Ordination action

A big step is taken toward the deletion of G-6.0106b

Friday, June 15, 2001

The 213th General Assembly has spoken, and our church has taken one great step forward toward restoring its own health and mission.

The Assembly voted this afternoon, after some two hours of debate, to approve Overture 01-08, from the Presbytery of New York City, which if approved by a majority of the presbyteries will delete G-6.0106b from our Book of Order and rescind the authoritative interpretation and definitive guidance which have been used to enforce a ban on the ordination of gay and lesbian people since the 1970s.

The vote was 317 in favor of the action, and 208 against -- a 60% majority for the change.

Below is a statement issued by leaders of the Witherspoon Society immediately after the vote.

We'll have more information later.

Covenant Network appeals for unity

The Covenant Network has sent a letter to all pastors and clerks of session, encouraging them to consider seriously our Presbyterian commitment to the unity of the church. They see "the greatest danger to the unity of the church" as coming "not from those who advocate change but from a different source. It is summarized in a statement, 'A Strategic Vision for Transformation of the PCUSA,' recently issued by the Presbyterian Coalition." [1-19-02]

One Retired Missionary's Response to "An Open Letter from Our Missionaries" [12-10-01]

Retired missionary Bill Hopper writes in response to "An Open Letter from Our Missionaries," in which they express the fear that "If Amendment A should pass, compromising our church's commitment to the biblical and confessional understanding of chastity as faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness, we will put our partnerships with sister Churches around the world in profound jeopardy."

Hopper suggests that "Our Missionaries" are showing a lack of respect for our sister churches around the world, which are working out their own patterns of faithfulness in their situations just as we are attempting to do in our own.

Over 130 of the commissioners to the 213th General Assembly have joined in an open letter to the PC(USA), which concludes:

Amendment 01-A honors Scripture, Confessions, and our Presbyterian heritage -- and allows Presbyterians to honor and respect one another.

We urge you to join us in supporting Amendment 01-A.

Check out the full text of the letter, and see who has signed it. [12-5-01]

Another open letter, from leading figures on the conservative side of the church, urges us all to defeat Amendment A. [12-5-01]

A comment on the 78 theses of George Hunsinger [11-30-01]

George Hunsinger, the McCord Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Seminary, has issued a personal statement in the Nov. 26^th issue of Presbyterian Outlook, as his contribution to the current debate on ordination and Amendment 01-A. He offers 78 "theses for the crisis on our church," which appear to stand with traditional interpretations of scripture and views of sexuality to urge the rejection of Amendment 01-A. But Gene TeSelle concludes that his position shows more openness than may appear at first.

Progressives believe conflict over ordination will be a way to heal the church [10-31-01]

Alexa Smith of Presbyterian News Service reports on the substantial number of Presbyterians who are convinced that now is the time to change the church's total ban on ordination of gay and lesbian people, believing that some conflict now will help heal the church in the long run.

Witherspoon responds to open letter from "moderates" who express concern over the "rhetoric of contempt" being used in the church, and urge rejection of Amendment A. [10-31-01]

The struggle over gay ordination continues, as a complaint is filed against Don Stroud in Baltimore, and objections are raised to the ordination of Katie Morrison in Redwoods Presbytery. [10-5-01]

Check out our list of resources for the coming discussions of Overture 01-08. This includes the PowerPoint presentation given before the GA Committee on Ordination Standards, and to many other commissioners, during the Assembly.

As requested by the General Assembly, Moderator Jack Rogers has send a pastoral letter to the church interpreting the Assembly's action in sending to the presbyteries an the amendment which would delete G-6.0106b from the Book of Order. The full text of the letter is here.

Thoughts on a new day -- from your WebWeaver

Got thoughts, comments, messages?? Please send a note and we'll share responses here!

Press conference offers reactions from two sides to ordination action

The Covenant Network has issued a statement following the conclusion of the 213th General Assembly

The Witherspoon Society
Presbyterians Working for Peace, Justice,
& the Integrity of Creation

[6-15-01]

Praise God!

The General Assembly voted just minutes ago to approve Overture 01-08, from New York City Presbytery. This action will send to the presbyteries the proposal that G-6.0106b be deleted from the Book of Order, and that all existing authoritative interpretations be removed. The Assembly has reaffirmed the historic responsibility of sessions and presbyteries to discern the suitability of candidates for ordination.

We welcome this substantial step toward restoring health and peace to our beloved church, as it will offer us the best possibility in decades for setting aside some of our tensions over questions of sexuality and church office, and freeing us to devote ourselves wholeheartedly again to mission and service in our communities and around the world.

We give thanks for the countless faithful people, gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight, who have worked so long and with such dedication to bring us to this moment.

We believe this action will restore peace and trust in our congregations and presbyteries. We are committed to fostering full and open dialogue as we take the next step in discerning God's will for our church. We commit ourselves to participate respectfully and graciously in our presbytery discussions. A healthy debate, we are confident, will lead to a healthier church.

We acknowledge the concern of many who fear this change toward more openness. We live in confidence that the embracing love of God will sustain all of us in this time of change.

We are grateful to the faithful members of this Assembly for their thoughtful and prayerful consideration of difficult issues, and their forbearance with each other in dealing with a difficult question for our church.

May God be with us all as we seek new ways forward for our part of God's great church.

From The Witherspoon Society