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Presbyterians OK Leeway for Ordaining Gays NewsMax.com Wires BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) national assembly voted Tuesday to create some leeway for gay clergy and lay officers to serve local congregations, despite a denominational ban on partnered gay ministers. A measure approved 298-221 by a Presbyterian national assembly keeps in place a church law that says clergy and lay elders and deacons must limit sexual relations to man-woman marriage. But the new legislation says local congregations and regional presbyteries can exercise some flexibility when choosing clergy and lay officers of local congregations if sexual orientation or other issues arise. The decision concluded a hard-fought struggle lasting years between liberals and conservatives in the 2.3-million-member denomination. Ten conservative caucuses allied to fight any change, and conservatives lost two last-ditch efforts to kill or delay the measure. The Presbyterian establishment, including all seminary presidents and many officials, promoted the flexibility plan, which was devised by a special task force. The idea is to grant modest change to liberals but mollify conservatives by keeping the sexual law on the books. It's unclear whether that will work. "We have been painfully aware that in some ways our greatest challenge was not preparing for this assembly but preparing for what happens after this assembly," the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, chief executive at denominational headquarters, told delegates after the votes. The Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, chief executive at headquarters in Louisville, Ky., told delegates after the votes, "We have been painfully aware that in some ways our greatest challenge was not preparing for this assembly but preparing for what happens after this assembly." Story Continues Below
The Rev. Blair Monie of Dallas, who chaired the committee dealing with the issue, said that "this is not an 'anything goes' proposal. In fact, it will make the examination of officers more rigorous." But a series of conservative delegates disputed that. "When the constitution is set aside and something mandatory is reduced to something optional, it destroys the constitution," said Robert Gagnon, a New Testament professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and author of a book opposing gay relationships. Gagnon said the denomination had reached "a transition point" that broke from Jesus' teaching in favor of man-woman monogamy. But Jesus was cited from the other side. Oregon youth delegate Jamie Moon said she found the assembly debate disheartening. She said she became Presbyterian because "Jesus Christ was love. Jesus Christ was acceptance. He said come to me and be my disciple. "He wants us to love everybody. Raise your hand if you're not a sinner," she told the assembly. © 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Editor's note:
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