NCC General Secretary removes signature
from marriage statement
[posted here 11-21-00]
by Bill Lancaster, Presbyterian New Service
ATLANTA -- 17-November-2000 -- National Council of
Churches (NCC) General Secretary Bob Edgar first signed, then removed
his signature from a statement on marriage after discovering the
statement offended gays and lesbians.
The statement, "A Christian Declaration on
Marriage," which Edgar signed earlier this week along with
representatives of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the
Southern Baptist Convention and the National Association of
Evangelicals, defined marriage as between man and a woman.
When Edgar was questioned about that decision at the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Breakfast during the NCC General
Assembly meeting here yesterday, he said that he supported same-sex
unions.
Edgar then issued a statement in a letter to NCC
delegates appealing to them not to misinterpret his signing the marriage
statement as condemnation of gays and lesbians.
"I believe that churches must support Christian
men and women in marriage ù especially in our 'disposable society,'
where marriage is often diminished and undermined, a practice contrary
to Christian teaching and heritage ...." he said in the letter.
The statement also said, "I would not want this
statement to be misconstrued as if it were an oblique comment on
same-sex unions. Even more importantly, it would be unconscionable if
support for married couples, so desperately needed today, were to be
twisted into a weapon that can be used to attack gays and lesbians,
their families and friends and all in our churches who love and care for
them."
Earlier this morning, Edgar apologized to the assembly
delegates and said that he was removing his signature from the marriage
statement.
"I overstepped my authority as general
secretary," Edgar said in an interview.
He said the NCC needs to have a consistent policy to
back up its positions, "and in reflection, and particularly in
looking at the reaction to my signature on that letter, two things
became clear throughout yesterday, one was I hurt some friends very
badly by signing onto a document that was interpreted and misinterpreted
in ways that I did not intend.
"I support marriage, and I support more than
marriage the love between two people, and I don't differentiate whether
it is between a man and a woman or a woman and a woman or a man and a
man or whatever. We need fidelity and care in relationships."
His second concern, after reflection, was that he
abused his authority.
"I apologized to the delegates and announced that
I am withdrawing my name from that letter and will communicate that to
the other signers of the letter and to the press. And I instituted a
policy that the general secretary not have the authority to sign onto
any document that is not backed up by policy of the general
assembly," Edgar said.
"This is particularly important as we move to
broadening the ecumenical table, because we will get ourselves into all
kinds of binds if one individual, namely the general secretary or the
president or [any NCC official] is saying things that aren't owned by
the member communions of the National Council of Churches ...."
He said he asked the general secretary's advisory
board to meet in the next two weeks to reflect on what transpired
"to see if there are any additional remedies that need to take
place."
He said in the interview it's important to realize
"the general secretary is human, and that the general secretary,
given all the enormous pressures of preparing for the general assembly,
of [dealing with] the financial structures, of trying to blend this
cadre of 36 member communions, has a very difficult task."
