On October 8th, the Presbyterian Church (USA) – the more liberal and tolerant branch of the denomination – conducted its first openly gay ordination. This momentous event was the culmination of a long and arduous struggle against the church’s ecclesiastical heterosexism, which previously prohibited the ordination of sexually active unmarried Presbyterians as church officers. Amendment 10-A, passed in May of this year, removed this provision from the church’s constitution (The Book of Order).
The ordination of Scott Anderson was celebrated by many Presbyterians. Anderson had previously served as co-Moderator of More Light Presbyterians, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, and Executive Director of the California Council of Churches. His ordination stands as a testament to the dedication of the many clergy brothers and sisters who were either defrocked or denied ordination due to their sexual orientation or perceived LGBTQ identity.
The Presbyterian Church, with its 2.3 million members in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, has been embroiled in a long-standing debate over the inclusion of LGBTQ worshippers. Despite its proud boast of being “reformed and always reforming,” the church has been slow to accept diversity without divisiveness. At the 190th General Assembly in 1978, the church declared that “the repentant homosexual person who finds God’s power to control his or her [sexual] desires can certainly be ordained, all other qualifications being met.” This effectively relegated LGBTQ worshippers to second-class status, as they were barred from serving as pastors, elders or deacons.
In recent years, however, a number of initiatives have been taken to promote the inclusion of LGBTQ members within the church. The “More Light Presbyterians” coalition, for example, is a group of congregations and individuals committed to increasing the involvement of all people in the church, regardless of sexuality. This year, the Presbyterian Church finally abolished its ban on LGBTQ ministers, elders and deacons becoming ordained, thus ending a long history of discrimination and exclusion. The church is now taking steps to ensure that all worshippers can serve without fear of discrimination.
The More Light Presbyterians, a movement within the Presbyterian Church (USA), are dedicated to the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the church. This commitment to inclusivity has been reaffirmed by the 210th General Assembly in 1998, which declared that sexual orientation alone should not be used to exclude anyone from consideration for ordained service. This was further reinforced by the Permanent Judicial Commission in 2003, which stated that sexual orientation alone is insufficient to make a person ineligible for ordination or installation.
In light of these developments, many are now asking why the Presbyterian Church (USA) is loosening its regulations on LGBTQ worshippers. The More Light Presbyterians are leading the way in demonstrating that the church is indeed reformed and always reforming.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is on the brink of a historic decision to abolish its discriminatory policy against same-sex relationships. Speculation as to the cause of this shift has been rife, with four possible factors being cited: some congregations have left the denomination, some Presbyterians and presbyteries are eager to move on from the long-running debate, increased societal tolerance of same-gender relationships, and the more palatable wording of Amendment 10-A. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in an open letter to the Church, expressed his belief that the decision to allow gay and lesbian Christians to be ordained as church leaders is an act of justice, and affirmed his support of the move. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is now poised to make a momentous change, one that will be welcomed by many.
