More Light Presbyterians Statement on the Task Force Final Report

Released Aug. 28, 2005

The National Board of More Light Presbyterians (MLP) wishes to thank the twenty members of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church (TTF) for its four years of soul-searching prayer, work, reflection and response. The mission was enormous, and much of the result has been monumental and heartening. The TTF has now released its final section, the recommendations for our consideration. While we can applaud much of what the Task Force commends to us, particularly the need for continuing discernment of what it means to be the church in the 21st Century, we are dismayed at one proposal in particular.

The proposal of the TTF that the 217th General Assembly adopt "no additional authoritative interpretations, to remove no existing authoritative interpretations, and to send to presbyteries no proposed constitutional amendments that would have the effect of changing denominational policy in the major areas of the task force's report ..." is clearly in denial of the very real, very present circumstances that affect the day-to-day lives and ministries of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians.

Discernment in the form of prayer and dialogue is invaluable. But true discernment cannot come unless all parties are free to speak openly about their lives and how Christ is active in their lives. For the church, after 30 years of struggle, to now tell its LGBT members, their families and supporters that we will again step back to think and talk some more is deeply insulting. The legislative process is the only remaining place where our voices are truly heard by the church, and to remove this option risks binding the work of the Spirit among us.

We value the position of the task force that lifts up the appropriate role of presbyteries and local governing bodies in discerning the ordination and installation of officers. It is, however, unreasonable to expect that well prepared, committed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians who are otherwise eligible to serve the church will be in a position to fully share their witness while G-6.0106b looms as a threat to their ordination.

More than a season of discernment, we call again for a season of illumination where openness and honesty are encouraged. We urge the Presbyterian Church (USA) to delete G-6.0106b from the book of order and we encourage Presbyteries to continue to send delete-B overtures to the 217th General Assembly. We join the task force in calling for continued dialogue and discernment in and among local governing bodies within the Presbyterian Church (USA) and we commend to the Church the document, "Historic Principles, Conscience and Church Government" (adopted by 195th General Assembly) that plainly states, "The diversity of the church is its strongest asset in seeking to discover God's will and that diversity will be expressed in very different opinions. This biblical perspective on God's will for the church means that Presbyterians are willing to be uncomfortable, uneasy, disturbed, as these experiences are required." Finally, it states, "The church protects its own minority point of view as if it were protecting its future, recognizing that the dissenter may well represent the will of God." Through over 30 years of failure to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Presbyterians from spiritual, psychological, material, and judicial violence, the church has violated its own historic principles. G-6.0106b must be removed if the church is to repent and go forward in peace.