Votes by East Tennessee and Holston Presbytery members on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, provided the final approval needed to pass amendment 24-C. The amendment to section G-2.0104b of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Book of Order changes the examination standards for ordained service to include an affirmation of newly adopted principles of participation that now include gender identity and sexual orientation.
These principles, included in amendment 24-A and affecting Book of Order section F-1.0403, received a majority vote from presbyteries earlier this spring.
The May 12, 2025, voting report from the General Assembly showed all amendments had been approved by a majority of presbyteries with the exception of 24-C, which was five votes away from the 50% mark of 84 presbyteries.
With recent approving votes on 24-C by the presbyteries of Olympia, St. Augustine, Indian Nations and Cayuga-Syracuse, Tuesday’s affirmative votes on 24-C by the presbyteries of East Tennessee and Holston mean the complete slate of amendments proposed by General Assembly 226 has been approved.
An email sent by the Covenant Network of Presbyterians following the vote celebrated the passage of 24-C, saying it would ensure the denomination’s “commitment to inclusion and diversity will play a more substantial role in decision-making about ordination and installation of ministers, elders and deacons.”
Slats Toole, co-moderator of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians board, was quoted as saying, “This is not only a major step forward for the LGBTQIA+ community, but for the church as a whole. In a time when we are deeply divided, Amendment 24-C encourages dialogue and gives us opportunities to learn from each other. This is vital to being a healthy, sustainable, and Christ-focused church in today’s world.”
Expanding non-discrimination
A strongly debated two-part change to the denomination’s Book of Order, presented in the POL-01 overture at GA 226 last summer, recommended adding gender identity and sexual orientation to the list of the “rich diversity” reflected in the church’s membership (recommendation 1, section F-1.0403). It subsequently recommended an examination of these principles for ordination and installation (recommendation 2, section G-2.0104b).
At issue during the debate was the extent to which recommendation 2 would serve as a litmus test for ordination, undermining freedom of conscience principles embedded elsewhere in the Book of Order.
Recommended changes to F-1.0403 read as follows (changed text underlined):
The unity of believers in Christ is reflected in the rich diversity of the Church’s membership. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, God unites persons through baptism, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, [gender identity, sexual orientation,] disability, geography, or theological conviction. There is therefore no place in the life of the Church for discrimination against any person. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its membership. No member shall be denied participation or representation for any reason other than those stated in this Constitution.
Recommended changes to G-2.0104b read as follows (changed text underlined):
Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (F-1.02). The council responsible for ordination and/or installation (G-2.0402; G-2.0607; G-3.0306) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of ordered ministry. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.0404)[, the Historic Principles of Church Order (F-3.01), and in the principles of participation and representation found in F-1.0403]. Councils shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.
As of the General Assembly’s May 12 report, 24-A had received 90% approval with 41 presbyteries left to vote (68% of the total 166 presbyteries), while 24-C had received 64% approval with 43 presbyteries left to vote (47.5% of total presbyteries).
For some, there was confusion over what exactly “a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation” meant, as it pertained to the “principles of participation and representation found in F-1.0403.”
Located in central Pennsylvania, the Presbytery of Huntingdon voted not to approve either 24-A (18-25) or 24-C (18-23). Huntingdon’s General Presbyter, Kathleen Sillman, said attendees at the meeting where the amendments were voted on “worked hard to maintain a spirit of love and listening” and be mindful of the relational aspects of the debate and eventual vote.
Saying the amendments made the PC(USA) “a place of radical welcome and inclusivity,” the Rev. Anne Ard encouraged the Presbytery of Huntingdon to approve the amendments.
The Rev. Brett Hoover, who voted against the amendments at the Huntingdon presbytery meeting, voiced his concern that the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity would drive older and more conservative members out of the church. He said the new language would create a conflict with the denomination’s historical commitment to freedom of conscience and be used to marginalize those holding traditional views on human sexuality and identity.
The Covenant Network of Presbyterians’ email release countered that the changes represented in 24-C do not remove an ordination council’s ability to decide on a candidate’s eligibility for ordination; rather, “it gives councils more information about candidates’ understandings as they make their decisions.”
“This new language provides the church with a rich opportunity for deeper reflection, honest conversation, and authentic discernment,” said the Rev. Brian Ellison, Covenant Network’s executive director. “I’m genuinely excited to see the ways these more comprehensive examinations will benefit LGBTQIA+ people, as well as those from other marginalized groups, as they hear more where they stand with those who would serve among them.”
Other changes
Ten other changes to the Book of Order and an ecumenical ministry-sharing agreement with the Episcopal Church have all received overwhelming approval from presbyteries.
Of interest in these recommended amendments are changes to representation at the General Assembly (24-J, G-3.0501), the extension of temporary pastoral relationships from 12 to 36 months (24-E, G-2.0504b), and the expansion of policies on sexual misconduct; harassment; child, youth and vulnerable adult protections; and antiracism policies (24-H, G-3.0106).
The constitutional change 24-M, the “Episcopal-Presbyterian Agreement on Local Sharing of Ministries,” allows for PC(USA) teaching elders to be accepted in “Episcopal appointments such as ecumenical ministries and cooperating parishes where the Episcopal Church has the right of appointment.” Conversely, Episcopal priests would be allowed acceptance in “Presbyterian placements and in ecumenical ministries where the Presbyterian Church has the right of appointment.” The agreement does not extend to commissioned pastors or ruling elders in the PC(USA) or to deacons in the Episcopal Church.
All approved Book of Order changes go into effect July 4, 2025.
