A new observer reviews the Assembly through the lenses of an inclusive-church activist, and finds a mixed picture, with more to be done – especially dealing with the issue of power     [6-28-06]

Sonnie Swenson wrote these comments soon after the Assembly. She introduces herself thus: "I attended GA as one under the umbrella of (but still brand new to) TAMFS. In addition to that affiliation, I have been involved with MLP nationally and locally, individually and congregationally, for years and years; and with CovNet as a local chapter leader (of a chapter that has chastised the national CovNet leadership for not being strong enough). I have also been active in the inclusive church movement through the Lazarus Project in Southern California. I consider my own best work to be at the grassroots level, and the bigger and wider the scope gets, the more painful it all gets for me."

The Presbyterian News Service report begins:

Following a round of civil debate, the 217th General Assembly Committee on Church Orders voted narrowly Saturday to recommend leaving the "fidelity-chastity" ordination standard in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) constitution.

The committee's 30-28 vote recommended disapproval of an overture from Heartland Presbytery that sought to delete G-6.0106b from the Book of Order. The provision requires "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness."   The rest of the report >>

Thanks to More Light Presbyterians for these details and comments  [6-19-06]

At 3:18 PM central time today [Saturday, June 17], in a virtual tie, the Committee on Church Orders voted 30 in favor, 28 opposed on a motion to DISapprove the Heartland overture, which calls for the deletion of G-6.0106b.

This committee vote means that the Heartland pro-LGBT delete-B overture and its 21 supportive overtures and concurrences have received a nominal thumbs-down from the committee, however the vote is so obviously divided that it may have little significance when the General Assembly plenary session begins. As MLP Birmingham and Legislative and Judicial Affairs team member Mike Smith noted via phone, "Now we'll go to the floor and see if the General Assembly is equally close... we're going to try to win this thing!"

Your Right Now postcards, your prayers, your financial support, your More Light Sunday participation, all of these have made a tremendous difference in our work for justice at General Assembly. Our prayers are with our MLP General Assembly ground team as they shift to the next stage of this year's political efforts: advocacy for the Heartland overture on the floor of General Assembly.

A statement from MLP field organizer Michael Adee follows this message.

More updates and news from Birmingham will be available throughout General Assembly at www.mlp.org - be sure to check in daily to stay current.

________________________________________________

More Light Presbyterian members, supporters, donors, allies & friends,

June 17, 2006
From the 217th General Assembly, PCUSA, Birmingham, Alabama

RE: Perspective on the Church Orders' Committee vote today on the Heartland Ordination Overture

Minutes ago, the Church Orders' Committee of the General Assembly voted 30-28 to disapprove the Heartland Presbytery Ordination Overture that would have removed discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in our church.

While this vote is a disappointment, of course, this is not the end of possibilities within this Assembly for justice to be done here in Birmingham. Several other options remain including a minority report, a hearing on the plenary floor of the entire Assembly, etc. This remarkably narrow vote is a message to the Assembly that there are indeed those in the Church willing to remove barriers to LGBT persons following God's call to service.

Those of us here in Birmingham witnessed many allies coming forward to speak from within this committee asking for fairness, the welcome and affirmation of LGBT people in our Church, and to end discrimination. With the committee discussion of the ordination overture, many thoughtful, articulate, passionate voices spoke for change, for fairness, for justice.... calling for the committee, and our Church, to recognize the sacred worth and gifts for ministry of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

From the open hearings before the Church Orders' committee to the Overture Advocates' presentations, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians spoke of their faith, love for God and God's Church, and their calls to ministry. Each time a LGBT person finds their voice, to courage to speak, to offer a witness this counts, this is a "win." Many heterosexual allies, parents and friends stood to speak their truth, how they changed their hearts and minds, and why they believe that our Church needs to remove these barriers.

Special thanks to all of the Sessions and presbyteries that sent Ordination overtures to this General Assembly. Our work is not over, the committee vote was close, many possibilities await us there in Birmingham in the next few days.

Much gratitude to all of you at home, and in church, praying for this Assembly, and for our Church to "get it" .... to recognize that all of us are children of God, that all of us are created in the image of God, unconditionally loved by God, and the Gospel is "good news" to all persons, not just heterosexuals. It is my continued deep hope and prayer that this Assembly will bring a "good word" to LGBT persons, our parents, families and friends. It is my continued deep hope and prayer that this Assembly "do justice" and do justice now.

