Presbyterian Church (USA): Evangelicals suddenly on the wrong side in gay marriage debate

Across Christian denominations, the debate over gay marriage has fundamentally pitted the views of socially progressive - if not radical - congregants and church leaders who are in favor of gay marriage against that of the conservative, evangelical sector that subscribes to a traditional and biblical definition of marriage.

For the most part, proponents of gay marriage have been on the outs - at times waging tough battles that tear churches apart and put their ordination on the line.

In the Presbyterian Church (USA), the tables seemed to have turned. Increasingly, the conservative, evangelical members of the 1.8-million-member mainline Protestant denomination are finding themselves at odds with socially progressive congregations and leadership that seem to have moved in line with the secular world.

Across the country, conservative, evangelical pastors who over the past year have taken a stand against the Presbyterian Church's ratification of gay marriage are finding themselves forced out the door.

"I was surprised that they would go to such extreme actions. Especially when we are all supposed to have opinions and follow process," says the Rev. Wayne Lowe, who a few weeks ago was dismissed from the Carlisle Presbytery, the regional governing body of the denomination across central Pennsylvania. "The church voted to say all those things happened, yet there was this other extreme action taken. It's the full circle. They made it happen."

Lowe, who subscribes to the traditional and biblical definition of marriage - that of being between a man and a woman - has been outspoken against his denomination's new direction. As minister of Faith Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg for the past three years, Lowe refused to compromise his religious views, even though his congregants voted to remain under the main umbrella of the church in spite of its recent ruling on gay marriage.

The General Assembly of the PCUSA last month amended the denomination's constitution - the Book of Order - to reflect a new meaning of marriage as being between two people. The governing body last year ratified the new definition and needed the majority of votes from 172 presbyteries across the country. That majority vote came last month.

Lowe was among pastors nationwide that dissented during the discernment period. The Carlisle region - like all other presbyteries across the country - spent the latter part of last year debating what vote it would cast on the issue of gay marriage

Lowe even penned an op-ed piece for PennLive espousing his traditional, biblical views on marriage. "The Bible never mentions same-sex marriage and homosexual behavior is never encouraged," he wrote.

Last week, Lowe received notice from the Carlisle Presbytery that it was dissolving his calling with his church - essentially he was dismissed.

"I shed a couple of tears that day," he says. "I was trying to use the tools available to me in the church that has such wide issue in presenting social issues of marriage and sexuality. We are given tools and policies to discern in church, and then this happens."

Lowe, whose congregants had recently renewed his contract - or calling - with Faith Presbyterian, says that while his former denomination won't spell it out, his dismissal was directly tied to his conservative views.

"It's harder for churches to navigate these waters because the leaders at Presbyterian Church USA will latch on to a minority and give them property rights and rights to finances and say to the minority you have to hit the bricks," Lowe says.

PennLive was unable to reach the Rev. Mark Englund-Krieger, executive Presbyterian for the Carlisle Presbytery. PennLive was informed that Englund-Krieger, who is away on a mission trip to Honduras, is the only official from the governing body allowed to comment on behalf of the regional church organization.

When PennLive interviewed Englund-Krieger leading up to the ratification vote, he stressed that even if gay marriage was approved by the church, no pastor would be forced to go against his or her conviction and perform a gay marriage.

"No one is being forced or compelled to perform same-gender marriage," he said then.

Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president of the national Presbyterian Lay Committee, said that in the same way the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ became inhospitable environments for evangelicals to serve, the Presbyterian Church is becoming much the same way.

"We are seeing the environment within the PCUSA change following the affirmation of this particular vote," she says. "That environment is changing pretty rapidly. Presbyteries are becoming inhospitable to pastors who hold traditional views not only on this issue but on underlining issues related to the biblical authority of Jesus as the only way to salvation."

While sexuality might be the presenting issue in this case, LaBerge argues that the real division is rooted in a theological cleansing - fueled by a growing intolerance toward traditional, biblical views.

LaBerge says she witnessed this so-called cleansing in her home congregation in Tampa, Fla., which is overwhelmingly socially conservative. After the recent vote affirming same-sex marriage, long-time and deep-pocketed members of the congregation were surprised when senior ministers voted to affirm gay marriage.

"That's clearly contrary to the prevailing opinion of the people in the pews of that church," LaBerge says.

The Rev. Earl Bland says most Presbyterians are blind to a profound change in the denomination.

Bland, who this year after decades of serving as pastor at James Island Presbyterian Church in Charleston, S.C.., retired after being pushed out because of his evangelical viewpoints, explains that the Book of Order directs church leaders to reflect and be guided by biblical guidelines. With the denomination's constitution now the foundation of governance, church leadership is instructed to preach the doctrine of the church - not (literally) Gospel.

"It's a very profound change," Bland says. "Essentially it means that pastors or teaching elders will be preaching and teaching the doctrine of the church - with a small c - not the universal church. When pastors no longer agree with the direction of the denomination, then they are ostracized or even persecuted by the denomination. It's a very profound change with a new form of government."

Bland says he is not singling anyone out or, indeed, condemning anyone. He adds that Christians are called to admit their sins - not redefine or make convincing arguments in support of them.

