wfn.org | CHURCH OFFICERS LIFESTYLE AMENDMENT STILL UNDECIDED;

[PCUSA_NEWS@ecunet.org]

8-Jun-95

95199  CHURCH OFFICERS LIFESTYLE AMENDMENT STILL UNDECIDED; 
        SAME-SEX UNION BLESSING AMENDMENT SOUNDLY DEFEATED 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--With just four of the Presbyterian Church's 171 
presbyteries still to vote, a proposed amendment to the "Book of Order" 
that would modify the requirement for how church officers should live their 
lives is still too close to call. 
 
     Eighty-six affirmative votes (a majority) are needed to pass the 
amendment.  As of June 6, the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) reported 
that 82 presbyteries have voted "yes," 82 have voted "no" and three have 
voted to take no action.  
 
     Thus, all four of the presbyteries still to vote will have to vote 
affirmatively in order for the amendment to pass.  The four are Dakota, 
Midwest Hanmi, Plains and Peaks, and Sacramento. 
 
     Addressing the lifestyle of church officers, the "Book of Order" 
currently states (G-6.0106): "Their manner of life should be a 
demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and in the world." 
 
     The proposed amendment would replace that wording with: "Their manner 
of life should be a demonstration to the church and the world of the 
Christian faith and life as defined by scripture and the confessions." 
 
     The modest word changes represented a compromise by last year's 
General Assembly on an attempt to define more precisely what is acceptable 
sexual conduct for ordained church officers.  The proposed amendment passed 
by a vote of 357-176 after coming to the floor of the Assembly as a 
minority report to the recommendation of the Assembly's Committee on Church 
Orders and Vocation. 
 
     That committee had voted 31-26 to recommend to the Assembly that it 
adopt an overture from Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery that stated: "Those 
who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to 
Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the 
church. These standards require fidelity within the covenant of marriage or 
celibacy.  Persons engaging in conduct that does not accord with these 
standards shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or 
ministers of the Word and Sacrament." 
 
      Vote Not as Close on Same-Sex Union Blessing Amendment 
 
     Voting on the other hotly contested proposed amendment was not nearly 
as close.  That measure would flatly prohibit Presbyterian ministers from 
"participating" in same-sex union ceremonies. 
 
     The OGA tally on the amendment is 74 affirmative, 63 negative and 28 
no action.  Because a majority of affirmative votes is needed for passage, 
the amendment fails even though it received more affirmative than negative 
votes. 
 
     Current denominational policy, adopted by the 1991 General Assembly, 
states that sessions should not allow the use of their churches for 
same-sex union ceremonies if the session determines the ceremony to be the 
same as a marriage ceremony. 
 
     Likewise, the policy states that "it would not be proper for a 
minister to perform a same-sex ceremony that the minister determines to be 
the same as a marriage ceremony." 
 
     The proposed amendment would have added a sentence to the "Book of 
Order" (W-4.9001): "It is not permitted for ministers to participate in the 
blessing of any same-sex union." 
 
          Voting on Church Officers Lifestyle Amendment 
 
Affirmative (82): Abingdon, Arkansas, Beaver-Butler, Blackhawk, Central 
Florida, Central Nebraska, Central Washington, Charleston-Atlantic, 
Charlotte, Cherokee, Coastal Carolina, Donegal, East Tennessee, 
Eastminster, Flint River, Geneva, Giddings-Lovejoy, Glacier, Greater 
Atlanta, Hanmi, Holston, Huntingdon, Inland Northwest, Lackawanna, Lake 
Erie, Lehigh, Los Ranchos, Memphis, Mississippi, Muskingum Valley, Nevada, 
New Covenant, New Harmony, North Alabama, North Central Iowa, North Puget 
Sound, Northeast Georgia, Northern Waters, Noroeste, Olympia, Palo Duro, 
Peace River, Peaks, Pines, Pittsburgh, Prospect Hill, Providence, Pueblo, 
Redstone, Riverside, St. Andrew, St.  Augustine, San Diego, San Fernando, 
San Francisco, San Gabriel, San Joaquin, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Savannah, 
Scioto Valley, Seattle, Shenango, Sheppards and Lapsley, Shenandoah, South 
Alabama, South Dakota, Southeastern Illinois, Southern New England, 
Suroeste, Tampa Bay, Transylvania, Trinity, Tropical Florida, Upper Ohio 
Valley, Wabash Valley, Washington, West Jersey, Western Colorado, Western 
North Carolina, Whitewater Valley, Yukon. 
 
