A Presbyterian Church (USA) presbytery is asking the 222nd General Assembly to apologize to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ/Q) community because it says “there will be no chance for healing and reconciliation until the PCUSA admits its mistakes and makes a statement of apology.”

The Presbytery of New York City has submitted Overture 50 “On the admission of, and apology for, harms done to the LGBTQ/Q members of the PCUSA, family and friends.” The overture cites as sin the PCUSA’s two-hundred and twenty year position of following clear Biblical teaching and aligning itself with more than 2,000 years of Christian tradition by failing to allow practicing LGBTQ/Q people to be ordained as church officers and not permitting same-sex marriages by PCUSA ministers or in PCUSA churches.

The overture asks that the PCUSA affirm, confess and apologize for “the teachings and actions that have created marginalization of our sisters and brothers, adding to the erroneous belief that people who identify as LGBTQ/Q should be considered unworthy to serve fully or be honored as family within and without the church.”

As of Jan. 27, Presbyterian Church (USA) presbyteries have submitted 50 overtures to the Office of the General Assembly, but only 23 of those have the required concurrence of a second presbytery so that they can actually be debated by the 222nd General Assembly meeting in Portland, Ore. June 18-25, 2016.

While the apology overture does not yet have a concurrence, Hudson River Presbytery had a first reading of “A Healing Overture” at its Jan. 26 presbytery meeting. Hudson River’s overture has the same wording as the New York City overture, but the rationale has some additional language and if it is approved at the next meeting of Hudson River Presbytery then Overture 50 will be before the General Assembly.

“This overture sends a message that such harm done is confessed and repented by the Presbyterian Church USA and that all LGBTQ/Q persons are invited to be, not tolerated, but affirmed and celebrated, fully human, altogether welcomed into the full life of the church for we believe queer presence is essential for the Body of Christ to be whole,” reads the proposed overture from Hudson River.

Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president of the The Presbyterian Lay Committee, commented that, “so much for the promises of mutual forebearance and a big tent where the full range of Biblical interpretations on issues of sexual practice would remain present. This overture seeks to extract an apology from those who upheld the Biblical and Confessional standards of the Church.”

“It also seems to me that the public and comprehensive apology sought maligns every commissioner from every past General Assembly and hundreds of presbytery meeting where the fidelity and chastity standards of G-6.0106b or the one-man, one-woman marriage standard of W-4.009 were affirmed over many, many years,” said LaBerge. “One can only hope that commissioners to the 222nd GA will see that and understand what future assemblies might do to likewise castigate them.”

LaBerge concluded, “This overture makes clear that recent statements by the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Director of Theology, Worship and Education and even the Covenant Network on this subject are not supported by the advocates of this overture. In the end, passage of this overture will necessitate the expulsion of all those in the PCUSA who believe that the integrity of the Body of Christ is not dependent upon a ‘queer presence,” but solely upon the Holy Spirit. If the 222nd GA passes this overture they will be saying that the Spirit was not present in the midst of, nor discerned by, all those Presbyterians in the past who upheld fidelity, chastity and traditional marriage.”

The overture and its rationale reads:

