Date: Wed, 9 Apr 1997 08:50:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97035: RCA Asked to Pass "Fidelity and Chastity" Amendment Banning Gay Ordina NR #1997-035: RCA General Synod Asked to Pass "Fidelity and Chastity" Amendment to Bar Gay Ordination and Extramarital Sex On March 18, the 2.7-million member Presbyterian Church (USA) received the necessary simple majority of its presbyteries to pass a "fidelity and chastity" amendment to the denominational book of church order which would ban the ordination of "persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged adulterous or homosexual practice" and declaring that all ministers, elders, and deacons "are to lead a life in obedience to the Scripture and in conformity to the historic standards of the church" including "the requirement to live either in fidelity with the covenant of marriage of a man and woman or chastity in singleness." Now, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Northern Michigan is proposing that the 1997 General Synod of the 313,000-member RCA adopt the identical rule and send it to the classes for ratification. Unlike the Presbyterian Church (USA), the RCA requires a two-thirds majority vote of its regional assemblies for ratification of church order amendments. NR #1997-035: For Immediate Release RCA General Synod Asked to Pass "Fidelity and Chastity" Amendment to Bar Gay Ordination and Extramarital Sex * RCA language based on successful Presbyterian Church (USA) amendment by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (April 7, 1997) URNS -- On March 18, the 2.7-million member Presbyterian Church (USA) received the necessary simple majority of its presbyteries to pass a "fidelity and chastity" amendment to the denominational book of church order which would ban the ordination of "persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged adulterous or homosexual practice" and declaring that all ministers, elders, and deacons "are to lead a life in obedience to the Scripture and in conformity to the historic standards of the church" including "the requirement to live either in fidelity with the covenant of marriage of a man and woman or chastity in singleness." Now, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Northern Michigan is proposing that the 1997 General Synod of the 313,000-member RCA adopt the identical rule and send it to the classes for ratification. Unlike the Presbyterian Church (USA), the RCA requires a two-thirds majority vote of its regional assemblies for ratification of church order amendments. In other actions taken at the Northern Michigan Classis meeting on March 11, the classis also adopted two related overtures. One asks the General Synod to require a majority vote of the General Synod and a two-thirds majority of the classes to enter a new ecumenical relationship with other denominations. A second asks the General Synod to direct the RCA Commission on Church Unity to "suspend full ecumenical relationships with any individual denomination which has adopted policies which promote and/or condone homosexual behavior and/or the ordination of self-affirmed practicing homosexuals to offices within their churches," such suspension to continue until "that denomination adopts policies which are consistent with the theological statements of the RCA on that matter." All three overtures are directed against the proposed "full communion" between the RCA, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), according to their author, Rev. Patrick Shetler of First Reformed Church in Grant, Michigan. The 1.5-million member UCC is the only mainline denomination in the United States which officially endorsed the ordination of practicing homosexuals. "If we were not taking this step toward full communion with the UCC, I would not see this step as necessary, but honoring and accepting the ordination of self-affirmed practicing homosexuals indicates that we need to move into an area of the constitution in terms of our response to homosexuality." Shetler noted that the RCA generally sees itself as more evangelical than the Presbyterian Church (USA) and that his decision to model the overture on the basis of PC(USA)'s successful "fidelity and chastity" amendment was intended to bolster support. "This statement fits well because we have been greatly influenced by the PC(USA) for the last several years, and this is something very good and positive that the Presbyterians have done," said Shetler. "It certainly can't be called 'fundamentalistic' coming from a historic mainline denomination just like ourselves working in a context very similar to ours." Rev. Parker Williamson, editor of the Presbyterian Layman, the main conservative periodical in the PC(USA) published by the Presbyterian Lay Committee, said he was pleased to learn that the success of the conservatives in the PC(USA) had sparked similar interest in other denominations. "The amendment was necessary because the Presbyterian Church (USA) leadership had shown evidence of a drift from Scriptural standards; therefore we felt it necessary to place in the constitution specific language that reminded the church of biblical standards for sexual behavior," said Williamson. Williamson noted that one similarity between the RCA and PC(USA) was that they are both "constitutional" churches with a detailed church order and doctrinal standards that can only be changed by approval of a majority of the national assemblies and the local classes or presbyteries. "One of the arguments that will be brought up is you can't legislate morality and this is a witch hunt," said Williamson. "People in a constitutional tradition understand that this is entirely appropriate to estab lish and enforce standards of behavior and belief." "I think it's helpful when people claim it moves in the direction of narrow legalism to point out that it does do certainly no more than the ten commandments do," said Williamson. "This argument is certainly a silly argument for anyone who has read the Ten Commandments." Unlike the CRC where the homosexual debate has been complicated by the presence of Rev. Jim Lucas, a celibate homosexual who has consistently declined to state his views on the acceptability of gay marriage, preferring instead to focus on pastoral care to homosexuals, the RCA has no openly acknowledged homosexual ministers. "If there are gay clergy in the RCA they are all presently in the closet," said Shetler. "It's better to pass something when you don't have a personality involved because then it becomes a personality issue rather than a theological issue." However, both Shetler and Williamson noted that the language of the amendment applied to both homosexuals and heterosexuals. "It has been the press that has sought to narrow the discussion to homosexuality," said Williamson. "We did not single out homosexuals as a specific group but this speaks to heterosexual sin as well. In our denomination by far the largest number of cases before our judicial commissions have to do with adultery, heterosexual behavior disapproved by Scripture." Shetler concurred that passage of his overture by the RCA General Synod would have a significant effect on heterosexual RCA ministers, particularly in divorce situations involving adultery. "That becomes a point that classis would have to look at very closely and ask about to properly supervise ministers," said Shetler. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-013: Special Meeting of RCA's Muskegon Classis Discusses Homosexuality, Scripture, Salvation Apart from Christ #1996-091: Rhem Conflict Leads to Homosexuality Debate in Muskegon #1997-027: "Kindred Spirits Gathering" of RCA Progressives Meet in Holland to Discuss Direction of Reformed Church in America #1997-031: Reformed Church in America's Second and Third Largest Classes Vote to Affirm Salvation Only Through Christ #1997-033: Holland Classis Rejects Church Order Amendment to Require Annual Declaration that Salvation is Through Christ Alone #1997-032: South Grand Rapids Classis Overtures Reformed Church in America to Reject "Full Communion" with United Church of Christ Due to UCC Approval of Gay Marriage and Ordination Contact List: Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499 Hans Holznagel, Director, Office of Communication, The United Church of Christ 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-1100 O: (216) 736-2222 Rev. Patrick Shetler, Pastor, First Reformed Church 271 E. State Rd., PO Box 365, Grant, MI 49327 O: (616) 834-8668 * H: (616) 834-7246 * E-Mail: grantreformedchurch@worldnet.att.net Rev. Parker Williamson, Editor, The Presbyterian Layman 1489 Baltimore Pike Suite 301, Springfield, PA 19064 O: (800) 368-0110 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-035.txt .