wfn.org | Ordination, Installation of Gay Elder in Florida

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

Reply-To: wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>
21-August-1998 
98279 
 
    Ordination, Installation of Gay Elder in Florida 
    Allowed to Stand ... For Now 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The ordination and installation of an openly gay man by 
Second Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been allowed to 
stand by the General Assembly's Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC). 
 
    In upholding an earlier decision by the Permanent Judicial Commission 
of the Synod of South Atlantic, the PJC ruled that "The Book of Order" 
contains no provisions "to declare the ordination ... null and void." 
 
    The only available recourse in a case where an openly gay or lesbian 
person is about to be ordained and/or installed, the PJC wrote in its Aug. 
18 decision, is for a complainant to seek and obtain a stay of enforcement 
to prevent the ordination or installation from taking place while the 
church courts make their determinations. 
 
    Once the ordination or installation has taken place, its too late. 
 
    The case involves the Jan. 14, 1996 ordination of Ray Whetstone as an 
elder of Second Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale.  He had earlier 
been ordained as a deacon.  Another member of the session of Second Church, 
Ronald L. Wier, moved to disapprove Whetstone's examination by the session 
at its Dec. 19,1995, meeting, but his motion died for lack of a second. 
Wier then filed his complaint with the Presbytery of Tropical Florida, but 
after Whetstone had already been ordained and installed as an elder. 
 
    "What is at issue," the PJC wrote in its decision, "is whether the 
ordination could have been annulled, set aside, voided, or vacated through 
a remedial action."  The PJC ruled that it could not, though the commission 
noted that there is a provision in "The Rules of Discipline" for setting 
aside the ordination of an individual found guilty in a disciplinary case - 
where the rules of procedure and evidence are much stricter than in 
remedial cases. 
 
    Whetstone's chances of further service as an elder or deacon seem 
remote.  In its original determination in the case, the PJC of Tropical 
Florida Presbytery "admonished the session to refrain from ordaining anyone 
who is a self-affirming, practicing homosexual person."  Whetstone's 
current term on the session concludes at the end of this year. 
 
    And the Rev. Roger Verse, pastor of Second Church, said simply, "We 
won't do it again." 
 
    He said the congregation "realizes the constitution has changed [with 
the passage of the former Amendment B as G-6.0106b].  However, Verse 
continued, "Our church, by its very nature, doesn't see this as an issue 
because we have been known, loved and ministered to by our gay and lesbian 
members and we really don't understand why this is such a big deal in the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." 
 
    He said Second Church elected Whetstone "intuitively - it's natural for 
us that we'd ordain someone based on his gifts for ministry, not on his 
orientation."  And while the church is pleased with the PJC decision, Verse 
said, "We're also sad because we won't be able to use Ray's ordained gifts 
again." 
 
    Verse said the session has also passed a resolution seeking 
reconciliation with Wier.  "We want Ron to continue to be a part of our 
ministry here as well."  Wier was not on session when Whetstone was 
elected, ordained and installed as a deacon of Second Church in 1993.  But, 
Verse noted, Wier has filed numerous complaints with the session and 
Tropical Florida Presbytery over the years of his involvement at Second 
Church. 
 
    Making room for everyone seems to be the prevailing ethos of Second 
Church.  Keith Barber, a member of session who represented Second Church in 
the judicial proceedings, decried newspaper reports in south Florida that 
have depicted Second Church as "a house divided."  On the contrary, Barber 
told the Presbyterian News Service, "just because a couple people disagree 
on this doesn't mean we disagree on essential things. 
 
    "All of these efforts - supporting Ray and seeking reconciliation with 
Ron - are about wanting to give each other room," Barber said.  "I don't 
want to make Ron believe what I believe and he sure isn't going to make me 
believe what he believes, but there sure ought to be room here for both of 
us." 
 
    Wier says there is.  In an Aug. 21 interview with the Presbyterian News 
Service, Wier said that though his relationship with Second Church is 
"strained, I have no intention of transferring my membership anywhere else 
- I love the people at Second Church and don't want to go anywhere else." 
 
    Wier said he is still convinced the session of Second Church acted 
wrongly in voting to ordain Whetstone.  "Nobody has shown me anywhere in 
the Bible where Jesus sent out unrepentant sinners as his disciples," he 
said.  "And I still have trouble with unrepentant sinners in leadership in 
the church." 
 
    But, he continued, its time to move on, to "get on with our lives and 
take steps to build our church back up."  Losing the case was 
disappointing, he added, "but I'm trusting in God that this will eventually 
work out ... but right now I have my reservations." 
 
    Whetstone was unavailable for comment.  

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  This note sent by PCUSA NEWS
  to the wfn-news list <wfn-news@wfn.org>.
  Send unsubscribe requests to wfn-news-request@wfn.org