Presbyterians to Consider Marriage Definition Amendments at GA

Possible amendments to the Presbyterian Church (PC) (U.S.A.)'s definition of marriage will be considered at the group's General Assembly, which begins tomorrow in Minneapolis, Minn.

Liberals and conservatives in the church will be battling over whether or not to keep a traditional definition of marriage in the group's Book of Order or to change it as being a relationship between any "two people."

PC (U.S.A.) has struck down several previous proposals from its governing board to broaden its stance on homosexual marriages and clergy.

Regarding marriages, PC (U.S.A.) currently bans its clergy from marrying same-sex couples although "blessing" them is permitted. The church also forbids practicing homosexuals from being ordained as clergy, although gays that are committed to chastity may serve.

Pro-gay supporters within the church have expressed their hope that this year's assembly could be a turning point.

"Faith traditions are moving toward a new understanding of God's diverse creation. The time for policies based on our love of God and call to serve has come," said Lisa Larges, head of That All May Freely Serve.

"Churches are learning to affirm gifts for ministry rather than reject ministers because of whom they chose as a life partner," she added.

Furthermore, the church's previous motions to accept partnered gay clergy was supported in relatively conservative areas like Alabama, Texas, North Carolina and Montana, among other states.

"There is a growing consensus among Presbyterians that we have spent enough time trying to keep people out of church leadership and it is time to celebrate our progress and our common heart for service," said Mieke Vandersall, head of Presbyterian Welcome.

Meanwhile, Alan Wisdom of the Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD) has said that if PC (U.S.A.) chooses to embrace sexual revisionism it would "deliberately sideline itself."

The church would "exalt western liberal notions of individual moral autonomy above shared understandings of the Bible," Wisdom said. "It would follow the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church on the road to theological marginalization, internal division, accelerating membership loss, and cultural irrelevance."
Along with issues of gay clergy and marriages, PC (U.S.A.) will also be considering providing benefits to same-gender spouses and domestic partners of employees in church positions and revising translations of a creedal statement that has a "misleading anti-gay phrase" in it.

"Only God knows what decisions will be made at this General Assembly," said Michael Adee, Executive Director, More Light Presbyterians, "but we do know that the Presbyterian Church (USA) understands now that it baptizes and nurtures the faith of its own gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender daughters and sons."

"Presbyterians, from all walks of life, are expressing their faith and believing out loud that we are all children of God.

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