"The troubling committee decisions will likely be reversed by the full Assembly." -- Director of Presbyterian Action Jim Berkley
Contact: Loralei Coyle 202-682-4131, 202-905-6852 cell, lcoyle@ird-renew.org; Radio Interviews: Jeff Walton, jwalton@ird-renew.org; both with the Institute on Religion and Democracy
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 25 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) biennial General Assembly is meeting June 21–28 in San Jose, California. This top denominational governing body sets policy and vision for approximately 2.2 million Presbyterians.
On June 24, a General Assembly committee voted to change the constitutional standards for deacons, elders, and ministers to be ordained to office. Among the ordination standards is a requirement for sexual morality, in particular that officers of the church "live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness."
The committee also recommended the removal or reversal of two other regulations that, together with the constitutional "fidelity and chastity" provision, provide a clear standard for ordination. The committee decisions, however, are not final. The full General Assembly must yet decide on the committee recommendations. Then, a majority of the 173 regional governing bodies called "presbyteries" must ratify the constitutional amendment before it takes effect.
Jim Berkley, Director of Presbyterian Action, commented:
"What we have at this point is one committee's recommendation, and it appears to be a group clearly atypical among Presbyterians. While Presbyterians as a whole lean in a theologically conservative direction by roughly a two-to-one margin, this committee evidenced roughly a four-to-one split in the other direction, toward theological liberalism. That is a vast deviation from the reality of Presbyterians out in the churches!
"These troubling committee decisions will likely be reversed when the full set of commissioners decide the issue in plenary session. An informed, organized, articulate, and faithful group of commissioners will be prepared to advocate for refusing to lower moral standards that are based on God's best for humankind. And even if General Assembly should vote to change our church constitution, the amendment would likely fail for lack of ratification by regional presbyteries.
"Presbyterian Action stands shoulder to shoulder with faithful Presbyterians to maintain the integrity of our denomination's enduring message of moral truth."
The IRD, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.
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