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In 1996, the majority of presbyteries recognized the Biblical
standards for ordination by setting G-60106b in the Book of Order.
In 2000, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Committee
applied the standard in the case of Londonderry v. Presbytery, ruling
that the session of Christ Church in Burlington, Vermont, could not defy our
constitution by stating it would ordain unrepentant practicing homosexuals.
In 2002, the session of Christ Church mocked both the
Biblical standard and our constitutional covenant by substituting its own
interpretation of each word in G-6.0106b for the repeated and consistent
interpretation by the PCUSA and calling the session’s action "compliance."
In 2003, the 215th
General Assembly blessed that mocking by receiving without comment the
"compliance" report from the session of Christ Church and the Presbytery of
Northern New England.
Just before doing so, the assembly had answered Redstone
Presbytery’s request for guidelines for synods on how to oversee presbytery
compliance by refusing to develop procedures and training for administrative
review by governing bodies above the session. Instead, the Assembly responded
with a "pastoral letter" that said there already is a full range of provisions
for review. In essence, the assembly said, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your
fill," to the brothers and sisters who stated their lack. (James 2: 14-17)
Then, when a commissioner sought to implement that allegedly
full range of review provisions by referring the actions of Christ Church and
the Presbytery of Northern New England to the Synod of the Northeast, the
assembly simply voted the move down. It is still possible that the Synod of the
Northeast could exercise its responsibility and find that Christ Church’s
statement defies the authority of the denomination. If the Synod does not do its
duty, the Christ Church case is closed, and Christ Church’s actions, which have
been imitated by others, will be the reality in the PCUSA. |
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June, 2003, Newsletter back to Presbyterian Coalition home page
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