Presbyterian and homosexuality
Presbyterian Church (USA) Considers Forcing LGBTQ Affirmation
An increasingly revisionist Presbyterian Church (USA) will take up legislation at its th General Assembly June 25 &#; July 4 in Salt Lake City barring ordination of candidates who are not LGBTQ-affirming.
Designated OVT, the proposal, known as an overture in Presbyterian parlance, would change two sections of the PCUSA Book of Order. The first alter alters section F, “Unity in Diversity,” to read (changes in brackets):
“The harmony of believers in Christ is reflected in the affluent diversity of the Church’s membership. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, God unites persons through baptism, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, [gender identity, sexual orientation,] disability, geography, or theological conviction. There is therefore no place in the life of the Church for discrimination against any person. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its membership. No member shall be In recent years both the Presbyterian Church in America and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church have had to deal with the issue of a same-sex attracted ordained minister, and the question of whether or not that ordination is lawful. A celibate queer attracted Presbyterian minister, who openly declares a lesbian orientation that God has not promised to change,[1] is not something the conservative Presbyterian denominations hold ever considered legitimate in the past. What has brought about this brand-new openness to consider a question that was inconceivable just a few decades ago? Of course, the cultural pressure to embrace gay orientation as normal is immense. Add to this the fact that evangelicals sometimes appear to be more concerned about how those outside the church perceive Christianity, than they are maintaining historic Christian positions on sexual sin. After all, some argue, the church must be driven by a missional stance towards the gay community. There is tremendous pressure from within evangelical churches to compromise on the question of homosexuality. Some are convi Carl Schlegel’s Proselytizing Makes Him the Earliest U.S. Gay Activist November A Brooklyn Heights Presbyterian church holds a “two-hour worship service and symposium on the subject of homosexuality,” which includes a performance of part of the same-sex attracted themed off-Broadway play “The Boys in the Band.” The pastor of the church, Rev. William Glenesk, claims that the sermon is necessary because “we must look at one another with love and compassion….variations of sex are not sin.” [1] Undated The General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church releases a statement entitled “Sexuality and the Human Community” which contains a brief section on homosexuality. While the status of homosexuality as a “sin” is maintained, the Assembly also approves a recommendation that calls for the “elimination of laws governing the private sexual action of consenting adults.” [2] Undated Rev. David Bailey Sindt begins the Presbyterian Gay Caucus, which later becomes Presbyterians for Dyke and Gay Concerns (PLGC), by holding a autograph at the General Assembly that asks “Is anyone else o With its roots in the 16th century teachings of John Calvin, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) boasts million members who participate in more than 10, congregations across the country. The largest Presbyterian organization in the country, the denomination was formed in when the southern-based Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) joined the northern-based United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) to establish a single entity. The Presbyterian Church (USA) remains distinct from the Presbyterian Church in America, which tends toward less inclusive policies. The Presbyterian name derives from the Greek word for “elders” – lay leaders who control the church and are chosen by its congregants. According to the denomination’s web site, elders work closely with clergy to, “exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the church at large.” Elders serve at every level of leadership from “sessions,” which govern a unpartnered church, to “presb
Stances of Faiths on Queer Issues: Presbyterian Church (USA)
BACKGROUND