Rev Bill

Sally and I are still on vacation — but have come back to Sally’s mom’s house in Camden, SC for a few days before returning home to NC.

I posted last week my request for prayers for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) — particularly as the delegates considered the report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity — aka The PUP Reoprt.

The report passed the General Assembly this week.

What does this mean?

Well — as I understand it — local churches and other governing bodies can now decide to ordain Deacons, Elders, and Clergy who do not live up to the Ordination Standards in our Book of Order which states that candidates for ordination to the office of Deacon. Elder, or Clergy must live in “chastity in singleness or fidelity in marriage” — marriage being defined as being union between a man and a woman. Before now these standards were to be followed by churches in ordaining Deacons or Elders — and Presbyteries in ordaining ministers. Now, with the passage of the PUP Report they can decide to ordain those who do not live up to these standards.

Basically — this means that Churches and other governing bodies can ordain those in homosexual relationships or other sexual relationships outside the bonds of marrriage between a man and a woman.

I — and others — do not agree with the PUP Report – and feel it is woring to ordain those who can not live in “chastity in singleness or fidelity in marriage” . Some are making moves to pull out of the denomination, others are vowing to work within the denomination to reverse the decision.

I do not feel that pulling out of the denomination is the answer — but hope and pray we can all learn to move past our differences and find the peace, unity, and purity God desires for the church.

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