Ovt 050 On the Admission of, and Apology for, Harms Done to the LGBTQ/Q Members of the PC(USA), Family and Friends—From the Presbytery of New York City. The Presbytery of New York City overtures the 222nd General Assembly (2016) to affirm and witness these truths: a. come to understand forgiveness, healing, mercy and reconciliation by God’s actions through Jesus Christ’s teachings and the Risen Christ in our midst; b. we are reconciled to God and one another by the forgiveness of our acts of sinfulness, through the Christ who is our peace and who breaks down the walls of hostility and division; c. further, we understand that ours is a faith and ministry of forgiveness, healing, mercy and reconciliation that requires admission of the harms we have done to one another; and d. that the fullness of our new life in Christ calls for a unity of Spirit, a sharing of gifts, and a valuing of all parts of the Body of Christ in the spirit of true forgiveness. And we confess that our actions have fallen short of these truths in the marginalization of our sisters and brothers who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ/Q), admitting: e. that harms have been done to this community by the denomination’s participation in the creation of barriers to God’s call to our sisters and brothers, based on sexual identity, sexual orientation and gender identity; f. that charges have been instigated with the intention of preventing qualified individuals called by God to serve based on sexual identity and orientation; g. that the Constitution of the PC(USA) has been erroneously used to support these charges, resulting in the use of the denomination’s court system, in effect, being co-opted to discipline others for who they are; and h. that the denomination has participated in or been silent about challenging the destruction of the careers of faithful servants who identified as LGBTQ/Q. Therefore, we direct that the Presbyterian Church (USA) Affirm, Confess and Apologize: i. admitting that it has been wrong in the way it has treated the LGBTQ/Q Community in the PC(USA); j. apologizing for the teachings and actions that have created marginalization of our sisters and brothers, adding to the erroneous belief that people who identify as LGBTQ/Q should be considered unworthy to serve fully or be honored as family within and without the church; k. acknowledging that during this struggle we have often treated one another in ways that did not reflect the presence of the Risen Christ in our midst; including those in opposition to one another, as well as those within their own communities; l. stating publicly that the PC(USA), as a denomination, makes this pronouncement as an act of forgiveness, healing, mercy and reconciliation; and m. that this admission and apology lifts up the constitutional changes that have been duly implemented to dismantle the lines that have divided us from one another and the ways in which we have been called to serve, including but not limited to Amendment 10-A; the Authoritative Interpretation on Marriage, and Amendment 14F. Rationale 1. The admissions of harms done to one another, the petition of each other for forgiveness, and the public witness of the humility by the church as an institution is required to open our doors – as fully as our hearts and intentions have always called us to do. The last forty years of opening those doors to our sisters and brothers who identify as LGBTQ/Q has not been our only struggle, nor has it been the only place where lives have been harmed in our efforts to change. It is, however, a place where we can bring our experience, strength and hope in an even greater response that we hope this will initiate, and in which way we encourage others to respond. We acknowledge that there are many communities and groups who have felt the sting and harms of the church as an institution; an institution in some ways holding on to practices and teachings that separated us, rather than brought us together. We acknowledge, too, the power and privilege that has not always been exerted in the best interests of those with no power or privilege, and we hope that this “Healing Overture” will begin broad movement to become a reconciling church in ways that “clean our slate” of harms and injustices for all the world to see. Further, we believe that such a church is the fullest faithful representation of the Church of Jesus Christ that practices the teachings of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We also wish to make it clear that we do not see the struggle of the LGBTQ/Q community in our church as exceptional to the struggle of others who have sought justice and welcoming in the denomination. It is where we begin, hoping that this will create an invitation and a process for others to follow, bringing forward their overtures. We hope others will summon the church to acknowledge harms that need to be spoken in their communities, so that we can be the inclusive and welcoming Kin[g]dom on God on earth, beyond anything we have yet to see. We support the efforts of others to follow this process in bringing such actions forward to their presbyteries and the General Assembly. (NOTE: See Attachment 1 from the Presbytery of Yukon and its statement of repentance to the community of Gambell, Alaska as a precedent, upon which parts of this overture have been based.) We believe there will be no chance for healing and reconciliation until the PC(USA) admits its mistakes and makes a statement of apology. There are many faithful sisters and brothers who have been estranged by the church because of its teachings, practices, and disciplinary actions towards minsters and others who identify as LGBTQ/Q. A statement such as the one suggested would have the affect of validating our legislative actions with our commitment to changing what has been exclusionary and wrong. 2. As one of the most constitutionally inclusive mainline denominations in the world, our witness has an impact beyond any borders we might imagine. Our voice of hope, love, joy, peace, justice and welcoming—the Good News—leads the way for global change and a beginning to the end to the violence of marginalization and discrimination around the world. Calling the church to admit harms done and apologize to those it has wronged has an impact beyond the LGBTQ/Q community. All Gospel and Justice/Love ministry is about our relationship with each other in this world. An honest statement of apology and determination to herald the changes we have been called to make lifts up the entire denomination in a way that reaffirms who and whose we are. 3. The theme of the 222nd General Assembly is The Hope in Our Calling – Ephesians 1:18. May it be so!