"Evangelical pastors still believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ, that he came not just die for our sins but to free us of our sins," Bland said. "I think that's an essential part of the Gospel, to free us from sin. It's not just to be forgiven and keep sinning. It's your sins are forgiven, now live your new life in Christ. That's not even been taught in churches."

Like scores of other conservative pastors Lowe and Bland have renounced their affiliation with PCUSA. Bland is now pastor of the Charleston Presbyterian Church, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Order of the Presbyterian Church (or ECO), an offshoot and markedly traditional splinter of the main denomination.

Lowe, who last Sunday gathered for worship with about 70 congregants who left Faith Presbyterian with him, is considering establishing an ECO congregation as an option.

Lowe has renounced his affiliation with PCUSA, forfeiting the 90-day appeals period extended to pastors who are dismissed.

"There was a significant grouping of people who felt like they wanted to cling to the tradition biblical view of sexuality and marriage and had not been given any rights to be heard or their rights to church property," Lowe says.

One of those congregants, LeeAnn Singley, says she is most troubled by the way the Carlisle Presbytery handled Lowe's dismissal, which was handed down even though Faith Presbyterian voted to stay with its regional governing body, even though the majority of its members disagreed with the gay marriage amendment.

That seems to run counter to the PCUSA's public image - that of a democratic organization, with each congregation having autonomy but connected to the national denomination through a hierarchy consisting of a council, synod and General Assembly.

"The presbytery came in sweeping motion and took over the church," Singley says.

The presbytery, in fact not only dismissed Lowe, but dissolved the church's entire session (or governing council).

"It's an interesting turn of events given the fact that we were looking to see whether we were going to stay connected," Singley says. "We know we were going to move forward as a congregation to see how we could worship together even though we were divided. We never got the opportunity."

LaBerge said that while the PCUSA reports the dismissal of approximately 200 pastors, that figure does not reflect the number of churches that are disaffiliated with nor recognized by the denomination. Nor does it show, she adds, the losses of congregants in churches as a result of a pastor being forced out.

Lowe is confident he will establish a new church. He has disaffiliated himself with the PCUSA, but will not renounced his calling to be a Christian minister.

Bland says it's never to late to start a new church or serve God. He says he celebrates the new churches coming out of the splintered groups.

"God is still at work," he says. "God is still moving. We just need to be where he is. That's where I want o be. I can't get up there and lead a marriage and say marriage is between two people. That's not biblical. That's not about God."

Written by someone who apparently is unaware that the PCUSA has been trending to the extreme left for decades...and losing congregations all along the way. So it makes sense the few Biblical Christians who stuck it out would eventually be outnumbered.

Simple math.

The people who are committed Christians will leave the church, and the Presbyterian Church will do a slow fade into oblivion.

“neo-religions” with “neo-faith” in “neo-churches”.

Just call them “neo-Christians”, because though they integrate elements of Christianity and its symbolism, so do the practitioners of Voodoo.

**The people who are committed Christians will leave the church, and the Presbyterian Church will do a slow fade into oblivion.**

It is already bleeding members.

The sad thing is many in the pews don’t really have a sense of what is going on. They are of the mindset, “well not MY CHURCH!” (meaning local church)

My wife and I were the same way, we attended a PCUSA church for years then stumbled into a PCA church. Moved back to the town where our old PC(USA) church was and visited our first Lord’s Day back. Same pastor and elders. Halfway through the service my wife leaned over and told me never to bring her there again. I didn’t.

“The presbytery, in fact not only dismissed Lowe, but dissolved the church’s entire session (or governing council).”

And, the congregation responded by...

When all protestant faiths think they all interpret the Word of God and they are all right, well you get to have to one big hissy fit. Anyone with a brain knows no where in the Bible does God condone sodomy. But when there is no authority and all are their own authority, well to hell everything. That’s the way the perverts look at it. In otherwords who is anyone else to tell they are wrong. They mangle scripture to fit their vile purposes. All will be crispy critters come Judgement Day.

It is not their interpretation of the Word of God is the root cause, it is their rejection of scripture as the Word of God.

What you are missing in your analysis is churches are totally ignoring Scripture.

Much like Rome does on many issues we have pointed out many times.

And by the way, YOUR so called church has is fair share of child molesters serving as priests, so you have lost all credibility on this issue.

You can bet your bottom dollar that the Catholic Church will never sanction sodomite “marriage” in any way, shape or form. While protestant faiths might change with the world, the Catholic Church does not. You’ll hear cafeteria catholics raising cain about it but it ain’t changing. The reason is simple. The Catholic Church has safeguarded the truth of the gospel for 2,000 years. If the world stands 2,000 more years the Church will be be guarding the true from those controlled by the forces of Satan.

YOUR so called church

since you commenced with the flippant references to others’ faiths, what so called church do you belong to...?

Actually I was responding to flippant remake about Protestants.

what so called church do you belong to...?

Sorry.

Actually I was responding to flippant remake about Protestants.

I see...since the major point in the post you responded to dealt with varying Protestant churches interpreting faith differently, with each believing its own to be exclusively true, do you disagree with the point...? We may grant that the post was inelegantly expressed, but was it not true...?

Sorry...

heh heh heh...coy, coy...

with each believing its own to be exclusively true, do you disagree with the point

As opposed to Rome interpreting most things wrongly?

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