Last summer, the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) passed a change to the Book of Order, section G-6.0106b (or G-2.0104 in the New Form of Government).\u00a0 It was sent to the presbyteries for their concurrence, requiring 87 presbyteries to approve before it would take effect.\u00a0 That was labeled amendment “10A”.\u00a0 This amendment changes the standards for ordination, reversing the addition in 1996 of a specific “sin” (I reject that definition) that became an absolute bar to ordination.\u00a0 This change returns the Book of Order to the historic standard that ordaining bodies (Session for [Ruling] Elders and Deacons, Presbytery for Ministers [Teaching Elders]) would look at the whole character of the ordinand, judging whether or not their individual nature (which we believe to be unavoidably sinful in some manner) was good enough to lead the church.<\/p>\n
In 1996, the Book of Order was amended to prevent ordination of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people.\u00a0 That version reads:<\/p>\n
b. Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and\/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The new version that will take effect on July 10, 2011 reads:<\/p>\n
b. Standards for ordained service reflect the church\u2019s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and\/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate\u2019s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate\u2019s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This returns the church to its traditional polity – having local ordaining bodies make individual decisions on individual candidates.\u00a0 It should also be noted that a recent GA Permanent Judicial Commission case established a bar on the creation of lists of ordination standards to be applied to all candidates – each candidate must be considered individually.<\/p>\n
I applaud this change.\u00a0 I have felt for years and years that the discrimination and injustice and outright hostility shown by the denomination towards LGBT people has done serious harm, both to those LGBT people AND to the rest of us in the denomination.\u00a0 While it wasn’t the primary trigger, this discrimination (in other forms prior to 1996) was a reason for my departure from the church in 1987.\u00a0 I worked for PLGC (Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns – now knows as More Light Presbyterians) for 6 years after that as their volunteer coordinator for Presbynet, a church computer network.\u00a0 The continued discrimination against LGBT people delayed my return to the church until 2006 – for a number of years I considered a return occasionally, found the discrimination still present, and set aside the impulse.\u00a0 Ultimately I decided that returning was the right thing to do and that I should work as best I can to rectify the situation.\u00a0 I hope that I had at least an itty-bitty tiny part in making this happen.<\/p>\n
I have also seen the pain and anguish that the injustice has caused in the hearts of friends who turned away from their call from God, or pushed through with their call while having to hide an important part of themselves.\u00a0 It’s my earnest hope that they will experience some healing.\u00a0 I also hope that those who turned away from the church will come back now.<\/p>\n
Those of us who have worked to some degree for this change experienced a number of emotions last night.\u00a0 One friend tweeted that she was weeping in a room full of strangers.\u00a0 Others yelled and screamed their joy.\u00a0 Some were able to gather to celebrate in community.\u00a0 I experienced this joy too, though I was unable to express it openly as I was in another presbytery meeting and we were considering the sad need to dissolve a dying congregation.\u00a0 I am glad to hear of the joy, and I applaud the joy.\u00a0 I’m glad to see it expressed – particularly by those who are most directly affected by the change.\u00a0 Emotions are an important part of healing.\u00a0 And I believe that this is truly a wonderful working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.
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\nThose who fought this change – who fought for the 1996 change – are understandably upset.\u00a0 Some are talking about the increased departure of members from our churches.\u00a0 That’s a complex issue – some<\/em> have certainly departed because they felt that the church was too progressive, but I believe that the majority of those who have left did so through apathy, disinterest, or death.\u00a0 Our church is aging through the failure to retain our youngest members, and I believe that the discrimination against LGBT folks has caused our young adults to turn elsewhere.\u00a0 Some of these upset folks are threatening to leave, or to carve out a corner in the denomination friendly to their beliefs alone.\u00a0 Folks who are opposed to gay ordination are upset, angry and hurting.\u00a0 They are children of God as much as the LGBT community that was hurt by past actions.\u00a0 I believe that it’s important to remember that.\u00a0 Our polity is based on communal discernment with the aid of the Spirit, and as a result will almost always have people on the “losing” side who felt quite correctly that their words and acts are guided by the Spirit.\u00a0 I believe that there is power in the process of discernment itself, though it is messy and painful at times.\u00a0 I am praying for those who can now be ordained as they should have been in the past, AND for those who felt that they should not be ordained.\u00a0 This anger should also be expressed, but I hope that it is done in a manner that does not harm others and remembers that our “enemies” are children of God.<\/p>\nThere is also a lot of fear.\u00a0 I had a conversation with a fellow church member yesterday who calls himself “conservative”.\u00a0 He expressed not a desire to leave, but the fear that others would act on their desire to leave as a result of this change.\u00a0 I countered (in my reflexive style on these issues) that others had already left because of the discrimination, and others had failed to join us for that reason.\u00a0 (I’m a bit sorry about that now.)\u00a0 This is a very real fear.\u00a0 Some will do so in a knee-jerk reaction – in many cases inflamed by those who have already said that the church has turned away from biblical standards<\/a> (posted online minutes after the vote last night).<\/p>\n
Others will leave because they believe that their presence with others who hold a different belief constitutes endorsement of that belief.\u00a0 I find this to be generally true of conservatives, and generally not true for progressives.\u00a0 As a friend tweeted yesterday (on a related issue):\u00a0 “I think it points to the idea that conservatives see inclusion as acceptance and affirmation. libs can separate inclusion from acceptance.”\u00a0 I reject the notion that inclusion implies acceptance, but then I am progressive.\u00a0 Additionally, I feel very strongly called to stand between the opposing sides and communicate with both – and hopefully get them to communicate with each other.\u00a0 Part of that comes from my project management training and experience (the IT vs. line-of-business divide is every bit as severe as the conservative\/liberal split).\u00a0 But part of that comes from a very real call that I feel to help others reconcile.\u00a0 (Getting myself to reconcile with others …. let’s just say that I’m working on that.)<\/p>\n
In the youth ministry world we are talking about a change in how people become engaged in Christian community.\u00a0 The old model was “Believe -> Behave -> Belong” – that we first had to have the right beliefs, then act appropriately, and then were acceptable for full membership.\u00a0 The new model is “Belong -> Behave -> Believe”.\u00a0 We learn and change and grow by the process of being in community first, followed by adopting the behaviors of the community, which helps cause our belief.\u00a0 It’s this process of communal shaping by rubbing against each other (stop snickering!) that is at the heart of our polity of communal, in-person discernment of God’s will for the Church.\u00a0 We only see God’s will fully in community with each other.\u00a0 I have said that I see God in others more often than I see God in other ways.<\/p>\n
We will only grope our way to the Truth by staying together and working together and praying together.\u00a0 And so it is my hope that we will do just that – remain together.\u00a0 If it turns out that this change is wrong, God will make a correction happen.\u00a0 If it turns out to be right (as I believe), then we will all see it as life unfolds.\u00a0 Those who are hurting so much that they cannot remain should be allowed to depart with dignity and love.\u00a0 But I truly hope that we will all stay.\u00a0 It’s time for the end result of a fight during a hockey game – sharing a beer together after the game and laughing about it.<\/p>\n
To conclude, I believe that this new day is a good day.\u00a0\u00a0 And I pray for all whose lives have changed in this process, for perceived good and perceived bad.\u00a0 We are all part of the Church.