The rationale from the Hudson River Overture reads:

Rationale: 1. System change comes slowly. Institutional change comes slowly. Until the harm is recognized, acknowledged and repented for, only incremental change can happen. In its constitution, PCUSA is now more open, though given the tiny fraction of installed, openly Queer Ministers, there remains a long way to go. The system continues to be one that keeps many oppressed and is oppressive. Systemic, institutional change is needed, and this overture strengthens the foundation for that. 2. The admissions of harms done to one another, the petition of each other for forgiveness, and the public witness of the humility by the church as an institution is required to open our doors – as fully as our hearts and intentions have always called us to do. The last forty years of opening those doors to our sisters and brothers who identify as LGBTQ/Q has not been our only struggle, nor has it been the only place where lives have been harmed in our efforts to change. It is, however, a place where we can bring our experience, strength and hope in an even greater response that we hope this will initiate, and in which way we encourage others to respond. We acknowledge that there are many communities and groups who have felt the sting and harms of the church as an institution, an institution in some ways holding on to practices and teachings that separated us, rather than brought us together. We acknowledge, too, the power and privilege that has not always been exerted in the best interests of those with no power or privilege, and we hope that this “Healing Overture” will begin broad movement to become a reconciling church in ways that “clean our slate” of harms and injustices for all the world to see. Further, we believe that such a church is the fullest faithful representation of the Church of Jesus Christ that practices the teachings of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We also wish to make it clear that we do not see the struggle of the LGBTQ/Q community in our church as exceptional to the struggle of others who have sought justice and welcoming in the denomination. It is where we begin, hoping that this will create an invitation and a process for others to follow, bringing forward their overtures. We hope others will summon the church to acknowledge harms that need to be spoken in their communities, so that we can be the inclusive and welcoming Kin[g]dom on God on earth, beyond anything we have yet to see. We support the efforts of others to follow this process in bringing such actions forward to their presbyteries and the General Assembly. (NOTE: See Attachment 1 from the Presbytery of Yukon and its statement of repentance to the community of Gambell, Alaska as a precedent, upon which parts of this overture have been based.) We believe there will be no chance for healing and reconciliation until the PC(USA) admits its mistakes and makes a statement of apology. LGBTQ/Q people of faith have been wounded in and by churches where they are not seen as loving human beings, persons who long to receive and to give love freely, persons who seek spiritual connection, persons who yearn for family relationship, persons who ache to experience authentic community as full-bodied and gloriously vulnerable human beings, gifted and graced and created in the image of God, on purpose as they are. Rather, they have been seen as their sexuality, as a group. This overture sends a message that such harm done is confessed and repented by the Presbyterian Church USA and that all LGBTQ/Q persons are invited to be, not tolerated, but affirmed and celebrated, fully human, altogether welcomed into the full life of the church for we believe queer presence is essential for the Body of Christ to be whole. 3. There are many faithful sisters and brothers who have been estranged by the church because of its teachings, practices, and disciplinary actions towards minsters and others who identify as LGBTQ/Q. A statement such as the one suggested would have the affect of validating our legislative actions with our commitment to changing what has been exclusionary and wrong. 4. As one of the most constitutionally inclusive mainline denominations in the world, our witness has an impact beyond any borders we might imagine. Our voice of hope, love, joy, peace, justice and welcoming—the Good News—leads the way for global change and a beginning to the end to the violence of marginalization and discrimination around the world. Calling the church to admit harms done and apologize to those it has wronged has an impact beyond the LGBTQ/Q community. All Gospel and Justice/Love ministry is about our relationship with each other in this world. An honest statement of apology and determination to herald the changes we have been called to make lifts up the entire denomination in a way that reaffirms who and whose we are. 5. The theme of the 222nd General Assembly is The Hope in Our Calling – Ephesians 1:18. May it be so!

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