The Presbyterian Outlook

News and Articles from the The Presbyterian Outlook

Register Login Donate Subscribe

Top Search/Contact Area

  • Be A Fan

  • Follow Us

  • Photos

  • Pin It!

    • Home
      • About us
      • Advertise with the Outlook
      • Submissions
    • Presbyterian Hub
      • Editorials
      • Outlook Features
      • Digital Issues
      • Editor’s viewpoints
      • What’s right?
      • About People
      • Calendar Check
    • News +
      Current Affairs
      • Outlook Reporting
      • Presbyterian News Service
      • Religion News Service
      • News from other sources
    • Ministry + Theology
      • InSights Opinions
      • Benedictory
      • Guest commentary
    • Faith + Culture
      • Book Reviews
      • Those with ears to hear (music reviews)
      • He/She Said
      • Movie Reviews
    • Ministry Resources
      • Outlook Standard Lessons
      • Outlook Horizons Studies
      • Looking into the lectionary
      • Bulletin Inserts
      • Webinars
      • Hymns
    • Outpost Blog
    • Classifieds
      • Classified advertising

    Breach of faith: Apology overture is not the path to reconciliation

    April 8, 2016 by The Presbyterian Outlook 2 Comments

    Guest commentary by Barbara Wheeler.  (Click here to read a different perspective on this overture.)

    In 2011, a majority of presbyteries voted to replace language in the PC(USA) constitution (G-6.0106b) that was intended to bar partnered gay and lesbian church members from serving in ordained office. The new text is permissive. No definitive teaching about human sexuality is included. Rather, recognizing how deeply divided the church remained on these matters, the new section of the constitution was framed to respect the conscientious convictions of both sides and to permit a diversity of ordination practices.

    A commitment to freedom of conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is deeply rooted in Presbyterian tradition. Those of us who advocated changing or interpreting the constitution to permit ordination of partnered LGBT members and, later, same-gender marriage emphasized over and over that the proposed changes would not force any minister or council to say or do anything they deeply believed to be wrong. The fact that the ordination amendment would not impose the views of one theological party on the other had, I believe, a great deal to do with its passage. One pastor said to me during the debate: “I struggle with the ordination question because of my reading of Romans 1. But I have to pay attention to other Scriptures too, such as Romans 14:4 where it asks ‘Who are you to judge?’ and assures me that the Lord will judge. As long as we let the Lord do the judging, I can live with this.”

    When the changes came, the church’s leaders repeated the assurance of freedom of conscience: The “integrity” of all Presbyterians will be honored, wrote the stated clerk and other officers on the day that the ordination measure passed, even as the door opened to ordinations that were banned before. That protection has enabled many congregations and pastors who cannot approve the ordination or marriage of those in same-gender partnerships to remain in the PC(USA).

    Overture 050 from the Presbytery of New York City, the “apology overture,” breaks the promise of freedom of conscience that is an integral part of the new constitutional provisions for ordination. The overture denounces as “erroneous” and (in its introduction) “sinful” beliefs and practices that the church assured conservative and evangelical Presbyterians it would continue to respect. It proposes that the denomination apologize, in one voice, for theological convictions that a large minority of Presbyterians continue to hold and for constitutionally-permitted ordination decisions that sessions and presbyteries may continue to make.

    After the ordination and same-gender marriage amendments and associated authoritative interpretations passed in quick succession, some Presbyterian evangelicals voiced their fear of being “Kenyonized” – denied ordination or punished by church courts for convictions at odds with those held by the majority. This measure, which would force many conservative evangelicals to participate in the condemnation of their own deeply-held beliefs, will be seen by many as a step in that direction. “Last year,” one of them said to me after reading this overture, “you told us that we could think and do what we believe is right. This year you call us wrong and sinful. Next year will you excommunicate us for not agreeing with you?”

    Presbyterians – despite our doctrine of total depravity – are a proud people. Other faith traditions have issued a variety of confessions and apologies, based on careful research and long penitential reflection. We have not often done so as a denomination: We have a hard time owning up to the damage we have done. The Presbyterian Church is indeed called to repentance. The list of our serious offenses is long: the justification of slavery; racist attitudes through the centuries; the subjugation of women; our active participation in discrimination against Catholics and Jews; and homophobia, which until very recently has been pervasive in the church. These are evils in which all the strands of our tradition, and all of us, have been, in one way or another, implicated and which in many cases continue to have damaging impact today.

