wfn.org | "Sabbatical" Holds in Committee; Move to Delete

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17-June-1998 
GA98078 
 
    "Sabbatical" Holds in Committee; 
    Move to Delete "Fidelity and Chastity" Defeated 
 
    by Jerry Van Marter 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--The Assembly Committee on Church Orders and Ministry voted 
June 16 to recommend that the 210th General Assembly not approve Overture 
98-37 from Milwaukee Presbytery -- an overture that would send a proposed 
amendment to the presbyteries that G-6.0106b ("fidelity and chastity") be 
deleted from "The Book of Order." 
    After three hours of debate that included speeches by 45 of the 47 
members of the committee, the committee defeated a motion to approve the 
overture, 21-26.  The subsequent motion to disapprove the overture with 
comment passed 42-1 with four abstentions. 
    The comment, on which the Assembly still must vote in addition to the 
recommendation to disapprove, states that "dialogue can, must and will 
continue on the issue (of sexual standards for ordination)." 
    The effect of the committee's action on the overture means that, at 
least for now, the appeal by a number of church leaders that this Assembly 
not send an amendment on sexual standards for ordination, will be honored. 
    The committee debate was intense. 
    Elder Vi Maynard of Los Ranchos Presbytery said, "We keep going around 
and around, but for two years the church has spoken." 
    But Beth Hessel, a Theological Student Advisory Delegate from San 
Francisco Theological Seminary, said, "I cannot in good conscience support 
a `sabbatical' as long as G-6.0106b is in `The Book of Order.'" 
    The Rev. Greg Esselman of John Calvin Presbytery said if the overture 
was approved he would be "worried because we don't have any standards left. 
God calls us to be better than we are -- the church has to say it has 
standards and stand up for them." 
    But Youth Advisory Delegate Debra Lack of San Fernando Presbytery said 
G-6.0106b is "hurtful and deliberate -- it's not fair."  Her voice 
breaking, Lack described a pastor in her presbytery who was outed, and as a 
result left the ministry.  "He is forever lost to his church and I don't 
understand why this is such a big issue," she said.  "They loved him." 
    The Rev. Robert Heimach of Whitewater Valley Presbytery supported 
sending the amendment to the presbyteries.  "I like bringing this up again 
-- I believe the debate is healthy and invigorating," he said.  "It gives 
the majority a chance to vote it down, but also gives the minority a chance 
to continue to raise important issues." 
    But Elder Charles Frew of Cherokee Presbytery pleaded that "no more 
hurt be visited on our presbyteries, who have dealt with this for two years 
and who will not tolerate another year."  The response of some presbyteries 
to another year of debate on sexual standards for ordination, Frew said, 
"will simply mean that some of them will leave." 

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