March 19, 2009
by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE – With nearly three-fourths of the votes in, a hotly-contested proposed amendment to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Constitution is trailing. The amendment – officially dubbed "Amendment B" – would replace the current requirement that church officers live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness" with a new G-6.0106b.

As of March 18, the unofficial tally is 47 presbyteries in favor, with 79 opposed. The final tally will be certified and announced by the Office of the General Assembly. The 122 presbyteries that have voted represent 71 percent of the PC(USA)'s 173 presbyteries.

A majority (87) of the presbyteries must vote to ratify the amendment proposed by last year's 218th General Assembly in order for the new language to become church law. If ratified, it would tie ordination decisions more closely to assent to the ordination vows currently in the church's Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.

The proposed new G-6.0106b reads: "Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate's sincere efforts to adhere to these standards."

The current "fidelity and chastity" provision was added to the Book of Order in voting following the 1996 General Assembly. Two subsequent proposals to delete it have failed in presbytery voting – following the 1997 Assembly by a vote of 57-114 and following the 2001 Assembly by a vote of 46-127.

All indications are that the vote will be much closer this year.

Twenty of the 127 presbyteries that voted "No" in 2001-2002 have voted in favor of this year's amendment. No presbyteries that voted "Yes" last time have switched to a "No" this year.

If that pattern continues – with every presbytery that voted "Yes" last time voting the same this year – 19 of the remaining 32 presbyteries that voted "No" or "no action" (Western New York) last time would have to vote "Yes" this year in order for the amendment to be ratified.

If each of the remaining 51 presbyteries voted the same way it voted in 2001/2002, the proposed amendment would fail 66-107.

Presbyteries have until June 28 of this year to vote.

The unofficial tally to date:

For (47): Albany, Arkansas, Baltimore, Cascades, Cayuga-Syracuse, Charlotte, Chicago, Cimarron, Des Moines, East Tennessee, Eastern Oregon, Eastminster, Giddings-Lovejoy, Great Rivers, Greater Atlanta, Heartland, Hudson River, John Knox, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Maumee Valley, Miami Valley, Mid-Kentucky, Milwaukee, Monmouth, New Brunswick, New Castle, New Hope, Newton, Northern Kansas, Northern New England, Ohio Valley, Palisades, Redwoods, Santa Fe, Scioto Valley, Sheppards & Lapsley, Southeastern Illinois, Transylvania, Tres Rios, Twin Cities Area, Utica, West Jersey, Western North Carolina, Whitewater Valley, Winnebago, Yellowstone.

Against (75): Blackhawk, Carlisle, Central Florida, Central Nebraska (tie), Central Washington, Cherokee, Cincinnati (tie), Coastal Carolina, Donegal, Eastern Korean, Eastern Oklahoma, Eastern Virginia, Flint River, Florida, Foothills, Glacier, Hanmi, Holston, Homestead, Huntingdon, Indian Nations, Inland Northwest, James, John Calvin, Kendall, Lackawanna, Lake Erie, Los Ranchos, Mid-South, Mission (tie), Mississippi, Missouri Union, Muskingum Valley, Nevada, New Covenant, New Harmony, North Alabama, North Central Iowa, North Puget Sound, Northeast Georgia, Palo Duro, Peace River, Peaks, Pines, Pittsburgh, Plains and Peaks, Prospect Hill, Providence, Pueblo, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Joaquin, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Shenandoah, Shenango, South Alabama, South Dakota, Southern Kansas, St. Andrew, St. Augustine, Stockton, Tampa Bay, Trinity, Tropical Florida, Upper Ohio Valley, Washington, Western Colorado, Western Kentucky, Wyoming, Yukon.

"No" last time, "Yes" this year (20): Arkansas, Charlotte, Cimarron, East Tennessee, Eastminster, Great Rivers, Greater Atlanta, Lake Huron, Maumee Valley, New Hope, Ohio Valley, Scioto Valley, Sheppards & Lapsley, Southeastern Illinois, Transylvania, Tres Rios, West Jersey, Western North Carolina, Whitewater Valley, Yellowstone.

Presbyterian News Service