wfn.org | Early Voting Bodes Ill For Passage of Amendment A

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

6-January-1997 
98001 
 
    Early Voting Bodes Ill For Passage of Amendment A 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Early returns on the voting on proposed Amendment A -- the 
commonly called "fidelity and integrity" amendment to the "Book of Order" 
-- indicate that the amendment may be headed for a resounding defeat. 
 
    The amendment seeks to replace G-6.0106b  -- the commonly called 
"fidelity and chastity" amendment --  that was passed last year. 
 
    As of Jan. 5, 10 presbyteries have voted against the amendment and four 
have voted in favor of it, according to the official tally kept by the 
Office of the General Assembly. 
 
    More important, three of the 10 presbyteries that have voted "no" on 
Amendment A voted either "no" or "no action" on last year's Amendment B, in 
effect reversing the position they took last year. 
 
    Amendment B passed by a 97-74 margin with one "no action."  In order 
for Amendment A to pass, more than a dozen presbyteries that voted for 
Amendment B last year would have to change their position and also vote for 
Amendment A this year.  Instead, the changes have all gone the other way. 
 
    "Of course this is not good news," said former General Assembly 
moderator the Rev. John Buchanan, who heads a group -- the Covenant Network 
-- working for the passage of Amendment A.  "But I remember last year, when 
the early votes went against Amendment B and then it turned around." 
 
    Buchanan said the Covenant Network had hoped to "sustain" the votes of 
presbyteries that voted against Amendment B last year and said he wanted to 
be "cautiously optimistic" that the early returns "will not be a trend." 
 
    Buchanan, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, told the 
Presbyterian News Service in a Jan. 5 interview that "it is important for 
all of us to keep advocating the positions we hold while maintaining 
respect and civility for each other and to look to next summer and how we 
will stay together as a family despite our disagreements." 
 
    As in years past, the Presbyterian News Service will regularly publish 
only the official results of the voting -- the votes of those presbyteries 
that have formally filed their votes with the Office of the General 
Assembly.  OGA can only record votes that have been so filed, and OGA's 
count is final. 
 
    Presbyteries that have voted in the affirmative on Amendment A (4) are: 
Eastern Oregon, Minnesota Valleys, New Castle and Northern New York.  All 
of those presbyteries voted "no" on Amendment B and thus were expected to 
vote "yes" on Amendment A. 
 
    Presbyteries that have voted in the negative on Amendment A (10) are: 
Central Florida, Charleston-Atlantic, Cherokee, Flint River, Lehigh (which 
voted "no action" on Amendment B), Midwest Hanmi, Redstone, Southwest, West 
Virginia (which voted "no" on Amendment B) and Whitewater Valley (which 
voted "no" on Amendment B). 
 
                       Proposed Amendment A 
 
    "Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in 
obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture and instructed 
by the historic confessional standards of the church.  Among these 
standards is the requirement to demonstrate fidelity and integrity in 
marriage or singleness, and in all relationships of life.  Candidates for 
ordained office shall acknowledge their own sinfulness, their need for 
repentance, and their reliance on the grace and mercy of God to fulfill the 
duties of their office." 
 
 
                               G-6.0106b 
 
    "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.  Among these standards is the requirement to live 
either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a 
woman (W-4.9001) or chastity in singleness.  Persons refusing to repent of 
any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be 
ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders or ministers of the Word and 
Sacrament." 

------------
For more information contact Presbyterian News Service
  phone 502-569-5504             fax 502-569-8073  
  E-mail PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org   Web page: http://www.pcusa.org 
  mailed from World Faith News <wfn-news@wfn.org>  

--