wfn.org | NCC General Secretary removes signature from marriage statement

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Note #6273 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

17-November-2000
00417

NCC General Secretary removes signature from marriage statement

by Bill Lancaster

ATLANTA -- National Council of Churches (NCC) General Secretary Bob Edgar
first signed, then removed his signature from a statement on marriage after
discovering the statement offended gays and lesbians.

	 The statement, "A Christian Declaration on Marriage," which Edgar signed
earlier this week along with representatives of the National Conference of
Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention and the National
Association of Evangelicals, defined marriage as between man and a woman.

	 When Edgar was questioned about that decision at the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Breakfast during the NCC General Assembly meeting
here yesterday, he said that he supported same-sex unions.

	Edgar then issued a statement in a letter to NCC delegates appealing to
them not to misinterpret his signing the marriage statement as condemnation
of gays and lesbians.

	"I believe that churches must support Christian men and women in marriage —
especially in our 'disposable society,' where marriage is often diminished
and undermined, a practice contrary to Christian teaching and heritage ...."
he said in the letter.

	The statement also said, "I would not want this statement to be
misconstrued as if it were an oblique comment on same-sex unions. Even more
importantly, it would be unconscionable if support for married couples, so
desperately needed today, were to be twisted into a weapon that can be used
to attack gays and lesbians, their families and friends and all in our
churches who love and care for them."

	Earlier this morning, Edgar apologized to the assembly delegates and said
that he was removing his signature from the marriage statement.

	  "I overstepped my authority as general secretary," Edgar said in an
interview.

	  He said the NCC needs to have a consistent policy to back up its
positions, "and in reflection, and particularly in looking at the reaction
to my signature on that letter, two things became clear throughout
yesterday, one was I hurt some friends very badly by signing onto a document
that was interpreted and misinterpreted in ways that I did not intend.

	"I support marriage, and I support more than marriage the love between two
people, and I don't differentiate whether it is between a man and a woman or
a woman and a woman or a man and a man or whatever.  We need fidelity and
care in relationships."

	His second concern, after reflection, was that he abused his authority.

	"I apologized to the delegates and announced that I am withdrawing my name
from that letter and will communicate that to the other signers of the
letter and to the press.  And I instituted a policy that the general
secretary not have the authority to sign onto any document that is not
backed up by policy of the general assembly," Edgar said.

	"This is particularly important as we move to broadening the ecumenical
table, because we will get ourselves into all kinds of binds if one
individual, namely the general secretary or the president or [any NCC
official] is saying things that aren't owned by the member communions of the
National Council of Churches ...."

	He said he asked the general secretary's advisory board to meet in the next
two weeks to reflect on what transpired "to see if there are any additional
remedies that need to take place."

	He said in the interview it's important to realize "the general secretary
is human, and that the general secretary, given all the enormous pressures
of preparing for the general assembly, of [dealing with] the financial
structures, of trying to blend this cadre of 36 member communions, has a
very difficult task."

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