Presbyterian church and gays

Presbyterian Church (USA) Considers Forcing LGBTQ Affirmation

An increasingly revisionist Presbyterian Church (USA) will take up legislation at its ^th General Assembly June 25 &#; July 4 in Salt Lake City barring ordination of candidates who are not LGBTQ-affirming.

Designated OVT, the engagement, known as an overture in Presbyterian parlance, would change two sections of the PCUSA Book of Order. The first adjust alters section F, “Unity in Diversity,” to study (changes in brackets):

“The cohesion 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 packed 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.

While the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has opened the way for gay individuals to be ordained, there remains an active discussion of sexual orientation in the church and society.

Commissioners at the th General Assembly (GA) will vote on a proposed overture to add more inclusive language to the Book of Order to forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Meanwhile, members of the Representation Committee for LBGTQIA+ Equity (ACQ+E) will attend their first GA as a group.

Advocates for LBGTQIA Presbyterians are hopeful the overture will pass and that the committee will be a passionate and model voice for people who at times have felt unheard in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). But some people view the overture as a step in the wrong direction.

The Fellowship Community (TFC) , a network of Presbyterian churches, released a statement saying, “Our hope is that the overture fails. We hope that the General Assembly commissioners will identify that their task is to enrich the whole church, and not just those they agree with.”

The statement was released in April because people were contacting the organization about the proposed overture, and the TFC

Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: Presbyterian Church (USA)

BACKGROUND

With its roots in the 16th century teachings of John Calvin, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) boasts million members who participate in more than 10, congregations across the country. The largest Presbyterian organization in the nation, the denomination was formed in when the southern-based Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) joined the northern-based United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) to form a unattached entity. The Presbyterian Church (USA) remains distinct from the Presbyterian Church in America, which tends toward less inclusive policies.

The Presbyterian name derives from the Greek word for “elders” – lay leaders who govern the church and are chosen by its congregants. According to the denomination’s web site, elders work closely with clergy to, “exercise leadership, government, and discipline and own responsibilities for the experience of a particular church as well as the church at large.” Elders serve at every level of leadership from “sessions,” which govern a free church, to “presbyteries,” consisting of regional church communities, to the General Assembly, representing the entir

Carl Schlegel’s Proselytizing Makes Him the Earliest U.S. Gay Activist

November A Brooklyn Heights Presbyterian church holds a “two-hour worship service and symposium on the subject of homosexuality,” which includes a performance of part of the male lover themed off-Broadway play “The Boys in the Band.” The pastor of the church, Rev. William Glenesk, claims that the sermon is necessary because “we must look at one another with love and compassion….variations of sex are not sin.” [1]

Undated The General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church releases a statement entitled “Sexuality and the Human Community” which contains a brief section on homosexuality. While the status of homosexuality as a “sin” is maintained, the Assembly also approves a recommendation that calls for the “elimination of laws governing the private sexual deed of consenting adults.” [2]

Undated Rev. David Bailey Sindt begins the Presbyterian Gay Caucus, which later becomes Presbyterians for Sapphic and Gay Concerns (PLGC), by holding a write at the General Assembly that asks “Is anyone else out there gay?” [3]

May The Presbyterian Homosexual Caucus is denied “unofficial organization” status b