    The apology overture is not, however, the way to begin the process of repentance. It targets, scapegoats and demonizes one group: those who did not prevail in the ordination debate. It breaks our promises to respect their beliefs and actions. It violates the freedom of conscience of the minority. It is a breach of faith. I hope and pray that the commissioners to the 222nd General Assembly will disapprove it.

    Barbara Grumbach Wheeler 63BARBARA WHEELER is the former president of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City.

    ShareShare on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email to someone
    email
    Tagged With: ga222

    Commentary Tags: Featured Home Page/ ga222

    Comments

    1. John D'elia from Burbank, CA says

      April 8, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Thank you, Barbara, for your integrity in this process.

      Log in to Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Commentary round-up: Opinions on the “apology overture” coming to GA222 - The Presbyterian Outlook says:
      May 1, 2016 at 9:52 pm

      […]  Barbara Wheeler – The overture “breaks the promise of freedom of […]

      Log in to Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Related Posts

    • A Czech Visitor Looks at the PC(USA)

      The mission-partner-in-residence, as the job developed for me, is an itinerant, wandering preacher and presenter. In the period of one year I have traveled more than 28,000 miles by air and approximately an additional 2,500 miles by land. I preached, taught and spoke in 14 states in more than 20…

    • The Pathway to Partnership

      However, another significant document was approved at the 212th General Assembly, a policy statement of the Worldwide Ministries Division entitled "Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership." Partnership is intrinsic to God's trinitarian nature and incarnational mission. We participate in God's mission in partnership with God, with partner churches and agencies around…

    • John 3:16 and the Prodigal: (The Gospel and the Gospel)

      For centuries the Latin tradition has called the famous parable of the compassionate father (i.e., the Prodigal Son) Evangelium in Evangelio (the Gospel within the Gospel). Thus should not "the Gospel" (Luke 15) agree with "the Gospel" (John 3:16)? That is, shouldn’t the summaries of John and Paul agree with…

    Current Issue

    • February 11, 2019
    • January 21, 2019
    • January 7, 2019
    • December 17, 2018
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift
    • Read Online
    • Most Commented
    • Most Popular
    • PC(USA), A Corporation: Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask Confused, confused, confused. So many say they are confused by the octopus-like discussions involving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) corporate structure. (Others...
    • Vision before structure: Presbyterian Mission Agency Board scrutinizes recommendations from other groups CINCINNATI – The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board is considering asking the 2018 General Assembly to take the next two years...
    • Presbyterian leaders clarify what’s at stake in debates over restructuring LOUISVILLE – While no blazing agreement was reached, participants in an April 8-9 conversation regarding the corporate structure of the...
    • Prayer for Pittsburgh Lord, we know your power, your promises and your presence, but on days like today when your chosen people are...
    • 2018 GA bulletin inserts What happened at the 223rd General Assembly? Post-GA bulletin inserts What will they hear? Who will tell them? Give your church members...
    • 2017 PC(USA) membership statistics released The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) continues to lose members — with a decline of 67,714 members and the loss of 147...

    Keep the Faith

    Sign Up for Updates and Breaking News in your inbox

    Facebook

    Tweets by presoutlook
    Follow Us

    View Stories From

    • Presbyterian Hub
      • Editorials
      • Outlook Features
      • Digital Issues
      • Calendar Check
      • About People
        • Anniversaries
        • Ordinations
        • Retired
        • Deaths
        • Transitions
      • Archives
    • Faith + Culture
      • Book Reviews
      • Movie Reviews
      • He/She Said
    • Ministry + Theology
      • InSights Opinions
        • For Church Leaders
        • Faith Matters
        • Multichannel Church Report
        • #amen
        • Commentary
        • Benedictory
      • Liturgical Year
        • Advent
        • Lent

    The Latest:

    The core of stewardship is love

    February 19, 2019

    Letters to the church I love

    February 19, 2019

    DISCOVERING SCOTLAND

    February 18, 2019

  • Tweet With Us
  • Be A Facebook Fan
  • Our World in Photos
  • Pin With Us
  • CONTACT US:

    1 N. 5th St., Suite 500

    Richmond, VA 23219

    T: 800-446-6008F: 804-353-6369

    [email protected]

    Or ▶ Fill Out Our Contact Form

    © Copyright 2019 The Presbyterian Outlook. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement. Website Design by Poka Yoke Design

    • About us
    • Presbyterian Hub
    • Ministry Resources
    • Classifieds
    • Advertise with the Outlook
    • Submissions
    7ads6x98y