NEWS STORY: Presbyterians begin voting on clergy sex standard

c. 1998 Religion News Service UNDATED _ Presbyterians have begun voting on a proposal to soften the sexual conduct standard of the denomination’s ordained officials _ pastors, elders and deacons _ and early indications are the proposal is likely to be defeated. At issue is the so-called”fidelity and integrity”amendment to the Book of Order, the […]

c. 1998 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ Presbyterians have begun voting on a proposal to soften the sexual conduct standard of the denomination’s ordained officials _ pastors, elders and deacons _ and early indications are the proposal is likely to be defeated.

At issue is the so-called”fidelity and integrity”amendment to the Book of Order, the 3.7 million-member Presbyterian Church (USA)’s law book.


The”fidelity and integrity”amendment was adopted at last June’s General Assembly, the church’s top decision-making body, and sent to the 172 presbyteries _ local clusters of churches _ for consideration even as a more stringent standard, known as the”fidelity and chastity”rules, went into effect after being approved by the presbyteries early last year.

While both amendments apply to all ordained church officers, the controversial measures are widely regarded as the mainline denomination’s effort to grapple with the divisive issues of the ordination of homosexuals and the role of gays and lesbians in church life.

The”integrity”standard, more formally known as Amendment A to the Book of Order, says that among the standards of those called of hold ordained offices in the Presbyterian Church (USA) are”the requirement to demonstrate fidelity and integrity in marriage or singleness, and in all relationships of life.” It would, if approved, replace the current”chastity”language requiring ordained officers to”live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness.” As of Jan. 5, 14 presbyteries had voted on the”integrity”standard, with 10 voting against it and four voting for it, according to the church’s Office of the General Assembly, the official tally-keeper.

Although that’s a long way from a definitive vote, church observers noted that three of the 10 presbyteries voting against the new standard either voted”no”or”no action”last year, in effect reversing their vote on the”chastity”amendment adopted last year.

The”chastity”amendment was adopted in 1997 on a 97-74 vote, with one presbytery voting”no action.”For the new”integrity”vote to pass, at least 12 of the presbyteries who voted in favor of”chastity”would have to change their vote and support”integrity.”Instead, the switches have been the other way.”Of course, this is not good news,”said the Rev. John Buchanan, a former General Assembly moderator who heads the Covenant Network, which is working for the passage of the”integrity”amendment.

Buchanan told the Presbyterian News Service, the denomination’s official news agency, that he remembered the early votes in last year’s polling were against the strict standard but as the winter and spring voting wore on, that trend was reversed and the strict standard was adopted.

Adoption of the”chastity”standard generated a groundswell of protest in some sectors of the church and a number of congregations and groups of congregations pledged ecclesiastical disobedience if they were enforced.


MJP END ANDERSON

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