40 years ago — June 26, 1978
With the United Presbyterians having held the national headlines on the issue of homosexuality in their recent San Diego General Assembly, there was some interest in what Presbyterians, U.S., might do about the same question. True, there was no major report coming before the Shreveport meeting to force a position, but there were eleven overtures from as many presbyteries, seeking some kind of clear statement. It was apparent that it could not be avoided. The issue appeared on Thursday afternoon with the report on Justice and Human Development … . The standing committee proposed that the overtures, with their varied topics, be answered by referring them to the Council on Theology and Culture which has been working on a report on this subject for submission to the 1979 Assembly. Second, it called for a reaffirmation of the 1977 statement: “That the 117th General Assembly express love and pastoral concern for homosexual persons and the need for the church to stand for just treatment of homosexual persons in our society.”
From the article: “The issue of homosexuality” by Aubrey N. Brown Jr.
