wfn.org | Amendment A edges closer to defeat

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

Note #7050 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

06-February-2002
02060

Amendment A edges closer to defeat

More than two-thirds of presbyteries voting "no"

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - With almost half of the votes in, Amendment 01-A - which would effectively lift the church's ban on the ordination of sexually active gay and lesbian members to church office - is being rejected by almost 70 percent the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s presbyteries.

As of Feb. 6 the unofficial tally stood at 30 presbyteries in favor and 68 opposed. A majority of the church's 173 presbyteries must vote in favor of the amendment to delete G-6.0106b from the PC(USA) Book of Order in order for it to be removed.

G-6.0106b, which was voted into the Book of Order by a 97-74 margin in 1997, states: "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, 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."

The PC(USA) constitution defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

A similar amendment to delete G-6.0106b, proposed the year after it was ratified, lost 114-57. In order for the amendment to pass, therefore, nearly 30 presbyteries that voted "no" at that time would have to "switch" their votes and vote "yes" now for the measure to pass.

To date, one presbytery - de Cristo - has switched it's vote from "no" to "yes" and nine presbyteries - Lackawanna, Maumee Valley, Minnesota Valleys, North Central Iowa, Northern Plains, Ohio Valley, Utah, Western Kentucky and Wyoming - have switched from "yes" to "no." If all remaining presbyteries vote the same way this year as they did in 1997, the measure would lose 49-124.

The unofficial vote:

FOR (30): Albany, Baltimore, Cayuga-Syracuse, Chicago, de Cristo, Denver, Des Moines, Eastern Oregon, Elizabeth, Genesee Valley, Geneva, Giddings-Lovejoy, Heartland, Hudson River, Long Island, Milwaukee, National Capital, New Castle, New York City, Newton, Northern Kansas, Northern New York, Palisades, Redwoods, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Fe, Sierra Blanca, Twin Cities Area and Western Reserve.

AGAINST (68): Beaver-Butler, Boise, Carlisle, Central Florida, Central Washington, Charleston-Atlantic, Coastal Carolina, Dakota, Donegal, East Tennessee, Eastern Virginia, Eastminster, Foothills, Great Rivers, Greater Atlanta, Holston, Huntingdon, Inland Northwest, John Calvin, Kiskiminetas, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Los Ranchos, Maumee Valley, Midwest Hanmi, Minnesota Valleys, Mississippi, Missouri River Valley, Missouri Union, Muskingum Valley, New Harmony, Noroeste, North Central Iowa, Northeast Georgia, Northern Plains, Northumberland, Ohio Valley, Olympia, Pacific, Peace River, Peaks, Pittsburgh, Plains and Peaks, Riverside, Salem, San Diego, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Joaquin, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Scioto Valley, Seattle, Sheppards and Lapsley, Southern Kansas, St. Andrew, Stockton, Suroeste, Transylvania, Tropical Florida, Upper Ohio Valley, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, Western North Carolina, Whitewater Valley and Wyoming.
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