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PC(USA) Ruling on LGBT Clergy
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In what can only be interpreted as a victory for those seeking open LGBT ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA), the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (read: Presbyterian Supreme Court) has ruled in the cases of Lisa Larges and Paul Capetz.
Lisa Larges, who has become a lightening-rod for sexual orientation issues, had previously submitted a statement of conscience dissenting from the requirement of celibacy for homosexual clergy. She was moved forward for ordination by her Presbytery, but stopped by legal action from opponents of ordination of "practicing" homosexuals. This GAPJC decision affirms her right to be ordained in the PC(USA), and now her ordination rests on her Presbytery of care considering her qualifications apart from her sexual orientation.
Dr. Paul Capetz, professor at United Theological Seminary in Minneapolis had set aside his ordination in protest over the previous ban on homosexual clergy and elders in the church. He had presented a statement of conscience to his Presbytery, and his statement of conscience has been accepted, allowing his ordination to be reinstated.
The legal issue here seems to be that the Book of Order (read: Presbyterian Constitution) has language which precludes anyone from being ordained who is not married to one person of the other sex or celibate while in 2008 the General Assembly (read: Presbyterian Senate) passed language which allowed for exceptions to be made to this rule due to the conscience of individuals seeking ordination. This is the kind of situation that will lead to a house divided on legal grounds as well as moral and theological, and some reconciliation has to be made on paper at least for a continual back-and-forth of legal action will ensue.
In essence, it is something like a law being passed by the U.S. Congress but the President refusing to enforce it. In some ways, this action by the GAPJC is like the Supreme Court ruling that law unconstitutional. The comparison isn't perfect because the Presbyterian system is different from the United States system, but they have similar roots in Scottish legal philosophy, and if you are watching this from the outside, this might help make things a little more clear.
This ruling continues a trend that many have commented on and that I have also observed - the clergy and those at the 'top' of the governmental system of the Presbyterian Church tend to be more liberal while the Presbyteries, the local groups of clergy and elders, seem to be evenly divided on the issue LGBT ordination. (That isn't quite accurate. They are divided on the issue of L and G ordination. Issues of Bs and Ts get scooped up in the same category, but I believe we are farther away from accepting the entire alphabet soup of sexual and gender identity.)
Regardless, watch for this decision to provoke more conflict, argument, schism, celebration and cries of heresy from the church at large. No judicial decision or General Assembly action will resolve the issue of LGBT ordination, and one wonders what might resolve it in the end, or if it is even possible.
If you would like to read about how this decision is a victory for God's justice and love, here are some sites to check out:
If you would like to learn how this decision violates God's Word and will ruin everything, these might be of interest:
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