The Buckle on The Bible Belt Loosens Again

NC Presbyterians Vote To Approve Ordaining Homosexuals

RALEIGH, N.C. -(NBC NEWS 17)
Presbyterian Church leaders in central North Carolina have approved a measure to let gays and lesbians in partnered relationships be ordained.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports that the amendment was approved Saturday by a vote of 177 to 139 with 10 abstentions during a meeting in Cary of the New Hope Presbytery church leaders.

"The mood at the presbytery meeting was while we differ on this issue, and are committed as Christians to vote our conscience, we also are committed to finding ways to live together with our differences," said the Rev. Joseph Harvard, pastor of Durham Presbyterian. "I don't think it's a radical shift in the presbytery."

The measure must be approved by a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries and conservative congregations including those in Charlotte and western North Carolina have already approved the amendment.

Gays and lesbians can be ordained within the 2.2-million-member Presbyterian Church (USA), but they must remain chaste as church standards forbid sex outside of traditional marriage between a man and woman.

The standard applies to clergy and lay people in the Presbyterian church who participate as deacons and elders. But even if the standard is struck down, individual churches will not be required to ordain partnered gays and lesbians. It would just give those who want to the freedom to do so.

Still, the issue has divided many churches. At least one church, Raleigh's Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, has lost members who formed a new congregation allied with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in protest of the change.

But the Rev. Moffit Churn, associate pastor at West Raleigh Presbyterian, said Saturday's meeting was not divisive.

"We all held hands and sang 'Blessed be the Tie that Binds' in the Presbyterian way," the Rev. Moffit Churn, associate pastor at West Raleigh Presbyterian, told the newspaper. "The voice of the middle ground is being heard, at least in this presbytery. That was my sense."

Votes have to be completed by June, but half the nation's presbyteries will have voted by the end of this month.

6 comments:

Harry H. McCall said...

In light of these major advances, I have a vision of one day even atheists being fully ordained in the Gospel ministry.

Harry H. McCall said...

It seems I spoke too fast! (Must have been a trick of Satan!)

Based on the comments of several former fellow seminary students and a number of now retired ministers; there are already fully ordained atheists in the Gospel ministry.

But then, God’s ways are not our ways!

Anonymous said...

As I said, Christianity reinvents itself in every generation! It's a slow process but eventually it doesn't look like any Christianity that has gone before. Christianity is like a chameleon to me.

In the future, when Chiristians affirm homosexuality, they will say that today's Christians were wrong for condemning it, just like they claim slavery should've been condemned by Christians in the past too. Maybe Christians will even take credit for this change?

LOL

feeno said...

Harry

When the Presby, (PCA) not (USA) allows this, then we have a story. But I thought these guys allowed this years ago? Maybe down there in the South, there just now getting word of it?

Peace out, feeno

John

I hope the church won't affirm that lifestyle, unless of course they're Gay slaves?

late, feeno

Harry H. McCall said...

Elaina,

Thanks for the nice comment.

I have decided to post informative articles that will provide information that Evangelical Christianity will not.

Such topics as basic information that is objective by truthfully dealing with the facts and with the intent that it will neither be pro nor con religion.

This is the type of information I only wished I had when I considered “accepting Jesus”.

Regards,
Harry McCall

District Supt. Harvey Burnett said...

Harry,
"In light of these major advances, I have a vision of one day even atheists being fully ordained in the Gospel ministry."

Based on current trends Harry one day that might be possible...in fact we have some that don't believe the bible now so what the hey????

I'm gonna link to this post and do a story on my site on this also, if you don't mind. I appreciate it...I'll get with you on some of the other debates also to see what further "apostasy" I've been missing around here the last few months.

C-ya round the way my friend.