Equality In Mind

This month's newsletter will be out soon.  Here is my letter to the congregation:

Dear Friends,

Holston Presbytery selected me to be a commissioner to the 221^st General Assembly in Detroit this summer.   I was selected in 2012 to attend but Zach passed away on the first day.  Since I wasn’t able to participate then I was selected again this time.  

I am looking forward to being a commissioner.    There are many resolutions before the General Assembly.    Many have to do with social justice and eco-justice concerns (gun violence, fossil fuel usage, Israel-Palestine) and one of the controversial items will be marriage. 

I have ordered some resources for study regarding many of these issues.  I would be thrilled if you would learn with me on these items in our adult forum, Thursday morning study group, or perhaps on the occasional Sunday evening gathering.  I will let you know when we have scheduled such an opportunity.

As you know, I officiated at the wedding for my daughter, Katy, and her wife Amber in New York City over the Thanksgiving weekend.  I did so as a Presbyterian minister.  I officiated at the ceremony and signed the license.   I am proud to announce that in the eyes of New York (if not Tennessee) that they are a married couple, Katy and Amber Shuck.    Amber decided to take Katy’s last name.  

In the eyes of the PC(USA), was it within my powers as a minister to do that?    Now that 17 states allow for same-gender marriage, this is a big question for ministers and for congregations.     One of the overtures will ask the General Assembly to pass an “Authoritative Interpretation” of the constitution that would make it clear that ministers are allowed to officiate at same-gender weddings and that sessions may authorize church property to be used for such celebrations in those states in which same-gender marriage is legal.   

Another resolution will ask the General Assembly to change all references in the Book of Order regarding weddings and marriage from “a man and woman” or a “husband and wife” to “two people.” If the General Assembly were to approve that overture it would then need to go back to each presbytery for a vote.  If a majority of presbyteries would approve, then the Book of Order would be changed. 

Our congregation is a More Light Congregation.  We have firmly committed to equality for LGBT people in the church and society.   We hold holy unions on site.  I officiate at several per year and have done so for some time.     I think there is more we can do to be active in promoting equality in our community and in our state.    I along with you affirm that this is the civil rights issue of our era.   One easy and fun thing to do is to knit rainbow scarves for commissioners to the upcoming General Assembly.   There is information in this White Spire on how you can be involved in that.   

We are in the process of forming a More Light Sub-Committee of our Outreach Team.  This team will help with education and advocacy in our congregation and in the larger community.  If you are interested, do contact Rev. Don Steele or me.

With Equality in Mind,

John     

Frank Shaefer Guilty But Good

I am following with interest the story about the conviction of Rev. Frank Shaefer for officiating at the wedding for his son.   A Methodist court found him guilty of showing "disobedience to the order and discipline of the United Methodist Church." The church court will pronounce its punishment later today.  It could be a defrocking.  Or it could be a reprimand.

He officiated at the wedding six years ago and just a month before the statute of limitations would have expired, a church member filed a complaint.   The reverend did not advertise that he was officiating at this event but he didn't keep it secret either.

I find this all quite interesting as I plan to officiate at my daughter's wedding in New York a week from Friday.    Because of polity differences, the United Methodist Church as a whole has not progressed as far as other mainline churches including my own, the Presbyterian Church (USA).    We have been able to remove the hurtful language.   Officiating at holy unions are not against our church rules.  I have been doing holy unions for same-gender couples for years.  I advertise it on our church's website.

For Presbyterians, officiating at legal weddings, that is signing marriage licenses, is a bit of a different story. Rev. Jane Spahr, who I have written about and interviewed, was found guilty of violating her ordination vows for marrying gay couples in California.   She was supposed to be rebuked but her presbytery refused to rebuke her.  

Many PCUSA ministers have been officiating at same-gender weddings but few charges are ever filed even when they are public.   Three hundred of us clergy types have signed a statement that we will do it  or have done it and we will face the consequences should any arise.   This is that statement:

As a teaching elder in the PCUSA, I have married or am willing to publicly marry same gender couples in my pastoral role, in obedience to my ordination vow to “show the love and justice of Jesus Christ.” Respecting the conscience of fellow Presbyterians, I accept the consequences of this declaration, including the provisions of discipline in our Book of Order.

Yup, that's me and 300 of my closest friends.

We Presbyterians will hopefully end this church court nonsense next summer at the General Assembly when we pass an Authoritative Interpretation that will allow for clergy in their pastoral roles to officiate at same-gender weddings.    Shoot, we may even change the definition of marriage and maybe even the texts of the Bible itself.  God really did create Adam and Steve (and Mike and Tony and Katy and Amber).   So there.

I do feel for the Methodists though.   It is because of polity.  Methodists allow delegates from other continents (like Africa) to vote on their issues so they have a heck of a time moving ahead.   The good news is that high profile people in the Methodist church such as Bishop Talbert, are officiating at same-gender weddings anyway and inviting the rest of the clergy to "just do it."    

That is what it takes in times like these.

------------------

UPDATE:  Rev. Schaefer received a 30 day suspension but is now even more emboldened to be an advocate for LGBT people.  Here is the story.

A Supreme Decision

I am thrilled to hear that the Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and that California's Proposition 8 is out of the park.

In a pair of major victories for the gay rights movement, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that married same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits and, by declining to decide a case from California, effectively allowed same-sex marriages there. 

This is good news for people who are very close to me.  

I am proud of my LGBTQ loved ones and allies who continue to advocate tirelessly for equality.  I am proud of the congregation I serve, a More Light Church.   Not too many churches in these parts will host same-sex weddings.   FPC Elizabethton does.  These are marriages in every sense of the word except for the Tennessee marriage license.   That will come someday.

I am honored to join hundreds of other PCUSA clergy who will marry same-gender couples and thus "stand for love" even as our denomination is yet to get on board.  Soon it will as well.

I was interviewed on WJHL Channel 11.

WJHL-TV: News: Weather, and Sports for Johnson City, TN

When Dogma Dies

I haven't written much about Presbyterian stuff over the last ten months. This caught my eye.  Los Ranchos Presbytery in California had a discussion about religious beliefs.  They are calling it a  discernment season.  Some congregations are leaving the PC(USA) as I wrote about here.   This conservative presbytery gathered a panel to address theological questions.    Conservatives are concerned that the PC(USA) is rejecting their fundamental beliefs.  Apparently, the point of this exercise was to determine how heretical the denomination has become in order to justify packing up the hymnbooks and leaving.

I wish I were on the panel.  I could have provided some diversity.   But it isn't just me.   If you listen to any of my interviews on Religion For Life, a common theme emerges.   Dogmatic religion is not interesting.   Many of us are moving away from exclusive claims ("Jesus is the only way") and literalism ("bodily resurrection") at light speed.   It will take a long time before official documents reflect the changes, but what these three guys are debating is akin to the number of angels dancing on a pin head.

I don't care what anyone believes.  I do care when the conservatives try to impose their beliefs.  They want everyone to believe as they do.  Hopefully, when they see that this cannot be done, they will either live and let live or leave and let live.