Local option has frequently been put forward as a solution to the harsh dilemma the church faces — being pulled between its commitment to inclusiveness and its varying ways of interpreting scripture. Up to now local option has usually been dismissed on the basis that it abridges the traditional assumption that uniformity is essential for a national church; meaning that all sessions and presbyteries must interpret the church’s standards for ordination in identical ways.
We are a national church, albeit one that has regularly declined to establish the essential tenets of its theology. Yet we already experience many forms of local option which challenge the notion that complete uniformity is essential. Some congregations rely heavily on Presbyterian curriculum and program materials, others do not. Some channel most of their mission dollars through the general mission system, an increasing number do not. Some presbyteries are tough on allowing candidates to attend non-Presbyterian seminaries, some are not at all. Some work hard to promote Presbyterian mission causes among their congregations, some are more relaxed about that.
The intractability of the continuing struggle and its great harm to the spirit of the church, now cry out for a more thoughtful consideration of local option, but this time giving equal attention to each word in that phrase. Local has been well understood to emphasize those parts of the constitution which assign to sessions and presbyteries responsibility for determining who are to be set apart for special forms of ministry — being ordained. Option however has not up to now been probed as fully as could be useful as we explore — almost desperately now — some way outof the stressful and tragic disagreement which continues to plague us.
The value of the word option is that it declares that sessions and presbyteries would have choices available to them. An option is the opposite of a mandate. Whatever language as might be proposed to amend the constitution to provide local option, it must allow those not wishing to ordain gays and lesbians the freedom so to choose, while also granting those wishing to ordain gays and lesbians that freedom. The trick — if that is not too frivolous a term for ecclesial analysis — is to rely just as heavily on the full implications of option as on those of local. The expectation would be that sessions and presbyteries could be trusted to interpret and utilize the ordinations standards of the church in ways most appropriate to their local faith communities.
The very future of the PC(USA) may well depend on the mature ability of its members to agree to disagree, while finally bringing this heart breaking thirty year war to the peace table, as their church moves on with its vital mission in God’s world. A commissioner to the Fort Worth General Assembly expressed a sentiment appropriate now for the whole church, when he said “I’m not sure the Holy Spirit has given me the last word. I have learned to tolerate what I can not embrace.”
Some who oppose gay and lesbian ordination will have genuine concern about a constitutional change which might be interpreted as a mandate. Our earlier experience with the ordination of women was so interpreted. The wisdom and necessity of that decision are often debated. There is an important distinction however. In earlier years every church presumably had qualified women held back unfairly from ordination. Today while many sessions and presbyteries want very much to be able to ordain otherwise qualified gays and lesbians, others can be left free to consider the issue only at such time as they may be ready to do so.
There will be those on both sides of the issue not fully satisfied with balanced local option as a solution. Perhaps our beloved church is on an irrevocable course toward being re-grafted as two adjoining branches of the Presbyterian tree; one committed to inclusiveness, one devoted to particular interpretations of scripture. Local option may not be the ideal solution to our church’s deep struggle, but is is probably the only one that can work. There is a way out.
GENE HUFF, member of San Francisco Presbytery, is former executive presbyter of Western Reserve Presbytery
