A History of Ordination Standards

Written by Dr Rod Pinder

Forum 1  June 10, 2010

Listen to Discussion

Terms used:

• Denomination names:  UPC (United Presbyterian Church) and PCUS (Presbyterian Church of US) names for Northern and Southern branches of Presbyterian Church in the US (divided during the US Civil War, reunited as PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of USA) in 1983.
• PJC:  GAPJC, SPJC.  The court system in PCUSA to settle disputes:  General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission and Synod Permanent Judicial Commission.  Analogous to the Supreme Court (GAPJC) and Court of Appeals (SPJC) in US judicial system.
• GA:  General Assembly.  The highest legislative body within PCUSA.
• G-6.0106b.  A section in the Book of Order (part of the Constitution of PCUSA).  This is within the standards for ordination of officers (formerly Ministers of Sacrament and Word, Elders, Deacons and other officers).
• Authoritative Interpretation (or AI).  A ruling by the GAPJC that has the effect of being passed by the General Assembly and ratified by Presbyteries.

History

• 1970’s, Question was asked in UPC and PCUS “Can we ordain homosexuals?”
  • (It was asked because we didn’t do so.) Presbyteries of New York City and Palisades.
  • Dan Johnson was a seminary student at Union New York
• 1978 THE CHURCH ANSWERED THE QUESTION ASKED. “Definitive Guidance” or Authoritative Interpretation. Unrepentant, self-affirming practicing homosexuals cannot be ordained to office. (The qualifiers are very important!)
• Attempts to allow ordination of homosexuals continued.
• 1983 Reunion of UPC and PCUS.
• 1996 The General Assembly Advisory Committee on the Constitution indicated that without explicit language in the constitution prohibiting ordination of practicing homosexuals, it might happen.
• 1996 G-6.0106b. Fidelity and Chastity. (For gays and straights!) “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.”
  • THE CHURCH ANSWERED MORE THAN THE QUESTION ASKED.
• Scott Anderson surrenders credentials.
• Jane Spahr, in Redwoods Presbytery, marries same-sex couples according to civil law in California
• Lisa Larges is approved for ordination in San Francisco Presbytery. Charges filed. This is the “Parnell v San Francisco” case.
• 2001 WPC Signs “Confessing Church” statement
• Attempts to allow ordination of homosexuals continued.
• 2010 Repeal of  AI, new AI.
• 2010 Amendment A passes GA. Replaces G-6.0106b with a call to joyful submission to the Lordship of Christ.
• 2011 Amendment A approved by presbyteries.
• Knox Presbytery seeks to ordain Scott Anderson.
• Los Ranchos Presbytery (and CFP and others) pass policy to continue to require biblical standards. Remedial case filed against Los Ranchos.
• 2012
  • GAPJC approves the ordination of Scott Anderson, stating that the passage of Amendment A makes the prohibitions against his ordination moot.
    • GAPJC refers the San Francisco case (Larges) back to SPJC.
    • [Note: The Larges case and the Knox Presbytery case were presented to the GAPJC at the same meeting. In the Larges case it was argued that while the Form of Government had changed, the Book of Confessions – particularly the Heidelberg Catechism – and the Bible had not changed. Therefore church law still prohibits Lisa Larges’ ordination. GAPJC refers back to SPJC for remedy. SPCJ takes no action.]
    • After referring back to SPJC, GAPJC approves ordination of Lisa Larges.
    • (Lisa Larges declines ordination at this time)
  • GAPJC opines that church law regarding same-sex marriage is wrong, but rules that Jane Spahr violated church law and directs Redwoods Presbytery to sanction her. (Lightly.)
    • Redwoods Presbytery instead commends Jane Spahr.
  • SPJC (Southern California and Hawaii) scolds Los Ranchos for using “divisive language” like “fidelity and chastity,” but upholds their right to pass that policy.
  • SPJC (Southern California and Hawaii) Los Ranchos decision is appealed to GAPJC.

FUTURE

• GAPJC
  • If Redwoods Presbytery is not effectively disciplined, then de facto the “historic principle of church order” that the larger part of the church, or a representation thereof, governs the smaller no longer applies. Precedent will be set that smaller governing bodies are free to ignore and contradict larger governing bodies.
  • If the SPJC decision regarding Los Ranchos is overthrown, Presbyteries like CFP will not be allowed to require fidelity and chastity. Dismissing those requirements will become mandatory.
• GA (June 30-July7)
  • CFP (and others) sent overtures to reverse 10-A and reinstate fidelity and chastity
    A new translation of the Heidleberg Confession is proposed, going back to the original German, which did not include part of I Corinthians 6:9
    There is a request for an AI interpreting marriage as a covenant between two persons.
  • It may be the case that after July 7 I will be required to perform same sex weddings if ever that becomes legal in Florida. My conscience will not allow me to do that.
  • It may be that after the GAPJC decides the Los Ranchos case (or even after possible action by this GA) WPC will not be able to consider fidelity and chastity as requirements for ordination. We may expect leaders not to cheat on their taxes, not to lie, not to kill etc. but we would no longer be able to expect them to practice sexual purity. My conscience will not allow me to do that.

Next week

• We will look at what the Bible says about homosexuality compared with what the Bible says about slavery, women in leadership and divorce.