To keep up with MLP and "GA News" I encourage you to keep going to the MLP Website - www.mlp.org  MLP Board Member Bruce Hahne is closely monitoring G.A. business and MLP activities and posting them on our national website.

For those of you who are like me gay, or lesbian, bisexual and transgender, let us "remember who we are" as children of God, created good just as we are and unconditionally loved by God just like our heterosexual sisters and brothers. No matter what the PCUSA does or says this week, it is my prayer that no LGBT, queer or questioning person, younger or older, doubt that they are a child of God and loved by God.

So, do not lose heart in being who you are, or in loving God and neighbor, offering mercy or doing justice. It is gratifying to know that the many dozen MLP'ers who are here praying, working and witnessing in Birmingham that we are not alone, that you are here with us, in heart, prayer and spirit, too.

Now, back to the MLP educational/outreach booth in the G.A. Exhibit Hall. Stay tuned for more news from Birmingham - www.mlp.org

with hope and grace,

THAT ALL MAY FREELY SERVE

Recommendations for the Now and Future Church
The Heartland Overture (Overture 02) and
the Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church

Issued in Conjunction With the September 5, 2005 TAMFS Statement "On Not Being Weary in Well-doing," A Response on the Final Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church

[6-9-06]

That All May Freely Serve believes the Heartland Overture (Overture 02) most completely reflects our mission that calls us by the teachings of Christ and compels us by faith to advocate and struggle for a welcoming and inclusive church. Abusive power, which we strongly lament is not addressed by the Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity, (hereafter, abbreviated as the Task Force) is the underlying, often covert, dynamic at the root of the unjust discriminatory standards of G-6.0106b. and "definitive guidance." This unjust abuse of power pushes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to the margins of the church’s life as second class members. The arbitrary legalism of G-6.0106b., based as it is in cultural fears and hostilities toward LGBT people, fails to seek the will of Christ for the church to be grounded in covenanted grace. It is this injustice that causes rupture in the peace, unity, and purity of the church. Persistent acquiescence to injustice causes the church itself to abandon the peace of Christ and thus it is the church itself that deprives itself of unity with Christ, who alone supplies the church’s purity of practice and faith. True reconciliation that seeks to restore peace, unity, and purity to the church is possible only among equals who mutually share access to power and work together to dismantle abusive systems like G-6.0106b.

THEREFORE, it is not alone for the equality of and justice to LGBT people that we urge approval of the Heartland Overture by the 217^th General Assembly (2006), but for the integrity and true healing of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) so that we may grow together into Christ, who is our peace, unity, and purity.

TAMFS is rooted in its core values of seeking integrity, maintaining relations with our allies and constituents, as well as seeking love, justice, and freedom for all people. As such we are committed to working with our other progressive partners in advocating for the approval of Overture 02 (along with the 21 other presbyteries besides Heartland that endorsed this overture). If Overture 02 is not recommended for approval by the 217^th GA, but the Theological Task Force Report is recommended for approval in its present form or in some form amended by the GA committee, we shall consult with our progressive partners about how we can work together to make sure some positive action comes out of the 217^th GA.

Since TAMFS affirms elements of the authoritative interpretation proposed by the Task Force to be appropriate constitutional provisions (See longer response in "on Not Growing Weary in Well-Doing".) of which governing bodies should be aware, we believe it would be positive to raise the provisions of G-6.0108 up to presbyteries and sessions for their consideration in dealing with candidates for ordination and/or installation. In addition, since TAMFS strongly believes that G-6.0106b. and "definitive guidance" are unjust and discriminatory, we shall not cease from encouraging presbyteries to send overtures to every General Assembly until these discriminatory provisions are eliminated from our polity. To do less would be to participate in a moratorium on doing what is right and just and to abandon our responsibility and integrity.

In the event the GA considers approval of the Task Force’s authoritative interpretation and it is not approved by the GA, we strongly encourage presbyteries, sessions, and candidates to keep these presently existing constitutional provisions in mind and put them into practice. We stress that the constitutional provisions of G-6.0108 are still legitimate parts of the constitution even if the Task Force’s authoritative interpretation is not adopted.

