In her examination, Lisa declared a departure regarding G-6.0106b. In written materials she provided, Lisa indicated that the standards set forth in G-6.0106b were not essentials of Reformed faith and polity and were, indeed, “contrary to essentials of Reformed faith and polity.”
Lisa’s case and the debate in our meeting of Presbytery called to mind the experience of my older brother, Rob. Rob is an ordained minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.). After graduation from seminary, he served congregations in Wheeling, West Virginia, Ringwood, New Jersey, Bellingham, Washington, and Amagansett, New York.
In Rob’s mid-fifties he realized he was gay. He had formerly been married. He and his wife had a son. There was a divorce. Rob proceeded to raise his son and continue in ministry. By the time he was clear about his identity, he had been in ministry about twenty-five years.
So the question arises: at the point in his life when Rob realized he was gay, was he somehow no longer capable of the same quality of faith in Christ, no longer capable of respecting the authority of Scripture, no longer knowledgeable about our Reformed faith and polity, and somehow not as effective in preaching the Word, teaching Scripture, administering the sacraments, moderating meetings of session, or providing pastoral care?
I realize that it is possible to claim that simply being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender is not the issue in our ordination standards. Although the language of G-6.0106b is not as clear as many would like it to be largely because of its use of the word “chastity,” there seems to be more tolerance for someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender who is not in a committed relationship.
This brings to mind another brother in Christ, a member of my church, Calvary Presbyterian Church. He also is gay. In one of our conversations he said something that was arresting and convicting. He said it was hard enough as he was growing up coming to terms with himself as a gay person. What was especially painful was the message he received that somehow, simply because he was gay, his capacity to love another person was “unclean” and his capacity for fidelity was suspect.
What is it about those of us who are heterosexual that makes at least some of us believe without reservation or reflection that if a person is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender his or her capacity to love and practice fidelity is impaired?
It is easy to imagine a chorus of voices saying such things as “Well, that’s not the issue,” but I respectfully claim that it is, if not the issue a very significant issue. Before there is a rush to the claim that we can still love such a person, what quality of love is it that inherently questions another person’s capacity to love, much less have and express gifts for ministry.
LAIRD STUART is pastor of Calvary Church in San Francisco, Calif.
