Presbyterians make a stand in favor of ordaining gay and lesbian ministers

The Presbyterian Church has made a bold inclusive statement for LGBT clergy.

If you are new to the debate and denominational breakdown, there are only some denominations that will ordain and recognize clergy who identify as gay or lesbian. They include Congregational, Episcopalian, United Church of Christ, Lutheran (ELCA only) and, most recently, Presbyterian.

(Note: The aforementioned list is not exhaustive; sadly, the landscape for figuring out which denominations are LGBT friendly is too confusing to spell out in one article, but check out the wiki-link for a brief review.)

On May 10, 2011, the Presbyterian Church USA ratified a proposal that had been in process of being approved since July of 2010. The proposal amended the constitution of Presbyterian laws of ordained ministry to include the rite of ordination to homosexual ministers who are in covenanted relationships.

Previously, homosexual ministers were not specifically excluded, but the laws required unmarried ministers to live in “chasted singleness.” Covenanted relationships are here understood as someone who is already partnered or married to their same-sex spouse.

The denomination also allows a clause in this proposal. It invites the local associations of Presbyterian churches to make a decision of whether or not it would be a good fit for that congregation to call an LGBT pastor.

Many see this as a “cop-out” for not being fully inclusive. As a Congregationalist, however, I see the autonomy of local congregations to call pastors they believe will best fit their membership needs as a benefit, not a disadvantage.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), as one of the largest mainstream denominations, has made a very positive step forward for not only LGBT persons, but for their members as well. They will now invite the best possible candidates, regardless of orientation, into leadership positions in the church, and they have made the decision without splintering their denomination (a feat not to be celebrated lightly!).

With Lutherans, Presbyterians, the United Church of Christ and Episcopalians all on board, the pressure is certainly on the Methodist church, one of the few remaining mainstream denominations that has yet to invite LGBT clergy into ordained positions.

Darcy A. Crain-Polly is the associate minister at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor. She can be reached directly by email here.