Finally, TAMFS has very distinct and disturbing memories of GA commissioners being encouraged to use any excuse close at hand not to consider the merits of acting on the deletion of G-6.0106b., be it a long succession of calls for moratoriums on legislation or waiting for one more pending report of a task force. The perception exists that the Report of the Task Force will cause commissioners to the 217^th GA not to give due consideration to Overture 02. TAMFS strongly urges commissioners to resist any tendency toward choosing the apparent "easy way" out of conflict and the hard work they are called to do. Instead, TAMFS urges commissioners to embrace their constitutional right and responsibility to give due consideration to each piece of business before the General Assembly.

Debate on G-6.0106b complicated by Theological Task Force report
[Doug King - 5-23-06]

by Jerry L. VanMarter, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – May 23, 2006 – Including overtures and concurrences, 22 of the 173 presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have petitioned the 217th General Assembly to send a proposed amendment to the presbyteries for ratification to delete G-6.0106b from the denomination's Book of Order.

That provision of the church's constitution requires of church officers either "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness."

The ban on the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians dates back even further, to 1978, when the General Assembly adopted a "definitive guidance" that "self-affirming, practicing homosexuals" are not eligible for ordination.

When the 1996 General Assembly proposed the inclusion of G-6.0106b in the church's Constitution, 57 percent of the presbyteries voted to ratify it. Two subsequent attempts to remove it – in 1998 and 2002 – failed by votes of 67 percent and 73 percent, respectively.

Proponents of the ban point to its increasingly wide margins of support as evidence that the PC(USA) is decisively opposed to its removal from The Book of Order. Opponents of the ban counter that the "popular vote" was much narrower and that the issue is one of justice and equality for all Presbyterians.

The issue may be moot this year. The Assembly is scheduled to vote on the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church before taking up the G-6.0106b proposals.

The TTF is proposing that no changes be made to the constitutional standards for ordination or the authoritative interpretations that buttress them, while giving ordaining bodies – congregations in the case of elders and deacons and presbyteries in the case of ministers – some leeway in applying the standards to particular candidates for ordination, thereby creating the possibility that some bodies could ordain non-celibate gays and lesbians.

If the TTF recommendations are approved, the Assembly would be hard-pressed to take any further action on G-6.0106b.

Two presbyteries – Upper Ohio Valley and Central Washington – are calling for a moratorium on G-6.0106b-related action for eight years and 12 years, respectively.

Unrestricted Accusations

Church Polity Committee (05) has before it two Overtures dealing with the lack of any restrictions on who may file Accusations against individual Presbyterians under D-10.0102. (The problem occurs when a single Presbyterian files numerous Accusations all over the country. Under D-10.0102, a governing body must automatically appoint an official Investigating Committee with its attendant costs when any such written Accusation is received.)

Item 05-20 from the Presbytery of Santa Fe (concurrence from Presbytery of San Francisco) and Item 05-21 from the Presbytery of The Redwoods offer a solution to this problem. Both call for restrictions on who may file Accusations, but they both protect victims by allowing for direct filing by any Presbyterian who alleges having been personally harmed by an alleged offense under D-10.0102a. (Alleged victims are also protected under D-10.0102b.)

There are two related Overtures - (Item 05-15) from Presbytery of Mission and (Item 05-16) from Presbytery of National Capital. Item 05-15 is Regarding Mediation and Reconciliation and Item 05-16 is Outlining a Process to Handle Frivolous Complaints.

The text of the overture >>

LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
for the 217^th General Assembly
June 15 - 22, 2006, Birmingham, Alabama

All overtures listed below are items of business in committee #4, Church Orders, except for the Theological Task Force report, which is an item of business in Committee #6, Ecclesiology.

1. On Overture 002 (Item 04-01), the Heartland Overture

More Light Presbyterians recommends a yes vote on this overture, which arrives at General Assembly supported by 21 similar overtures and concurrences from Presbyteries around the country.

Rationale for support:

Passage of the Heartland Overture will move the PCUSA forward into the twenty-first century and begin a healing process by eliminating unjust, unbiblical, and unPresbyterian discrimination from our ordination standards. Institutionalized Presbyterian discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people began in the late 1970's and has now caused nearly 30 years of suffering, destruction of lives and careers, judicial attacks, and the forced exodus of talented pastors and laypeople from our denomination. The time is Right Now for the PCUSA to put an end to these policies which have caused, and continue to cause, intense damage to the Church and to the human soul. Any delay simply makes the problem worse.

