wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Committee declines to seek G-6.0106b interpretation

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

Note #7754 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Committee declines to seek G-6.0106b interpretation
GA03065

Committee declines to seek G-6.0106b interpretation

by Emily Enders Odom

DENVER, May 27- The Church Orders and Ministry Committee of the General
Assembly took up two measures addressing G-6.0106b, the so-called "fidelity
and chastity" provision in the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church
(USA).

	Overture 03-12, from the Presbytery of Donegal, proposed to ask the
Assembly to provide an "authoritative interpretation" on how G-6.0106b is to
be applied. It specifically asked for definitions of the terms "chastity,"
"repent," and "self-acknowledged."

	The Rev. David Horner, the overture advocate, said that, while
G-6.0106b remains part of the PC(USA) constitution, how it is to be obeyed is
not so clear.  

	"Part of the problem in the application," he said, "is that each
judicatory has the right to interpret it for themselves."

	After considering and rejecting a substitute motion, the committee
voted 53-4, with three abstentions, to answer the Donegal overture with an
opinion from the Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC), which
basically says an authoritative interpretation is unnecessary because the
concepts in question are clearly defined in the Constitution, other documents
and church case law.

	The other item taken up by the committee also was a request for an
authoritative interpretation of G-6.0106b, this one from an Illinois pastor.
The committee decided that it was sufficiently answered by its action on the
earlier measure.

	Noting that the vote was unanimous apart from one abstention, a
committee member quipped, "Abstaining is very similar to chastity." 

*** For instructions on using this system (including how to UNJOIN this
meeting), send e-mail to mailrequests@ecunet.org
------------------------------------------
Send your response to this article to pcusa.news@pcusa.org

------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an 'unsubscribe' request to

pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org