Inclusive Marriage," affirming "that Christian marriage
services be held in our church for homosexual as well as heterosexual
couples."
Stated Clerk responds
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick has responded to
these actions with a
letter expressing appreciation for Mt. Auburn's stance of welcome
toward "our Lord's Gay and Lesbian children," while also
warning that the Session is exceeding its authority by acting in
violation of current standards in the Book of Order, and by giving
instructions to its nominating committee.
Charges filed
And in short order, a protest has been filed by Paul
Rolf Jensen, an attorney in Reston, VA. According to the Layman
OnLine, he has submitted to the Presbytery of Cincinnati
disciplinary complaints against Mount Auburn's pastor, the Rev. A.
Stephen Van Kuiken, and the retired pastor, the Rev. Harold G. Porter.
He has asked that both pastors be brought to trial, and also be removed
from their offices.
Another complaint: Baldwin Park, CA
In another complaint against another inclusive
congregation, the First Presbyterian Church of Baldwin Park, California,
has come from the Session of Michillinda Presbyterian Church in
Pasadena. In this case, the complaint does not seek the usual
disciplinary action, but rather demands that the Baldwin Park session
offer apologies to the presbytery and all its congregations, and to the
whole mailing list of its newsletter.
After First Presbyterian Church in Baldwin Park,
Calif., publicly acknowledged in a church newsletter that the session
had violated church law by ordaining homosexual elders, the session of
another California church filed a remedial church court case.
According to a report in the Layman
OnLine, the session of Michillinda Presbyterian Church in
Pasadena has asked the presbytery court to order the Baldwin Park
session to apologize to the presbytery, each of the congregation's
members, other congregations in the presbytery and the entire mailing
list of the The Messenger, the Baldwin Park newsletter.
Not content with asking the Baldwin Park session to
say "I'm sorry," the complaint outlines quite specifically
what their letter must say. As reported by The Layman OnLine,
it must include acknowledgments:
 | that its action in ordaining GLBT elders was in
violation of PCUSA polity; |
| that it has embarrassed other Presbyterians; |
| that it has created a "semblance of
division" through its action; |
| that it intends to obey present policy; |
| that its will not "overstep the bounds of
polity either now or in the foreseeable future; |
| and that it will show "good will toward the
complainants and others who may have been upset by their
action." |
One might wonder whether this detailed demand for a
public statement is an enthusiastic over-reaction to the letter which
the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Central
Florida Presbytery sent to the Session of First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian,
Florida.
Sebastian's session was told to publish in the church
newsletter a retraction of its requirement that all candidates for
ordination in that church must subscribe to its own
"confession" of faith. The demands made of the Baldwin
Park session go farther, though, than the requirement made in the
Central Florida case.
|
| |
|
Visit
our lively
new website! |
|
GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
|
Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
|
Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
|
Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
|
| |
|
If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
Please consider making a special
contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve
this service.
Click here to send a
gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.
Or send your check, made
out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to
our PVJ Treasurer:
Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA 15044-8312 |
| |
|
Some blogs worth visiting |
|
PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ'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. |
| |
|
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. |
| |
|
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 former 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! |
| |
|