2. On the Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church (Item 06-01)

More Light Presbyterians recommends that commissioners vote to receive, but not adopt, the final Report of the Theological Task Force (TTF). MLP recommends a no vote on any motion to adopt the recommendations of the report.

Rationale for opposition:

The recommendations of the Task Force are a significant step backwards for our denomination:

• The TTF's proposed Authoritative Interpretation changes nothing, for it simply reaffirms what it means to be Presbyterian. By the TTF's own admission: "No elements of the proposed authoritative interpretation are new," [p.33] and "the proposed authoritative interpretation introduces no innovations." [p.34] The proposed Authoritative Interpretation will not bring peace to the Church, because judicial attacks against LGBT people will continue as long as the anti-LGBT provision G-6.0106b remains in the Book of Order. To fail to take corrective action to eliminate G-6.0106b is the theological equivalent of refusing to treat a wound: the longer we delay, the worse the situation becomes.

• The tortuous path envisioned by some supporters of the Task Force report recommends that LGBT people "declare a scruple" - a dissent - against G-6.0106b during their ordination process. Such an approach still requires LGBT candidates to accept the viciously homophobic language of the Church's 1978 position statement that "all homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian faith and life" even while declaring a scruple against G-6.0106b. The argument that TTF supporters ask LGBT people to make is, in essence, "I admit that my very nature is intrinsically counter to God's will, however I dissent against the clause of the Book of Order that says this makes me unfit for ordination." To recommend such an approach for LGBT people is to commit an act of spiritual violence against them. Such a path to ordination is unacceptable to vast numbers of LGBT people in the denomination, and moves us backwards as a denomination through our demand that a minority group deny the image of God within themselves.

• The TTF's recommendation that the General Assembly should refuse to adopt any other authoritative interpretations or overtures that fall within the TTF's extremely broad scope of concern represents a frightening precedent: the use of democratic process to strip a minority group of their access to democracy itself. One of the great principles of Presbyterian polity, and indeed of all modern democracies, is the right to petition for the redress of grievances. The TTF's recommendation number 6 proposes to eradicate this core principle of democracy by declaring that the PCUSA should simply refuse to change.

The message that this recommendation sends to LGBT Presbyterians and friends is clear: "you can talk all you want, but General Assembly will refuse to listen." Coming in the midst of a report that recommends that we "live in harmony" with each other, this "no democracy for you!" recommendation is beyond the pale.

For more information, analyses, news and educational resources go to the National More Light Presbyterians' website - www.mlp.org

Provided by More Light Presbyterians

In this article we'll maintain an updated list of all known delete-B overtures and concurrences, with links to specific MLP articles and a vote count when available. The postmark deadline for submitting overtures to the 2006 General Assembly was Feb. 15, 2006.

April 19, 2005: Heartland Presbytery, 109 yes - 92 no. ( MLP article here)
May 24: Western Reserve, 69 yes - 39 no - 4 abstentions
June 25, 2005: Cascades Presbytery, 92 yes - 61 no ( MLP article here)
June 28: Detroit Presbytery, 120 yes - 77 no ( MLP article here)
August 20: Des Moines Presbytery, 42 yes - 34 no - 2 abstentions ( MLP article here)
September 13: Twin Cities Presbytery, 103 yes - 39 no ( MLP article here)
September 17: Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, 88 yes - 36 no ( MLP article here)
September 27: Genesee Valley Presbytery, 77 yes - 22 no ( MLP article here)
November 8: Lake Michigan Presbytery, approximate vote count 78 yes - 35 no ( MLP article here)
November 8: Newton Presbytery, 50 yes - 35 no ( MLP article here)
November 12: Newark Presbytery
November 12: East Iowa Presbytery
November 17: Baltimore Presbytery, 71 yes - 28 no ( MLP article here)
November 19: Presbytery of Southern New England, 72 yes - 56 no - 3 abstentions
November 29: Hudson River Presbytery, voice vote ( MLP article here )
December 13: Chicago Presbytery, 147 yes - 50 no ( MLP article here)
January 10, 2006: San Francisco Presbytery, 118 yes - 95 no ( MLP article here)
January 21: Redwoods Presbytery, 64 yes - 16 no ( MLP article here)
January 23: Boston Presbytery, 42 yes - 40 no ( MLP article here)
January 27: Presbytery of de Cristo, 48 yes - 38 no ( MLP article here)
January 31: New York City Presbytery, est. 75 yes - 7 no ( MLP article here)
February 11: Winnebago Presbytery, vote count not known

