http://arlenegoldbard.com/2005/05/27/redrawing-the-line/ culture, politics and spirituality Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:04:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://arlenegoldbard.com/2005/05/27/redrawing-the-line/#comment-5191 Stephen Ramp Wed, 30 Aug 2006 13:46:06 +0000 http://new.arlenegoldbard.com/?p=91#comment-5191 Arlene, great blog. You hit the nail on the head. I'm a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) serving a congregation in South Mississippi. Hattiesburg is a university town, so we have some diversity. Our denonination has been wrestling with whether sex outside of marriage (esp. homosexual activity) should remain an automatic bar to ordination. Traditionally, it is. In 2001 the national assembly appointed a Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church. The 20 members discovered exactly what you did: no one's mind is changed by debate. After 5 years, they recommended a "solution" that may or may not prove workable. We still have a national policy (fidelity in marriage/chastity in singleness), but now individual congregations and presbyteries (regional federations) will have the ability to redraw the lines on a case by case basis. It is not clear yet how this will work in light of the national standard. I'm hopeful that this procedural remedy will create enough "flex" in the system so that congregations that fundamentally disagree on this issue but have much in common otherwise will be able to co-exist and enrich each other. Those who need hard lines will probably leave. Those of us who can entertain more gray will probably stay connected. The moratorium and reframing the issue you mentioned are excellent suggestions. I enjoyed your blog and may quote it in a sermon. Did you finalize your research? Blessings, Steve Ramp Arlene, great blog. You hit the nail on the head. I’m a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) serving a congregation in South Mississippi. Hattiesburg is a university town, so we have some diversity. Our denonination has been wrestling with whether sex outside of marriage (esp. homosexual activity) should remain an automatic bar to ordination. Traditionally, it is. In 2001 the national assembly appointed a Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church. The 20 members discovered exactly what you did: no one’s mind is changed by debate. After 5 years, they recommended a “solution” that may or may not prove workable. We still have a national policy (fidelity in marriage/chastity in singleness), but now individual congregations and presbyteries (regional federations) will have the ability to redraw the lines on a case by case basis. It is not clear yet how this will work in light of the national standard. I’m hopeful that this procedural remedy will create enough “flex” in the system so that congregations that fundamentally disagree on this issue but have much in common otherwise will be able to co-exist and enrich each other. Those who need hard lines will probably leave. Those of us who can entertain more gray will probably stay connected. The moratorium and reframing the issue you mentioned are excellent suggestions. I enjoyed your blog and may quote it in a sermon. Did you finalize your research?
Blessings, Steve Ramp

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