The PCUSA's Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church has released a draft version of its report, minus the recommendations section. MLP's board has written a response, which appears below. A PDF version is also available.

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The More Light Presbyterians National Board of Directors has reviewed the drafts released so far by the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church. We give thanks to God for the individual members of the Task Force and for their diligent and thoughtful work, which we know was not easy. We are heartened by many of the statements in the draft reports so far, specifically the following elements:

• Affirmation of Christology and Trinitarian theology, especially that “God loves us,” “God saves us" and "God empowers us with a commission and calling." It is especially important for those of us who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) to hear those words because, as the draft reports recognize, the Church has often erred in alienating LGBT people. A common and painful experience of this alienation is when we hear God’s call to serve, but the Church denies the call, telling us we are not worthy of God’s grace.

• Affirmation of Reformed understandings of scripture and the Presbyterian approach to Scriptural interpretation, particularly the centrality of Jesus Christ; the necessity to interpret Scripture in light of the two-fold commandment to love God and neighbor; and the necessity to interpret particular passages in the context of the whole of Scripture.

• Affirmation of Presbyterian polity, particularly that we balance communal discernment of God’s will and the Spirit’s leading with the recognition that God alone is Lord of the conscience; that we balance adherence in essential beliefs with freedom in non-essential matters; and that we balance the rights and responsibilities of governing bodies so that original jurisdiction in church governance is balanced against oversight and review. It is because of these balancing principles that presbyteries have traditionally and historically determined the criteria for ministers of Word and Sacrament, and congregations the same for deacons and elders, aside from the few essential tenets about the person and work of Jesus the Christ.

• Affirmation that a “winning majority takes all” approach does not resolve conflicts in the Church. Indeed, LGBT Presbyterians have suffered greatly the past three decades due to unjust policies enacted with this approach, including G-6.0106(b), enacted through narrow and divisive votes both at General Assembly and in the presbyteries. Similarly, an onslaught of organized, spurious judicial attacks against LGBT people and our allies, particularly pastors of more light churches, have demonstrated the destructiveness of this wholly ungracious and unchristian approach within the church. We regret that the Task Force seems to have overlooked these attacks which have been inflicted solely by one side against the other, and have accomplished nothing except draining the Church of time, talent, and money.

• Affirmation of previous General Assembly positions that “(1) It is a grave error to deny baptism or church membership to gay and lesbian persons or to withhold pastoral care to them and their families. (2) Those who aspire to ordination must lead faithful lives. Those who demonstrate licentious behavior should not be ordained. (3) It is damaging and dangerous to teach that sexual behavior is a purely personal matter that is not relevant for Christian discipleship, leadership and community life; and (4) Sexual orientation is, in itself, no barrier to ordination.”

• Affirmation of the theological meanings of peace, unity, and purity, specifically that the unity of the church is based on the indivisibility of Christ; the purity of the church is based on the belief that "truth, holiness and righteousness matter as pathways to discipleship;" and the peace of the church is to be found "where differing voices are not only respectfully engaged, but also honored as full partners…."

It is of utmost importance now that we go forward as a church with this theological understanding, that

The Church must not hide behind false notions of peace as the absence of conflict, purity as the absence of openness about who we really are, or unity as the absence of dissent. We must now, without delay, turn back the prejudicial policies that have severed LGBT members from the body of Christ, that have created a “don’t ask don’t tell” hypocrisy in which those called to serve their Lord face the false choice of lying or leaving, and that have created a second-class category of membership within the Church.

The church must not delay further votes to remove prejudicial barriers to the full participation of LGBT people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Church. While parliamentary procedures alone cannot solve the problem of prejudice within the Church, it is the only place we can begin to heal three decades of shattered trust with the Church’s LGBT members. It is only when these barriers are removed that differing voices can respectfully engage as full partners; then and only then can we begin to establish meaningful relationships and have honest dialogue about how together we might seek the peace, unity, and purity of the Church.

We believe that the Church is ready to be open, to be loving, to be accepting and affirming of all God's children, including LGBT persons and their families and friends. In the process the TTF used, individual members spent time getting to know one other and gained an appreciation for each other through an intense process of interpersonal engagement. We are concerned that they may have missed an opportunity to discern the good will and readiness within the larger Church for change.

We have hoped, prayed and kept vigil for the Church and its mission during the past four years, indeed for more than 3 decades of dialogue. We will continue to do so from now until the General Assembly meets in 2006. It is our hope and prayer that the Church may at last let the Spirit in, be courageous, speak from conscience, do the right thing, and heed the call to end this prejudice and injustice against LGBT members of our family so that the gifts of all may be employed to God's glory and to the furtherance of God's mission in the world.

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Ref: http://www.mlp.org/article.php/20050722133901735