Ordination standards

General Assembly backgrounder

by Jerry L. Van Marter

     Sexual conduct standards for men and women seeking ordination, a divisive issue in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for more than 25 years, is on the General Assembly docket again this year.

      In 1978 and 1979, the PC(USA)’s predecessor denominations adopted policies — now called “authoritative interpretations” of the constitution — that bar the ordination to church office of “self-affirming, practicing homosexuals.”

      In 1996 and 1997, that prohibition was codified when a majority of the church’s 173 presbyteries ratified a constitutional amendment — provision G-6.0106b of the Book of Order — requiring church officers “to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.”

      Repeated attempts to repeal G-6.0106b have failed. Last year, proposals to repeal or modify the provision were deferred to the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, which is supposed to make its final report, including recommendations on ordination standards, to the 2006 Assembly.

    The Advisory Committee on the Constitution has — since 1997 — determined that both G-6.0106b and the “authoritative interpretations” would have to be repealed before the way would be cleared to ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians.

      Two overtures have been submitted to this year’s Assembly in Richmond, VA, that would repeal the “authoritative interpretations.” Two others would repeal the interpretations and G-60106b.

      Another overture would amend G-6.0106b to replace the phrase, “the covenant between a man and a woman” with “a covenanted relationship between two persons where a lifetime commitment is intended.”

      GA business related to the ordination standards will be considered by Assembly Committee 04 — Church Orders and Ministry.