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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Media Contact:
Lisa Larges, That All May Freely Serve (585) 615-0613 llarges@tamfs.org
AREA PRESBYTERIANS VOTE YES ON GAY CLERGY
JANUARY 26, 2009--The Presbyterian Church (USA) is six steps closer to making a dramatic change after over 30 years of debating gay and lesbian ordination. Over the last week, six Presbyteries voted yes on a constitutional amendment that allows gay and lesbian people to be ordained whether or not they are in a partnered relationship.
On January 17, Des Moines, Northern Kansas, and Newton (NJ) voted yes and on January 24, Baltimore, Albany and New Castle (DE), voted yes.
Coming up! On January 27, five more presbyteries will vote: Utica (NY), Carlisle (PA), Palisades (NJ), Donegal (PA), and San Fernando (CA) and, on January 31, four more will cast their ballots: Southern Kansas, Western North Carolina, Huntingdon (PA), and Cayuga-Syracuse (NY).
For a complete list of presbyteries go to http://www.1000conversations.org.
In the past, partnered gay and lesbian clergy were required to be celibate, while their straight married counterparts were not. At its General Assembly, the church's highest legislative body, in June 2008, an amendment was passed that would eliminate the current ban on partnered gay candidates for the clergy. The amendment requires the majority of the 173 local presbyteries (regional clusters of churches) to pass the legislation before it takes effect. While the final deadline for voting is June 2009, almost half of the denomination will vote by the end of February.
Several conservative leaning presbyteries voted early which tends to limit conversation on gay concerns, but if Presbyterians follow general trends nationwide, there will be more support for equal standards for ordination. A majority of positive votes for a constitutional change in the Presbyterian Church (USA) would make them the third mainline denomination, including the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church US, to ordain openly gay clergy without requiring celibacy.
Decades-long struggle has caused congregations to leave the denomination. But, supporters of equality point out that only a small percentage of congregations will break away and many have left already with the acceptance of celibate gay clergy.
Lisa Larges, director of That All May Freely Serve said, "The church is realizing that gay candidates with outstanding qualifications for ordination, as well as their supporters, will leave the church for more accepting denominations if Presbyterians continue to require celibacy for gay clergy."
David Paul, candidate for ministry in New Hope Presbytery (Eastern NC) said, "Although actions taken in June 2008 at our national policy-setting meeting now allow gay people to seek ordination by submitting a written conscientious objection to their Presbytery in hopes of being accepted without celibacy, it is time for our church to proclaim that all people are equal before God rather than bending the rules to let a few of us through."
"We're very hopeful that people who have shied away from these votes in the past will show up and vote their conscience," said the Rev. Mieke Vandersall, Minister Director of Presbyterian Welcome. "We believe the Spirit that moved the General Assembly can move the church as a whole and we will finally see full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people called to the ministry. People know it is just a matter of time before the church fully answers Christ's call for inclusion. Many of us feel that time is now."
Other indications of a trend toward more support for gay people include high church court decisions in 2008 to clear two clergy women who were charged for performing marriages for same-sex couples. The court reasoned that because the church defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, no marriage per se was performed. While the decisions puzzled many, by its interpretation, the courts avoided punishing the ministers.
Also in 2008, votes in the General Assembly voided interpretations of rules used to ban openly gay clergy and affirmed a candidate's right to submit a conscientious objection to their presbytery if they disagree with the existing ban on partnered gay clergy.
Presbyterian Welcome As a network of Presbyterian churches and individuals in the New York metropolitan area, our mission is to clear the way in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the ordination of ministers, elders and deacons without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. Visit http://www.presbyterianwelcome.org
That All May Freely Serve is an organization working for the ordination of qualified gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender candidates in the Presbyterian Church (USA) as Elders, Deacons, and Ministers. Visit http://www.tamfs.org
