Down to the wire

While the ELCA made headlines with its proposal to open the ministry to non-celibate gays, another mainline Protestant church is quietly dealing with the same issue. The 173 regional presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA) have been voting on whether to amend their Book of Order to allow gay and lesbian clergy. The amendment needs […]

While the ELCA made headlines with its proposal to open the ministry to non-celibate gays, another mainline Protestant church is quietly dealing with the same issue.

The 173 regional presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA) have been voting on whether to amend their Book of Order to allow gay and lesbian clergy.

The amendment needs approval by a simple majority, 87 presbyteries, to pass. To date, the PCUSA’s news service counts 35 in favor and 47 against.


In 2001, only 27 percent of the presbyteries supported a similar amendment.

But Jack Haberer, veteran editor of Presbyterian Outlook, a centrist weekly, looks at this year’s tallies and speculates that “it could go down to the wire,” as the other 94 presbyteries vote during the next three months.

So far, 15 presbyteries that voted against the amendment in 2001, have “flipped” on the issue.

Employing the red state/blue state metaphor made famous by CNN, Haberer sees some surprises. For instance:

“The first presbytery to tilt was Western North Carolina; it is home to the Presbyterian Lay Committee, which publishes the passionately-conservative newspaper, The Layman and distributes it free of charge to nearly a half-million Presbyterian homes. Also in the area are the Montreat Conference Center and the homes of many retired ministers and elders.”

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