Just Tell Them Who You Are
Ruling Elder Ben Fitzgerald-Fye tells of his experience as a married gay man speaking during the debate on Amendment 14-F in the Presbytery of Kiskiminetas: "I had an intense conversation with God about reclaiming the right of gay and lesbian people to have faith and to shed the shame and fear we all knew too well. I began to feel that Saturday’s debate was no longer about myself and my husband, it was about the nature of Christianity as an accepting and socially just force in a much larger world than rural Pennsylvania."
The Marriage Amendment, 14-F: What it does and doesn't do
The 221st GA approved Amendment 14-F by a 71% margin – seemingly, expressing the strong desire to help the PC(USA) move beyond the decades-long conflict over human sexuality by ensuring that the Book of Order embraces the faithful views of a diverse church.
Marriage: Why It Matters to the Church
Keynote Address by the Rev. Larry Owens at the Covenant Network Regional Conference at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, November 8, 2014: “Lord, we are forever asking you for many things, and what you are forever giving us instead…is the gift of one another.”
Statement by the Board of Directors of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians
The Covenant Network Board of Directors expresses its admiration and gratitude for the congregations and ministers who, despite their unhappiness with the actions of the 221st General Assembly on marriage, have resolved to remain part of the denomination. Their presence is a great gift. Diverse views and patterns of spiritual practice keep the church honest and strong; all of us, in all our differences, are “knit together spiritually,” as scripture says, “into a dwelling place for God.”The proposed Amendment 14-F specifically includes language protecting freedom of conscience for teaching elders and congregations who choose not to participate in or host same-sex marriages. We wholeheartedly support those important protections, which are in keeping with our Presbyterian principles. Indeed, we believe the amendment was greatly strengthened by their addition.We have heard there is substantial concern among conservative and evangelical teaching elders and congregations that, in presbyteries where their views about marriage are in the minority, dissenting ministers would not be permitted to serve or dissenting congregations would be prevented from calling the pastors they want. As a board and as individual presbyters, we would oppose efforts to exclude persons who are qualified and called for service on the basis of their views about marriage, and we would urge other Presbyterians to join us in this commitment.
Session Support for the Marriage Amendment
The Session of University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio has adopted a resolution encouraging Mission Presbytery to approve the Marriage Amendment, 14-F.
What Not to Wear
A Sermon on Marriage Equality and the Church, by Layton E. WilliamsMatthew 22:1-14 ~ Springfield Regional Conference, October 11, 2014"...Marriage matters, but we haven’t fought this long and hard because it is the only thing that matters, we have fought because it is part of something so much bigger that matters so much more—and that is the covenant of God to which we are all invited and all called. And it matters how we show up, it matters what we clothe ourselves in, what we wear, because every act of covenant with God—between two people and between all people—is not just a celebration. It’s also an act of holy protest against brokenness..."
Marriage and Singleness - A Sermon Series
We are grateful to the Rev. Jon M. Walton, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York, for permission to share his sermons:Marriage, Bible StyleWhy Marriage?Marriage: A Civil Contract Between Two Persons?One Is Not the Loneliest Number
Divided Votes, United People
CovNet Executive Director Brian Ellison reflects on the experience of the 221st General Assembly and how that gracious spirit can be mirrored when presbyteries consider amendments to the Book of Order and other potentially controversial issues.
Freedom to marry expanding for families in 5+ more states
The Supreme Court has declined to review lower circuit court rulings upholding marriage equality in five more states. Why does marriage matter to families and communities? Listen to Monica and Sue talk about their own lives.
Is gender complementarity essential to Christian marriage?
An oft-cited reason claimed by opponents of same-gender marriage is the concept of “gender complementarity — the idea that men and women are different from one another in essential ways, and that Christian love depends on the pairing of just those differences.” Duke University Professor Mary McClintock Fulkerson critiques this idea in her essay from the Covenant Network’s 2006 publication, Frequently Asked Questions about Sexuality, the Bible & the Church: Plain Talk About Tough Issues.
A Funny Thing Happened
Laura Mariko Cheifetz on her own marriage: "I had become so accustomed to keeping this relationship under wraps in certain segments of the church. And I learned that being public meant something not just to us, but to other people. Neither of us missed the irony that our marriage happened in full view of another church and another state, instead of our own..."
Why the Marriage Amendment Matters
Tricia Dykers Koenig: Given that the GA's authoritative interpretation of W-4.9000 affirms that ministers may use their discretion in officiating at marriages of same-gender couples, does it matter if the presbyteries approve the proposed Marriage Amendment, 14-F?
Why Marriage Matters Now: Thoughts as the Church Talks About Same-Sex Marriage
Brian Ellison reflects on what's at stake in the approval of Amendment 14-F: fundamental Christian values, the quality and content of the Church's mission, the lives of people.
Benton: a change of heart, a plea for forgiveness
The Rev. Marc Benton's complaint against the Presbytery of Hudson River in 1999 led to a decision by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission forming an important precedent in the development of the constitutional interpretation about marriage in the PC(USA). In a statement to be presented at the next meeting of the presbytery, Benton explains how he changed his mind about same-gender marriage, and asks forgiveness.
Why Marriage Matters
Marriage matters to persons who are beloved members of our churches - and of the human family. Listen to Chris and Andy tell their story.
Preaching Human Sexuality
A sermon series by the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey K. Krehbiel, pastor of Church of the Pilgrims in Washington, DC, exploring Genesis 2, Genesis 38, Genesis 19, Romans 1, and I Corinthians 7.
What Do Presbyterians Say About Marriage?
David Jensen: "The biblical authors and Reformed heritage both assume that a marriage covenant is between a man and a woman. The question of same-sex marriage simply does not enter their interpretive world. Since the church must continually re-interpret its heritage in light of new questions in the attempt to be faithful to the Good News of Jesus Christ, Presbyterians are warranted in asking whether or not the distinctive strands of our tradition would allow for or prohibit same-sex unions or marriages. The burden for either side, in my opinion, lies in whether proposals for same-sex unions meet the theological criteria for marriages outlined in our tradition: May such unions, as Westminster stresses, serve the common good? Are they dim reflections of God’s covenant with humanity, as the Old Testament suggests? Do they direct human persons to one another and to the ultimacy of God’s Reign as the New Testament upholds? Do they, as Calvin urged, model restraint from sin and joy in companionship? Do they, however imperfectly, anticipate God’s communion with all creation in Christ, as our liturgy celebrates?"
Study Guide for The Bible's Yes to Same-Sex Marriage
As your congregation and presbytery begin to plan for the discussion of Amendment 14-F, Marriage - On Amending W-4.9000, Westminster John Knox Press has provided a study guide to accompany the new book by the Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier, The Bible's Yes to Same-Sex Marriage: An Evangelical's Change of Heart.
"By the authority of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)"
Former Covenant Network Board member Kent Organ reflects on the joy of witnessing the wedding of Gerri Mead and Gail Russell at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, where he had served as Interim Pastor: ' Lincoln Park's current pastor, Beth Buckingham-Brown, said that this wedding was performed "by the authority of the State of Illinois." Just before that, her co-officiant, a longtime friend, supporter and adviser to Gail and Gerri -- as to many gay and lesbian couples in our denomination -- the Rev. Janie Spahr, declared, "By the authority of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)..." and we all erupted in enthusiastic and sustained applause.'