Freedom of conscience - for everyone

Are the actions proposed to the 221st General Assembly regarding marriage a step toward requiring all teaching elders to perform marriages of same gender couples?

No.   To the contrary, the actions proposed are founded in our core Presbyterian affirmation that “God alone is Lord of the conscience” (F-3.0101) – that both those who understand Scripture to call them to participate in same gender marriages, and those who understand Scripture to forbid them from doing so, should be free to follow their consciences with respect to the interpretation of Scripture.  Indeed, the decision of a teaching elder to perform a wedding for any couple requires the teaching elder to consider both whether his or her freedom of conscience allows him or her to participate in that service (F-3.0101 and G-2.0105) and whether his or her pastoral judgment deems the marriage unwise (W-4.9002b).The current authoritative interpretation prevents a teaching elder who concludes that a same gender marriage is both consistent with scripture and wise nonetheless from participating in that service of worship.  Changing such a rule would not compel any teaching elder to conclude that such a marriage would be both consistent with scripture and wise, but for those teaching elders who in the faithful exercise of their office found such a marriage to be both, it would restore to them the ability to follow their conscience without fear of penalty.