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| Groups comment on the defeat of
Amendment O
[3-19-01]
Presbyterian-related organizations have responded in different ways to
last week's deciding (but not final!!) votes on the amendment that would
have banned the blessing of any relationships not considered
"marriages" under the current Book of Order of the
Presbyterian Church.
You may want to look at some of the statements:
Comments from The Witherspoon Society are on
two other pages:
While the comments are not totally unpredictable, it may be worth
noting some of the observations on a couple major questions:
Is this a good decision?
The Covenant Network "is grateful that the
presbyteries have defeated proposed Amendment 00-O. In so doing, they
have, we believe, wisely chosen to leave the responsibility for
providing appropriate worship and pastoral care with the ministers and
sessions chosen by God through the voice of the people to fulfill these
duties."
More Light Presbyterians and That All May Freely Serve:
"Many of us as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of
faith are grateful -- as our heterosexual sisters and brothers are --
for the opportunity to have our committed relationships recognized in
the faith community of which we are an integral part. Our families and
our friends join with us to stand in support, and to honor our
commitments in deeply sacred moments for all present. We hope that the
defeat of Amendment O is not only about preserving the historic right of
sessions and ministers to fulfill pastoral responsibilities, but also
about celebrating and supporting mutual and healthy relationships."
Robert L. Howard, chairman of the Presbyterian Lay
Committee: "The loss of Amendment O has inflicted a deep wound
in the life of our church. Offended by 'same-sex union ceremonies' in
some of our churches and the failure of our highest court to prohibit
them, faithful Presbyterians who uphold the sanctity of marriage are now
questioning their continued membership in a denomination that will not
affirm the clear teaching of Scripture."
Presbyterian Renewal Leaders Network: "The
defeat of Amendment O confuses, rather than clarifies, the witness of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) on marriage. Our constitution does not
allow same-sex marriages."
What's next?
Or: Will this lead to a split in the Presbyterian Church?
Covenant Network: "Some have suggested that the defeat of
this amendment brings closer an inevitable split in the Presbyterian
Church. We strongly disagree. And we pledge ourselves and our network to
work with renewed dedication for the common mission we share with all
our colleagues in ministry, whatever our views on issues of sexuality.
This is a time for Presbyterians to recommit ourselves to the love,
respect, and mutual forbearance that characterize Christ's church."
More Light Presbyterians and That All May Freely
Serve: "We call on our Presbyterian Church (USA) to create
venues in which we may learn from each other and work toward healthy
human relationships, in all their forms."
The Layman Online: "The reaction to the defeat of Amendment
O -- which would have prohibited Presbyterian Church (USA) pastors from
blessing marriage-like unions of homosexual couples -- has been swift
and, often, explosive. Those who view homosexual unions as a violation
of Biblical and confessional theology warn that the defeat of the
amendment could rupture the denomination." The article then quotes
comments from various people, such as Dr. John Buckingham: "It is
time to leave en mass [sic.]. I can leave every temporal thing such as
buildings, organs, sound systems and investments, but I cannot leave the
Word of God." Others are quoted as saying that "theological
conservatives" should stay and do battle.
Lay Committee chairman Robert Howard: "We urge Presbyterians
who are faithful to Scripture not to leave the denomination at this
time. Our board of directors is meeting March 23-24 to assess the
current crisis and seek God's leading toward a faithful response. We
will share our conclusions throughout the Presbyterian Church
(USA)."
Presbyterian Renewal Leaders Network: "...
we declare that the lordship of Jesus Christ and his requirement that we
obey the moral law are not negotiable. Church leaders who openly defy
Biblical faith and ethics are pushing our denomination perilously toward
schism. We confess that we cannot -- and we will not -- compromise the
integrity of God's Word."
If you have comments of your own to add, we'd be
glad to hear from you, and to share them here. 
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Visit
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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