| ASHEVILLE, NC
— The Presbytery
of Western North Carolina voted Saturday to withdraw its validation
of the ministry of the Rev. Parker Williamson, CEO of the Presbyterian
Lay Committee (PLC) and editor in chief of its publication,
The Presbyterian Layman.
During a contentious Jan. 31 meeting, the presbyters approved
a “hate the sin but love the sinner” compromise, invalidating
Williamson’s PLC ministry but allowing him to remain an
active at-large member of the presbytery and to keep his rights
of voice and vote during its meetings.
Williamson’s work for the PLC had been classified as “other
validated ministry.” The presbytery’s Committee on
Ministry had recommended that he be declared an “inactive”
member, which eventually could have led to the loss of his ordination.
The vote to withdraw the validation of the ministry was 150-106.
After the balloting, Williamson objected that he had been rendered
“a sort of a ‘man without a country,’”
and immediately said he would seek a stay of enforcement and appeal
the decision to a church court. |