Kenneth Smith, president of the Witherspoon Society, reviews Dr. Jack Rogers' latest book,, exploring further his new understanding of the Biblical perspective on sexuality and the church

Jack Rogers’ latest book, Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church (Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), is a tract in the best sense of that word – a tract to help the PC(USA), and other Christian denominations as well, manifest the hope that "one day soon, our church will again uphold . . . biblical and confessional principles by welcoming our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sisters and brothers as full and equal members in our church and society." I share this hope.

This book is not much longer than a tract (126 pages plus notes) and yet provides a comprehensive review of the topic, undertaken through the lens of Jesus’ gracious life and ministry. Jack looks at how Christian views on slavery and the role of African Americans, the role of women and divorce have changed over the years and the parallels between these earlier misunderstandings of Scripture and the current positions of those opposed to full inclusion of LGBT persons. He reviews PC(USA) guidelines for "a positive and not a restrictive use of Scripture in matters of controversy," and uses them to look at the biblical passages most often cited in this debate. He takes on the arguments against same-sex marriage and the belief in male gender superiority on which they are often based. Finally, he offers his recommendations for the PC(USA).

The use and interpretation of Scripture is certainly an important issue for Jack. As he says, in recalling his own journey from reflexive opposition to homosexuality to writing a tract advocating full inclusion of LGBT persons, "I changed my mind initially by going back to the Bible and taking seriously its central message for our lives." Guideline #5 from the PC(USA) puts the central message this way:

"Let all interpretations (of the Bible) be in accord with the rule of love, the two-fold commandment to love God and to love our neighbor."

Jack writes: "When we interpret Scripture in a way that is hurtful to people, we can be sure that we are not glorifying God." I think it is clear that the use of the Scripture in the debate over full inclusion of LGBT persons often fails to glorify God.

Jack takes on the topic of same-sex marriage because, as he writes, "the issue of ordaining people who are gay and lesbian is inextricably linked to the issue of marriage." In other words, if same-sex marriage were permissible in the church, we could hold LGBT and straight clergy to the same ordination standard: faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. Currently, LGBT folks in committed, long term, monogamous same-sex relationships are told that they must remain celibate if they wish to be ordained.

Jack not only highlights this inequity; he takes on the opposition to same-sex marriage in the broader society. His primary premise is that there is a strong link between opposition to equality between men and women and opposition to same-sex marriage, and his primary target is James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family. I’ll let you read the details yourself. Suffice it to say that Dobson fans will not be happy, but those in the other camp are in for an enjoyable read in Chapter 6.

Jack’s recommendations to the PC(USA) go well beyond removal of G-6.0106b; although his arguments for removal of this "flaw in the Book of Order" are certainly helpful. He calls for the amendment of G-4.0403, on Full Participation, to include persons of different sexual orientations. He recommends the correction of the answer to Question 87 of the Heidelberg Catechism after a convincing argument that the phrase "homosexual perversion" is not an accurate translation of any of the language in the original document. (This correction was sought a few years ago , without success, by Johanna Bos and Christopher Elwood of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.) Jack raises the question: "How do we heal the church of this injustice [of failing to fully include LGBT persons] that has divided us?" He believes "that the first step is for all of us in the church to apologize, institutionally, collectively and personally."

P.S. With the publication of Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality in March, 2006, with its recommendations to the PC(USA), I could not resist setting Jack’s recommendations along side those from the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church (TTF). As an advocate for full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life of our church, I would find it easy to say that Jack’s recommendations are the ones that the TTF should have made. However, that is not how the TTF perceived its call. The TTF felt called to look at how persons in the PC(USA) could live in harmony with one another in the face of difficult issues on which we disagree. Jack felt called to help heal our differences around the difficult issue of full inclusion of LGBT persons. These calls and recommendations are not in conflict with one another! We need to live together in harmony, even when we differ, and we need to make the changes in church law so that the healing of our differences around full inclusion of all God’s children can proceed.