The issue before Mid-America Presbytery of receiving a same-sex attracted minister, Greg Johnson, and the congregation he serves (Memorial Church in St. Louis) into the EPC has raised severe distress throughout the EPC. Documents are beginning to work their way through the EPC, often advocating for Greg Johnson’s reception or taking a position against the NRP overture. We offer this Open Letter in the spirit of free speech and as an attempt to balance the discussion which has already begun. In fact, we believe it is imperative to offer an alternative document supporting the NRP overture, so that GA Commissioners will be able to make an informed decision on this serious issue.

The New River Presbytery (NRP) has presented a unanimous overture to the 44th General Assembly that would amend chapter nine of the Book of Government to add this clause:

“Men and women who identify as homosexual, even those who identify as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy in that self-identification, are disqualified from holding office in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.” 

This Open Letter is written in support of this overture. The issue before Mid-America Presbytery of receiving a same-sex attracted minister, Greg Johnson, and the congregation he serves (Memorial Church in St. Louis) into the EPC has raised severe distress throughout the EPC. Documents are beginning to work their way through the EPC, often advocating for Greg Johnson’s reception or taking a position against the NRP overture. We offer this Open Letter in the spirit of free speech and as an attempt to balance the discussion which has already begun. In fact, we believe it is imperative to offer an alternative document supporting the NRP overture, so that GA Commissioners will be able to make an informed decision on this serious issue.

We also believe adopting the NRP overture would align the EPC Book of Government with the teaching of Scripture and the Westminster Standards on homosexuality. The letter contains four sections, each providing reasons why a same-sex attracted person should be prohibited from ordination:

1. The Old Testament priority of sexual purity in the priesthood as a model for ministerial ordination;
2. The New Testament understanding of sexual ethics, temptation, and qualifications for church office;
3. The teaching of the Westminster Standards on the moral law, concupiscence, sanctification, and the heinous sin of homosexuality; and
4. Lessons from mainline Presbyterian history on the ordination of celibate homosexuals.

We earnestly plea that the EPC be discerning on this issue, which brought apostasy to the mainline church. We believe deferring the NRP overture to a committee for study would be a mistake — sending the message that the EPC is uncertain about a matter for which it has had certainty for 44 years. If the overture passes at the Assembly, it will descend to the presbyteries, and congregations will have an opportunity to express an informed opinion in their presbytery.

We believe every presbytery should weigh in on this overture now.

Nate Atwood, St. Giles Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, NC); Moderator, 29th General Assembly
Rufus Burton, First Presbyterian Church (Martinsburg, WV); Stated Clerk, New River Presbytery
Don Fortson, Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte, NC) retired; Author, Liberty in Non-Essentials: The Story of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church