wfn.org | Amendment B Officially Passes

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

2-April-1997 
97150 
 
       Amendment B Officially Passes; COCU Amendment Fails; 
                 Church Leaders Appeal For Unity 
 
                      by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--The 87th and deciding vote on Amendment B -- the commonly 
called "fidelity and chastity" amendment -- was formally filed with the 
Office of the General Assembly on April 1, and the hotly debated amendment 
will become part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) "Book of Order" on 
June 21 at the conclusion of the upcoming General Assembly in Syracuse, 
N.Y. 
 
     As of April 1, the official tally on Amendment B is 89 affirmative and 
67 negative. 
 
     In other voting, Amendment C, the amendment implementing Presbyterian 
participation in the "covenanting" provisions of the Consultation on Church 
Union (COCU), has officially failed to pass in voting by the 172 
presbyteries.  The April 1 official tally is 58 in favor, 85 opposed and 
two "no action." Amendment C fails because a majority of presbyteries have 
either voted no or "no action."  A majority of affirmative votes is needed 
for passage. 
 
     In response to the passage of Amendment B, four church leaders wrote a 
letter to all Presbyterian congregations, dated "Easter Sunday, 1997," 
calling for "the coming together, not the pulling apart, of the 
Presbyterian family." 
      
     The letter -- signed by General Assembly moderator the Rev. John 
Buchanan, stated clerk the Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick, General Assembly Council 
(GAC) chair Youngil Cho and GAC interim executive director the Rev. Frank 
Diaz -- reminded Presbyterians that "the first purpose of the law is to 
nurture people in the life of the believing community and not to drive them 
out." 
 
     Noting that voting on the amendment in most presbyteries "has been 
very close," the four leaders wrote: "As never before, we need to love one 
another and to rely on the Holy Spirit to reconcile us and to make us one 
in Christ Jesus." 
 
     To ensure complete accuracy, the Presbyterian News Service will 
continue its policy of reporting only those presbytery votes that have been 
formally filed with OGA. 
 
               Amendment B (fidelity and chastity) 
 
Affirmative (89): Abingdon, Beaver-Butler, Blackhawk, Carlisle, Central 
Florida, Central Nebraska, Central Washington, Charleston-Atlantic, 
Charlotte, Cherokee, Coastal Carolina, Dakota, de Cristo, Donegal, East 
Tennessee, Eastern Virginia, Flint River, Florida, Foothills, Glacier, 
Grace, Grand Canyon, Greater Atlanta, Hanmi, Holston, Homestead, 
Huntingdon, Indian Nations, Inland Northwest, James, John Calvin, Kendall, 
Lake Erie, Los Ranchos, Memphis, Midwest Hanmi, Mississippi, Missouri River 
Valley, Missouri Union, Muskingum Valley, Nevada, New Harmony, Noroeste, 
North Alabama, North Central Iowa, North Puget Sound, Northeast Georgia, 
Northumberland, Olympia, Pacific, Palo Duro, Peace River,  Peaks, 
Philadelphia, Pines, Pittsburgh, Prospect Hill, Providence, Redstone, 
Riverside, Sacramento, St. Andrew, St. Augustine, Salem, San Diego, San 
Fernando, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Savannah, Seattle, Shenango, 
Sheppards & Lapsley, South Alabama, South Dakota, South Louisiana, 
Southeastern Illinois,  Southern Kansas, Suroeste, Stockton, Tampa Bay, 
Transylvania, Tres Rios, Trinity, Tropical Florida, Washington, Western 
Colorado, Western North Carolina, Yellowstone and Yukon. 
 
Negative (67): Albany, Arkansas, Baltimore, Boise, Boston, Cascades, 
Chicago, Cimarron, Cincinnati, Des Moines, Detroit, East Iowa, Eastern 
Oklahoma, Eastern Oregon, Eastminster, Elizabeth, Genesee Valley, Geneva, 
Giddings-Lovejoy, Great Rivers, Heartland, Hudson River, John Knox, 
Kiskiminetas, Lackawanna, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Long Island, 
Louisville, Maumee Valley, Miami, Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Minnesota 
Valleys, Mission, Monmouth, National Capital, New Covenant, New Hope, New 
York City, Newark, Newton, Northern Kansas, Northern New England, Northern 
New York, Ohio Valley, Palisades, Plains and Peaks, Redwoods, San 
Francisco, San Jose, Santa Fe, Scioto Valley, Sierra Blanca, Southern New 
England, Susquehanna Valley, Twin Cities Area, Utah, Utica, West Jersey, 
West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western New York, Western Reserve, 
Whitewater Valley, Winnebago and Wyoming. 
 
                        Amendment C (COCU) 
 
Affirmative (58): Albany, Baltimore, Blackhawk, Cherokee, Chicago, 
Cimarron, Des Moines, Eastern Oklahoma, Eastern Oregon, Florida, Grand 
Canyon, Great Rivers, Heartland, Hudson River, Indian Nations, John Calvin, 
John Knox, Lackawanna, Lake Huron, Long Island, Louisville, Maumee Valley, 
Memphis, Miami, Middle Tennessee, Midwest Hanmi, Milwaukee, Minnesota 
Valleys, Monmouth, National Capital, New Castle, New Hope, New York City, 
Newark, Newton, Northern Kansas, Northern New England, Philadelphia, Pines, 
Redstone,  Redwoods, Salem, Santa Fe, Sierra Blanca, South Dakota, 
Southeastern Illinois, Southern New England, Susquehanna Valley, Twin 
Cities Area, Utah, Utica, West Jersey, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, 
Western New York, Winnebago, Yellowstone and Yukon. 
 
Negative (85): Abingdon, Arkansas, Beaver-Butler, Boise, Boston, Carlisle, 
Cascades, Central Florida, Central Nebraska, Central Washington, 
Charleston-Atlantic, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, Dakota, 
Donegal, East Iowa, East Tennessee, Eastern Virginia, Flint River, 
Foothills, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Giddings-Lovejoy, Glacier, Grace, 
Greater Atlanta, Hanmi, Holston, Homestead, Inland Northwest, James, 
Kendall, Kiskiminetas, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Los Ranchos, Mission, 
Mississippi, Missouri River Valley, Missouri Union, Muskingum Valley, 
Nevada, New Covenant,  New Harmony, North Alabama, North Central Iowa, 
North Puget Sound, Northeast Georgia, Northumberland, Ohio Valley, Olympia, 
Pacific, Palo Duro, Peace River, Peaks, Pittsburgh, Plains and Peaks, 
Prospect Hill,  Providence, Riverside, Sacramento, St. Andrew, St. 
Augustine, San Diego, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa 
Barbara, Savannah, Shenandoah, Shenango, South Alabama, South Louisiana, 
Southern Kansas, Suroeste, Tampa Bay, Transylvania, Tres Rios, Trinity, 
Tropical Florida, Washington, Western Colorado, Western North Carolina and 
Whitewater Valley. 
 
No action (2): Noroeste and Wyoming. 

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