Presbyterian position on homosexuality
While the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has opened the way for gay individuals to be ordained, there remains an active discussion of sexual orientation in the church and society.
Commissioners at the th General Assembly (GA) will vote on a proposed overture to add more inclusive language to the Book of Order to forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Meanwhile, members of the Advocacy Committee for LBGTQIA+ Equity (ACQ+E) will attend their first GA as a group.
Advocates for LBGTQIA Presbyterians are hopeful the overture will pass and that the committee will be a passionate and representative voice for people who at times have felt unheard in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). But some people view the overture as a step in the wrong direction.
The Fellowship Community (TFC) , a network of Presbyterian churches, released a statement saying, “Our optimism is that the overture fails. We hope that the General Assembly commissioners will recognize that their task is to enrich the whole church, and not just those they agree with.”
The statement was releas
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Presbyterian Church (USA)
BACKGROUND
With its roots in the 16th century teachings of John Calvin, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) boasts million members who participate in more than 10, congregations across the country. The largest Presbyterian organization in the country, the denomination was formed in when the southern-based Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) joined the northern-based United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) to form a single entity. The Presbyterian Church (USA) remains distinct from the Presbyterian Church in America, which tends toward less inclusive policies.
The Presbyterian label derives from the Greek word for “elders” – lay leaders who verb the church and are chosen by its congregants. According to the denomination’s web site, elders work closely with clergy to, “exercise leadership, government, and discipline and include responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the church at large.” Elders serve at every level of leadership from “sessions,” which govern a single church, to “presb
Evangelical Presbyterians Take on Debate Over Celibate Gay Pastors
A Presbyterian denomination that prides itself on release in nonessentials has found its cooperative ministry model strained by the latest discussion of human sexuality.
Presbyterian historian Donald Fortson has been a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) since its inception in , and he says he has never seen a more “raucous” General Assembly than this year’s gathering, held last month in Memphis.
Among the topics of debate was whether to concede a congregation whose pastor identifies as homosexual but also says he is celibate and supports a traditional Christian sexual ethic, which falls under what some have called “Side B” Christianity.
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Greg Johnson, pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, led his congregation to leave the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) two years ago after that denomination had a preliminary vote to disqu
Presbyterian Church (USA) Considers Forcing LGBTQ Affirmation
An increasingly revisionist Presbyterian Church (USA) will take up legislation at its th General Assembly June 25 &#; July 4 in Salt Lake City barring ordination of candidates who are not LGBTQ-affirming.
Designated OVT, the proposal, known as an overture in Presbyterian parlance, would change two sections of the PCUSA Book of Order. The first convert alters section F, “Unity in Diversity,” to read (changes in brackets):
“The unity of believers in Christ is reflected in the well-off diversity of the Church’s membership. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, God unites persons through baptism, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, [gender identity, sexual orientation,] disability, geography, or theological conviction. There is therefore no place in the life of the Church for discrimination against any person. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its membership. No member shall be