Presbyterian Vote Rejects Relaxing of Sex Sanctions : Religion: Church leaders overwhelmingly spurn report that condoned homosexuality, premarital sex.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, confronting the issue of sexual relations outside of marriage, Monday overwhelmingly rejected a move to officially accept the gay lifestyle and reaffirmed “the sanctity of the marriage covenant.”

Capping nearly five hours of often fiery debate at their annual convention, church leaders voted, 534 to 31, not to adopt a special committee’s controversial report that called for condoning homosexuality, bisexuality and premarital sex between consenting adults.

Rejection of the paper was no surprise. Because of its radical departure from traditional church policy, especially on matters such as unmarried couples living together, a majority of the Presbyteries, or regional units, of the church had registered negative reactions before delegates to the convention convened here.

The sexuality report, which took four years to prepare, said that “the moral norm for Christians ought not to be marriage but rather justice-love,” which it defined as “right-relatedness with self and others.”

However, a standing committee of the assembly, which had the backing of top church officials, spent 36 hours dissecting the 200-page report and engineered its rejection. Delegates then adopted a recommendation of the 67-member standing committee to send a pastoral letter to all 11,000 of the denomination’s congregations in the United States explaining their action.

The recently published document, entitled “Keeping Body and Soul Together: Sexuality, Spirituality and Social Justice,” had stirred Presbyterians around the country and raised the issue of whether the Bible was still to be considered the ultimate authority on sexual matters.

The 2.9-million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the nation’s fourth-largest Protestant body, was the first of several denominations scheduled to vote on proposed changes in sexual doctrine over the next several years. The struggle within these denominations has centered on how to be faithful to church teachings while addressing changing sexual attitudes and practices.

The approved pastoral letter, drafted by a panel headed by Gordon C. Stewart, a Cincinnati pastor known for his skills at conciliation, is scheduled to be read from thousands of pulpits on Sunday. It says in part:

“We have dismissed the special committee with thanks for their work, and with regret for the cruelties its members have suffered.

“We have reaffirmed in no uncertain terms the authority of the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. We have strongly reaffirmed the sanctity of the marriage covenant between one man and one woman to be a God-given relationship to be honored by marital fidelity.”

Stewart said that the pastoral letter would “encourage Presbyterians in local congregations to come to grips with the ethical and theological issues that still divide us. If there should be recommendations, let them come up from the grass roots. Let’s stop treating church members as little children.”

The delegates said in the pastoral letter: “We are convinced that the issues raised again by this report will not go away. Though human sexuality is a good gift of God, we and our families are in pain.”

The Rev. Daniel E. Smith, pastor of the predominantly gay and lesbian West Hollywood Church, said that the assembly had “struggled desperately to come to decisions . . . and basically what has been said is that the church is of very differing minds on almost all matters of sexuality.”

Smith, a member of the task force that wrote the report turned aside Monday, said that, although he was “hopeful for gay and lesbian people . . . white patriarchal males are still in control (of the Presbyterian church) and not ready to give an inch in their control of people’s bodies.

“But I think we will see a change in that in the next decade,” Smith added.

The delegates voted to continue to abide by church positions on homosexuality, adopted in 1978 and 1979. While saying that gays and lesbians are “fully welcome” as members, they prohibit practicing homosexuals from being ordained as ministers or elders.

During debate on the issue, one advocate of the proposed sexuality report said: “If we say we want the contributions and participation of gay persons, it’s hypocritical to say: ‘No, you cannot serve as pastors.’ ”

And Jacqueline Taylor, another advocate who is a minister in the Washington, D.C., area, said: “There should be no ban on ordination regardless of sexual preference. We cannot say on whom the Holy Spirit rests.”

Another advocate said that some ministers are gay. “Our secret is out,” he shouted to the gathering. “Within the Presbyterian church, there are ordained gay clergy.”

But opponents of the report held the day, drawing sustained applause with statements like these: “One can oppose homosexuality and still hold out with open arms the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.” And “homosexuality is strongly prohibited by the Old and New Testaments.”

Before and after the vote, groups with opposing views demonstrated. Outside the downtown convention center where the assembly took place, some demonstrators holding aloft open Bibles chanted: “Don’t compromise the word of God.” Others carried placards reading: “Adultery is a sin.”

To protest the final vote, several hundred demonstrators walked slowly to the podium carrying a large wooden cross to symbolize persecution of gays.

Although 6,000 church members are in Baltimore for the assembly, which opened last week and continues through Wednesday, voting rights on policy matters are held by only about 600 elected delegates.

Times religion writer Russell Chandler contributed to this story.