wfn.org | Assembly Approves "Fidelity and Integrity" Amendment

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

20-June-1997 
GA97122 
 
          Assembly Approves "Fidelity and Integrity" Amendment 
 
     Presbyteries asked to approve major revision of former Amendment B 
 
                          by Jerry Van Marter 
 
 
SYRACUSE--By an even greater margin than last year's General Assembly 
passed Amendment B -- the commonly-called "fidelity and chastity" amendment 
-- the 209th General Assembly today voted to send a far less restrictive 
amendment to the presbyteries that would replace the controversial measure. 
 
    The vote on the proposed revision to what is now G-6.0106b was 328-217, 
or 60 percent to 40 percent.  Amendment B passed last year's Assembly by a 
57 percent to 43 percent margin. 
 
    It was adopted after the Assembly rejected by a 309-227 vote a minority 
report from seven members of its Assembly Committee on the "Book of Order" 
reaffirming the passage of Amendment B and pledging Presbyterians "to walk 
together through the grief which is felt by many in the Presbyterian Church 
and do all we can to embrace each other with the grace of Jesus Christ." 
 
    The new amendment, which now goes to the presbyteries for their 
affirmative or negative votes during the coming year: 
 
    * requires church officers to "lead a life in obedience to Jesus Christ 
under the authority of scripture" rather than in Amendment B's "in 
obedience to scripture"; 
 
    * requires them to "be instructed by the historic confessional 
standards of the church" rather than Amendment B's "in conformity" to them; 
 
    * requires them to "demonstrate fidelity and integrity in marriage or 
singleness, and in all relationships of life" rather than living "in 
fidelity within the covenant of marriage of a man and a woman or chastity 
in singleness"; and 
 
    * states that "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" rather than 
Amendment B's "persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice 
which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed" as 
church officers. 
 
    Debate on the proposed amendment, which during the Assembly has 
received the moniker "Amendment B-plus," was dignified, thoughtful, 
passionate and long.  Scores of commissioners were still lined up to speak 
when debate was ended. 
 
    Assembly Committee on the "Book of Order" chair the Rev. Laird Stuart 
of San Francisco Presbytery insisted that the new amendment "affirms 
authoritative interpretation [barring the ordination of sexually-active gay 
and lesbian Presbyterians]...and affirms the right of the denomination to 
set ordination standards."  However, Stuart continued, "Out of what we have 
heard came our conclusion that something needs to be done.  The turmoil and 
discord [following the passage of Amendment B] is not going to go away and 
our only way forward is to find something more healing and reconciling." 
 
    The Rev. Dale Depue of Indian Nations Presbytery, an author of the 
minority report, disagreed.  "We have been studying this issue for 20 years 
and the passage of Amendment B was carefully and prayerfully made," he 
said.  "The church has spoken clearly and definitively."  Then, reading 
from the text of the minority report, Depue said, "Rather than trying to 
amend G-0106b, it is imperative that we find a way to love, support and 
promote healing among those who have faithfully followed the leading of the 
Holy Spirit in their lives and found themselves holding strongly 
conflicting positions." 
 
    Robert Hammock, a Theological Student Advisory Delegate from Princeton 
Theological Seminary, echoed Depue's concerns.  "Do we trust our 
presbyteries?" he asked.  "Their will be greater division in our church if 
we don't respect the vote [on Amendment B]." 
 
    But Margaret Elliott of Salem Presbytery said, "People are leaving the 
church already [because of the passage of Amendment B].  And the Rev. Judy 
Hoffhine, a pastoral counselor who works with persons with HIV/AIDS, said 
that since the passage of Amendment B "I have had to work three times as 
hard to convince them that my church cares." 
 
    The Rev. Steve Stelle of Maumee Valley Presbytery, arguing against the 
new amendment, pleaded for peace.  "The church will suffer if this fight 
continues -- can't we have one year of peace?" 
 
    The Rev. Christine Chakoian of Chicago Presbytery countered that peace 
is not possible as long as Amendment B is on the books.  "I had hoped that 
Amendment B would settle the issue, but it has only deepened the turmoil." 
 
    The Rev. Breck Castleman complained that the language of the new 
amendment is too vague.  "The meaning of `fidelity in singleness', for 
example, is unclear," he argued.  "This amendment will not lead us into the 
light but into the fog." 
 
    But the Rev. Sylvia Edwards of Pueblo Presbytery called the new 
amendment "grace-filled."  The amendment, she replied, "goes to the heart 
of the gospel, honoring marriage and other relationships and offering 
dignity to all Presbyterians while we continue to discuss and discern God's 
will on this issue." 
 
    G-6.0106b (formerly Amendment B) 
    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. 
 
    Proposed amendment 
    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. 

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