Putting AI to the Test

Paul Capetz, a former member of the PCUSA Presbytery of the Twin Cities, is asking that judicatory to restore his ordination and membership in the presbytery on the basis of a “scruple,” an exception he takes to the “celibacy in singleness” provision of the ordination standards of the denomination. According to the Layman Online:

Capetz cited the 217th General Assembly’s approval of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity’s report – including its authoritative interpretation – in his request for reinstatement to the presbytery’s committee on ministry.

He said he was “grateful for this new authoritative interpretation of section G-6.0108 in our Book of Order that makes it possible for me to request reinstatement as a minister with a good conscience and for this presbytery to have the authority to determine my fitness for holding this office once again.”

The presbytery’s committee on ministry voted 11-3 to concur with his request to be restored to the ordained office of minister of the Word and sacrament. In a letter describing the discernment process to be used at the meeting, Anita M. Cummings, chair of the presbytery council, said, “How we discern the matter is as important as what we discern” (emphasis in original).

“We will be using an extensive discernment process for determining how we will respond to this particular request,” she explained. “Discernment is different from debate in that we are not trying to win an argument. We are trying to listen to one another. As we meet together, we will be in the strong Reformed tradition of trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”

She continued: “To be clear: Paul Capetz, formerly a member of the presbytery, is declaring a scruple to Book of Order G-6.0106b in his request for restoration of his ordination and membership in presbytery. We are to discern whether or not that which he is declaring as a scruple is as essential tenet of the Reformed faith.”

To be clear: they are going to go through whatever process they need to in order to convince people that this is not a done deal. Which it is. (Sorry to be cynical, but I’ve heard way too much denomination-speak over the last 24 years to think this is anything other than that.)

Here’s what Capetz had to say by way of arguing for his reinstatement:

In his request for reinstatement, Capetz said that in April 2000, he requested to be released from the exercise of the ordained ministry because of G-6.0106b: “At that time, I was unable to construe that amendment to the constitution as implying anything other than commitment to a life of permanent celibacy on the part of homosexually-oriented persons who served as ordained officers in the church. Aside from the fact that I am a gay man who could not in good conscience pledge a vow of celibacy, as a theologian of the church I could not then, and cannot now, affirm such an interpretation as in accord with our Protestant and Reformed tradition …”

He continued: “From my own personal anguish as a gay Christian man, I know at first hand the existential toll this amendment has taken on that lives of persons of faith and integrity who seek to discern what it means to follow a call to serve God as an ordained officer in the church.”

He said his views have not changed since 2000, and that he remains as “firmly committed as ever to a future for the Presbyterian Church (USA) when it will recognize the moral demand to grant ‘unconditional acceptance and full equality to gay people.’”

“In the meantime, however, a possibility then unforeseen be me has been opened up” he said, referring to the 2006 GA’s approval of the PUP report. “Since the church has now seen fit to find a way beyond the impasse occasioned by the incorporation of G-6.0106b into the Book of Order, I have prayerfully discerned that it is appropriate for me at this time to request … my reinstatement in it as a minister member. … I still insist upon expressing a scruple of conscience or principled objection to G-6.0106b in particular and to the unsatisfactory moral position of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the issue of homosexual relationships in general.”

In other words, he contends that the AI changed things, despite the fact that Louisville and lots of presbytery officials have been adamant that it didn’t change anything. If, as I expect, he is reinstated, it will confirm what the New Wineskins Association and other evangelicals have been saying for the last 18 months–that the AI did, in fact, change the standards to make them optional. I’ve seen the argument made that even if the scruple is accepted, he’ll still have to live with the disciplinary requirement of celibacy, but I think he makes pretty clear that he has no intention of offering to take that vow or live by that standard. Then it will be up to the presbytery to discipline him, and who wants to take a bet on that happening?

Quincy and Great Rivers Reach Agreement

Kishwaukee (see post below) isn’t the only congregation to get good news this week. First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, Illinois has been released by the Presbytery of Great Rivers, with their property, for a small fee, of course. According to the Quincy Herald-Whig (isn’t that a great name for a newspaper?):

First Presbyterian Church of Quincy and the Presbytery of Great Rivers have reached an agreement that will allow the church an orderly transfer to a different denomination while keeping its building and grounds.

First Presbyterian will pay the presbytery $196,000 on Jan. 9, a figure that allows the church to be sole owner of the property and facilities at 1027 S. 24th. The agreement also releases both parties from any future claims, damages or demands.

The agreement was reached earlier this week and follows First Presbyterian’s wish to be released from Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). Both denominations fall under the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

A First Pres member who was against the church leaving makes sure everyone know how unjustified their action is:

The two specific areas that [First Presbyterian Pastor Rod] Bakker labeled as “problematic” concerned PCUSA’s stance on abortion and the ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals.

“These are contrary to the teachings of the holy scripture,” Bakker said.

George Lewis, who had been a member at First Presbyterian for nearly 50 years and well-versed in denomination history, said those claims were not true.

Lewis said PCUSA does not condone the ordination of homosexuals. He also said PCUSA believes in “diversity” when it comes to the abortion issue, saying there are church members who are pro-life and those who are pro-choice.

His claim about the ordination of homosexuals is incorrect on two counts. One is that PCUSA has no problem ordaining gays who agree to abide by the requirement to be celibate. The second is that after the Authoritative Interpretation, it’s only a matter of time before some presbyteries start ordaining sexually active gays using the “scruples” provision (more on that later). His claim regarding abortion is ridiculous–yeah, pro-life people are allowed to be PCUSA members, but everything the denomination does is pro-choice, including its lobbying in Washington which is allegedly in the name of its members. And PCUSA continues to be a member of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, which lobbies for an absolutely unfettered right to abortion for any reason, including birth control and sex selection.

Bakker said his 350-member church will probably lose 10 families in the denomination switch.

Lewis predicts the exodus will be much larger. Lewis was on the site selection committee that 40 years ago bought a 10-acre site for $60,000 where the church now sits. The church was built for $550,000 and was most recently insured for $1.8 million.

“While the presbytery was well within its rights under long-established church law to retain their property, they decided that true Christians do not resolve their differences by threats and intimidation,” said Lewis, a Quincy attorney.

“They have, therefore, graciously agreed to sell the property to the dissident group for about 10 percent of its fair market value. The presbytery will use the proceeds to do church development and mission work.”

I love how he refers to the majority who voted (the vote to leave was 124-17) as “the dissident group.” Since he obviously identifies more with the denomination than with the congregation of which he’s been a member for almost fifty years, I hope he’s satisfied with the outcome, and is successful in finding a new congregation.

Kishwaukee Gets Walking Papers

Last week, another PCUSA church received its dismissal from the denomination. Kishwaukee Community Presbyterian Church got its release from Blackhawk Presbytery, according to the latter’s Web site:

At its November 13 meeting, members of Blackhawk Presbytery approved a resolution dismissing Kishwaukee Community Presbyterian Church in Stillman Valley to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. According to the Agreement for Dismissal, the church is dismissed to the EPC with its present membership and with all property and financial assets. Kishwaukee Community Presbyterian Church agrees to pay to Blackhawk Presbytery a one-time transitional payment in the amount of $20,000.00 for the work of Blackhawk Presbytery. Kishwaukee Community Presbyterian Church graciously offers and Blackhawk Presbytery accepts a one-time mission gift of $50,000.00 to support mutually agreed upon missions.

You can find the resolution of dismissal and the agreement between the presbytery and the church here.

(Hat tip: JD Mays.)