Church Bid to Ban Gay Ceremonies Fails
A proposal to bar Presbyterian clergy from officiating at commitment ceremonies for gay couples was defeated this week. That leaves clergy free to conduct such rites, as long as they are not confused with marriages.
The vote was a victory for the liberal side in a conflict that has divided the 3.6-million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for 24 years.
“Many of us, as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of faith are grateful--as our heterosexual sisters and brothers are--for the opportunity to have our committed relationships recognized in the faith community, of which we are an integral part,” said the groups called More Light Presbyterians and That All May Freely Serve.
The only other major U.S. Christian denomination that permits same-sex blessings is the United Church of Christ, though in practice the Episcopal Church also allows them.
The Presbyterian measure to ban gay commitment ceremonies was passed by the church’s national assembly last June and sent to 173 regional legislatures, known as presbyteries, for ratification. A simple majority of 87 presbyteries was needed for passage, but a majority stood in opposition by the time three-quarters of the vote were counted.
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