[3-16-01]

Two visitors have commented in response to these thoughts.  Sam Lanham points to the importance of the human dimension of the issue in presbytery debates.
[3-17-01]

Following the deciding votes on March 13, sealing the defeat of Amendment O and its ban on the blessing of holy unions, Witherspoon president Jane Hanna offered some thoughts, along with WebWeaver Doug King.

We have also shared a helpful and hopeful analysis and comment by Doug Nave.

Now we're happy to offer more reflections on this action, from three other current officers of The Witherspoon Society.

If you have thoughts to share, please send them along, and if they contribute to the conversation, we'll add them too!

The Rev. Chris Iosso, Issues Analyst of the Witherspoon Society and pastor of Scarborough Presbyterian Church in Scarborough, NY, comments:

It is clear that the Presbyterian family system just took a turn for health. Legalistic, coercive behavior designed to control others is rarely a sign of health, whether in families, congregations or denominations. Whatever people's personal feelings about homosexuality, a majority of presbyters declined to devote more of the denomination's energies and resources to policing other people's lives. (In the popular world, this is called, "getting a life." In the Friedman school of family systems counseling, it is called leadership by self-differentiation).

It seems clear, as well, that a space for grace was being left for Gay and Lesbian people in the church. Love between two people is to be honored, and fidelity encouraged, by the vote.

The church should now be alert to efforts, such as those of some newspaper chains and talk-shows, to continue to provoke division in the church by calling such unions "marriages." Whether or not the participants in such unions consider themselves "married," the intent of the church and its definitions are clear. Blessing is an inclusive category.

Although I would like to believe that the vote is a positive sign about the easing of the debate on homosexuality, I think more that the vote against O was in part due to how poorly worded and sweeping the amendment was. Basically, I think that if there were to be an up or down vote on whether or not we ought to allow the joining of two men or two women in holy union, most Presbyterians would say it was a bad idea. But, the devil is in the details, and legislation pertaining to who a pastor can and cannot bless, just doesn't sit well with most of us.

Secondly, telling sessions how they can run their show makes most Presbyterians nervous. Finally, I think many of our churches and elders are just sick of the entire debate, and want desperately to get back to the mission of the Church...which plainly isn't arguing about the logs in our own eyes. I wish I could be more optimistic. I am truly glad the amendment failed. But I doubt it has anything to do with the debate on homosexuality.

The Rev. Gene TeSelle, former president of Witherspoon, now serving as liaison with other organizations, notes that the defeat of the ban on holy unions "simply leaves us where we were since 1991; anybody in their presbytery meetings could have read, right at the bottom of the first page on Amendment O, the ACC opinion, adopted by that year's GA, which said that the Directory for Worship does not exclude such ceremonies if they are not called marriages. It's a matter of learning to be comfortable with the complexities that life always involves. The AP headline was basically on target, however--a referendum to the presbyteries says that we 'may' (not must) celebrate holy unions (other-sex as well as same-sex!!) when in our judgment it is a committed relationship for which prayer is appropriate."

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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!

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

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