Presbyterian Church Removes Sexual Orientation as a Barrier to Ordination and Service

Last night, the Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, reached the number of local presbyteries required to approve the change in policy to allow for the ordination and service of LGBT ministers. A constitutional amendment was passed by the PCUSA in national assembly in July of 2010 initiating a ratification process requiring passage by a majority of the 173 regional presbyteries. Yesteday, the amendment was ratified with the approval of the 87th presbytery, located in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. The effort to reach this history-making change in policy has lasted for 40 years. Four times in the last 14 years the amendment to remove the prohibition for service was passed by the national body, but failed to get more than 47 of the 87 ratifications required.

Hallelujah! We join PCUSA in celebration!

The amendment ratified today will return the qualifications for ordained leadership within the denomination to those rightly based upon faith and character, not marital status or sexual orientation.

Emily Eastwood, Executive Director, Lutherans Concerned/North America, said of this historic victory for full participation, "We give thanks to God for the faith, love, grace, and, frankly, stubborn endurance of our ministry partners in the Presbyterian movement for LGBT equality in church and society. The previous order was neither good nor salutary in its limiting of service as an attempt to subvert the call and will of God on the basis of human prejudice and Bibliolatry. The witness of Christ's relentless love in the lives and service of LGBT Presbyterians is and has been richly evident. With new policy, this church has again made possible the confirmation of God-given calls to ministry. Restoration, reconciliation, and an inclusive future wherein all ministers will be judged by a single standard will unfold over time, requiring the same diligence, courage and time as that necessitated to achieve the change in policy. We join our Presbyterian full-communion partners in this effort even as we rejoice in this as a victory for LGBT people everywhere."