The Synod Permanent Judicial Commission claimed that since there were conflicting interpretations of Scripture presented during hearings, the presbytery had the right to choose which interpretation to use.

The ordination of one openly gay candidate as a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister came a step closer to reality after a synod-level tribunal found that a California presbytery made no errors in approving the ordination.

On Sept. 17, the Synod of the Pacific’s Permanent Judicial Commission (SPJC), found that the Presbytery of San Francisco ruled correctly in its decision to ordain ministerial candidate Lisa Larges in 2009…

At the time of Larges’ request for ordination, standards in the PCUSA Book of Order required ordained ministers to live in chastity in singleness or fidelity in marriage, effectively banning homosexual relationships.

In 2004, Larges informed the presbytery that she was involved in a same-sex relationship and later filed a statement of departure from the chastity-fidelity clause although by that time she said she was no longer in the relationship.

After the presbytery affirmed Larges’ ordination by a vote of 156-138, a group, including Eric Parnell, Bruce McIntosh and the session of Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, filed a remedial complaint (Parnell (et. al.) v. Presbytery of San Francisco) against the presbytery in 2009. The synod PJC affirmed the presbytery’s decision in 2010 and the complainants appealed to the GAPJC alleging the commission made 11 errors in affirming the ordination.

Two of those errors, the GAPJC said, involved complaints that Larges’ ordination violated Scriptural and confessional standards, about which the synod PJC did not rule in 2010.

“Since the doctrinal issue is central to the appellants’ case, it was error for the SPJC not to expressly rule upon the issue,” the August GAPJC decision stated. The case was remanded back to the synod to rule on the errors.

In its most recent ruling, the SPJC claimed the presbytery “did not commit doctrinal error in its decision to accept the departure and to ordain the candidate” because “interpretations of Scripture and the confessions, and the conclusions that result from those interpretations, have not been uniform in the history and practice of the Church,” with regard to homosexual behavior.

The SPJC claimed that since there were conflicting interpretations of Scripture presented during hearings, the presbytery had the right to choose which interpretation to use.

“We are doomed as a Presbyterian people, if it takes only two scholars to disagree on a doctrinal point to disqualify an orthodox doctrine as non-essential,” lead Parnell lead attorney Mary Naegeli said in a blog posting immediately after the decision was announced.

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In related news …
In Wisconsin, Scott Anderson will soon become the first openly gay candidate ordained following the passage of Amendment 10A. Like Larges, Anderson was ordained after admitting to a 19-year partnership with another man and claiming that his actions were not in violation of Scriptures or any confessions.
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(In 2010) Caledonia Church of Portage, Wis. challenged Anderson’s ordination (Session of Caledonia (et. al.) v. Presbytery of John Knox) and after their appeal was dismissed at the synod level, appealed to the GAPJC. In August, the commission ruled that the appeal was moot in light of the passage of Amendment 10A in May.

According to the presbytery, Anderson is slated to be ordained Oct. 8.

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