Negative (82): Alaska, Albany, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Carlisle, 
Cascades, Cayuga-Syracuse, Chicago, Cimarron, Cincinnati, de Cristo, 
Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, East Iowa, Eastern Oklahoma, Eastern Oregon, 
Eastern Virginia, Elizabeth, Florida, Foothills, Genesee Valley, Grace, 
Grand Canyon, Great Rivers, Heartland, Homestead, Indian Nations, James, 
John Calvin, John Knox, Kendall, Kiskiminetas, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, 
Long Island, Louisville, Mackinac, Maumee Valley, Miami, Middle Tennessee, 
Milwaukee, Minnesota Valleys, Mission, Missouri River Valley, Missouri 
Union, Monmouth, National Capital, New Brunswick, New Castle, New Hope, New 
York City, Newark, Newton, Northern Kansas, Northern New England, Northern 
New York, Northern Plains, Northumberland, Ohio Valley, Pacific, Palisades, 
Philadelphia, Redwoods, Salem, San Jose, Santa Fe, Sierra Blanca, South 
Louisiana, Southern Kansas, Tres Rios, Twin Cities Area, Utah, Utica, West 
Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western New York, Western Reserve, Winnebago, 
Wyoming, Yellowstone.  
 
No Action (3): Hudson River, Stockton, Susquehanna Valley 
 
           Voting on Same-Sex Union Blessing Amendment 
 
Affirmative (74): Abingdon, Beaver-Butler, Central Florida, Central 
Washington, Charleston-Atlantic, Charlotte, Cherokee, Coastal Carolina, 
East Tennessee, Flint River, Foothills, Glacier, Greater Atlanta, Hanmi, 
Holston, Huntingdon, Kendall, Kiskiminetas, Lackawanna, Lake Erie, Lehigh, 
Los Ranchos, Memphis, Minnesota Valleys, Mississippi, Missouri Union, 
Monmouth, Nevada, New Covenant, New Harmony, North Alabama, North Central 
Iowa, Northeast Georgia, Northumberland, Noroeste, Olympia, Peace River, 
Pines, Prospect Hill, Providence, Pueblo, Redstone, Riverside, St. Andrew, 
St. Augustine, Salem, San Diego, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Gabriel, 
San Joaquin, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Savannah, Seattle, Shenango, 
Shenandoah, South Alabama, South Dakota, Southeastern Illinois, Southern 
Kansas, Southern New England, Stockton, Suroeste, Tampa Bay, Trinity, 
Tropical Florida, Upper Ohio Valley, Wabash Valley, Washington, West 
Jersey, Western Colorado, Western North Carolina, Yukon. 
 
Negative (63): Alaska, Albany, Arkansas, Boise, Cayuga-Syracuse, Chicago, 
Cimarron, Cincinnati, de Cristo, Detroit, Donegal, East Iowa, Eastern 
Oklahoma, Eastern Oregon, Elizabeth, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Grace, Grand 
Canyon, Great Rivers, Heartland, Hudson River, Indian Nations, James, John 
Calvin, John Knox, Lake Huron, Long Island, Louisville, Mackinac, Miami, 
Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Muskingum Valley, New Brunswick, New Hope, New 
York City, Newark, Northern Kansas, Northern New York, Northern Plains, 
Northern Waters, Ohio Valley, Pacific, Palisades, Palo Duro, Peaks, 
Pittsburgh, Redwoods, San Jose, Santa Fe, Scioto Valley, Sierra Blanca, 
South Louisiana, Transylvania, Tres Rios, Twin Cities Area, Utah, West 
Virginia, Western New York, Western Reserve, Winnebago, Yellowstone. 
 
No Action (28): Baltimore, Blackhawk, Boston, Carlisle, Cascades, Central 
Nebraska, Denver, Des Moines, Eastern Virginia, Eastminster, Florida, 
Giddings-Lovejoy, Homestead, Inland Northwest, Lake Michigan, Maumee 
Valley, Mission, Missouri River Valley, New Castle, Newton, North Puget 
Sound, Northern New England, Philadelphia, Susquehanna Valley, Utica, 
Western Kentucky, Whitewater Valley, Wyoming. 
 
 

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