[2-20-02]

PRESS RELEASE

February 19, 2002

FROM: More Light Presbyterians - National Board of Directors

RE: The Current Vote on Amendment 01-A on Ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Press Contacts: Mitzi Henderson, Co-Moderator (650) 854-2598
Bill Moss, Co-Moderator (415) 864-0477
Michael J. Adee, National Field Organizer (505) 820-7082

The National Board of More Light Presbyterians recognizes with regret that Amendment A has been defeated. We are profoundly grateful for the 29 presbyteries and overture advocates, the Ordination Standards committee and the 212th General Assembly that sent Amendment A by a margin of 60% to all of our presbyteries for discernment and consideration.

For more than twenty-five years our church has been wrestling with matters of sexuality and faith and this vote is not the end of the debate. We are so grateful to all those who have worked to support this amendment. Moreover, we appreciate the commitment of all those who continue to work for change.

Bill Moss, Co-Moderator, and elder at Old First Presbyterian Church, San Francisco, says that: "We believe that this amendment would have helped dismantle the homophobia in our church and become a witness for justice in our world. This amendment is clearly faithful to the teachings and life of Jesus Christ, to the Gospel, Reformed theology, Presbyterian polity, what is essential to faith and ethical standards for ordination and service in the church."

While this amendment has failed to secure a margin of approval necessary for constitutional change, it is evident that there is a very significant level of support for removal of the ban on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and single heterosexual members for ordination. This is reflected in the number of very close votes in presbyteries and the close margin of individual votes.

Mitzi Henderson, Co-Moderator, elder at First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto, and former national president of PFLAG offers: "We are saddened by the apparent impact of the threat of schism, the withholding of per capita money, the mis-use of the Bible, the inaccurate characterizations of the Amendment and the messages of fear utilized by the opponents of Amendment A to ensure its defeat. Despite those efforts, a growing number of Presbyterians are open to discernment of new ways of understanding."

Michael Adee, National Field Organizer, and gay elder at First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe, offers a historical perspective on this vote: "We have been in this place before. Our church sanctioned slavery, racial segregation, the subordination of women, and harsh treatment of divorced persons. The Bible was used to support that prejudice and exclusion. In each of those important faith and justice concerns, we looked anew at the Bible and our church law and changed. We are in that same place now in terms of whether or not we will accept and affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."

More Light Presbyterians will continue to bring before the PCUSA a vision of a church and world that accepts and affirms all people as created in God's image.

We will continue to live faithfully into that vision and encourage the church to become all that God would has us be.

For more information on More Light Presbyterians go to their web site - www.mlp.org

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219^th 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:

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