About Links to the 1978 Authoritative Interpretation Document and Background Paper

The link to the AI itself is:    http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/business/commreps/comm05two.pdf

The link to the background study is:   http://www.pcusa.org/oga/publications/church-and-homosexuality.pdf

At the September 22, 2009, presbytery meeting, Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery voted to ask next summer’s General Assembly meeting to restore the 1978 Authoritative Interpretation (regarding ordination issues). At the November 17, 2009, presbytery meeting the presbytery will be asked whether it wants to submit the overture as adopted, or to concur with an overture already submitted by another presbytery, such as San Diego Presbytery.  Are you wondering about the wording of the 1978 Authoritative Interpretation and the supporting document behind it? The links below will take you to that information. The overture we approved in September reads as follows:

The Presbytery of Upper Ohio Valley overtures the 219th General Assembly (2010) to restore the definitive guidance of 1978-79, adopted as Authoritative Interpretation of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) by the General Assembly in 1993, affirmed by General Assemblies and specific decisions of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, but declared to have “no further force or effect” by the 218th General Assembly (2008).

Rationale:

Declaring the Authoritative Interpretation (AI) of 1978-79 to have “no further force or effect” leaves the Presbyterian Church (USA) without a clear response to the question of whether ordination of self-affirming, practicing homosexual persons remains an act in contradiction “to its charter and calling in Scripture” and “to the will of Christ,” as the wording of the AI says. While both the Old and New Testaments speak clearly on the matter, and the PC(USA) Constitution in Part I, the Book of Confessions, speaks explicitly to this matter, the Authoritative Interpretation has been of great benefit and guidance to the Church’s life and witness.

Further, the Authoritative Interpretation addresses many helpful aspects of the church’s relationship with persons in homosexual relationships, correctly advising Christians to love and care for their brothers and sisters and giving explicit authoritative counsel on the church’s proper pastoral role. The church is poorer for the removal of that guidance.

The overture from San Diego Presbytery says: “Issue an authoritative interpretation of G-6.0106, “Restoring to full force and effect the interpretative statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190^th General Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and the 191^st General Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and all subsequent affirmations including the Bush v. Pittsburgh Presbytery (218-10) GA PJC decision.”

The link to the AI itself is:    http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/business/commreps/comm05two.pdf

The link to the background study is:   http://www.pcusa.org/oga/publications/church-and-homosexuality.pdf