Last week came a watershed moment in the history of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The history of the PCUSA, like any organization, like any Christian denomination, has its share of good moments and bad ones. Fundamentalism divided the church in the early 20th century. We were too long coming to the party during the Civil Rights era. And we dragged our feet in opening leadership positions – and ordination – to women. To be honest, we still struggle with these issues (and they aren’t the only things we struggle with).
In recent years we’ve been struggling with the issue of homosexuality in the church – how do we incorporate the LGBT community into our ministries, do we reach out to them, do we allow them to be ordained, do we allow them to marry. The General Assembly, followed by a majority of presbyteries, in 2010 changed the language of our Book of Order – part 2 of our Form of Government – to allow for ordination LGBT people. The 2012 GA wrestled with a change in our church government’s language around marriage; and at the 2014 GA voted to make the change.
Since it was a change in the Book of Order, each presbytery has to vote on the change; and last week the number of presbyteries approving the change reached the total number needed to pass.
The General Assembly had already passed an Authoritative Interpretation allowing teaching elders (ministers) to follow their conscience regarding the marriage of same-gender couples in states where it is legal to do so. However, changing the Book of Order is similar to amending the constitution – it make the change more permanent and more broad. It’s important to know that no minister can be compelled to perform a same-gender ceremony any more than a minister can be compelled to perform a ceremony for any couple that they do not feel should be married; and sessions still have jurisdiction over the building and property and may deny any couple the opportunity to use church property for weddings as they see fit. But now ministers who wish to perform ceremonies in places where it is legal may do so without fear of censure.
Rev. Sharon Carter, Community of Faith Presbyterian Church, Covington
