The Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission has cleared the Rev. Jane Southard, who in 2008 performed a same-sex wedding ceremony, of wrongdoing. The GAPJC ruling reverses a previous decision by the Synod of the Northeast’s PJC finding Southard in violation of the PCUSA constitution.

The GAPJC heard Southard’s appeal on Feb. 4 and announced its ruling on Feb. 8.

According to the ruling, the Synod of the Northeast PJC erred in its constitutional interpretation by determining that Southard had committed an offense and violated her ordination vows by participating in or directing a same-gender marriage as a Christian marriage. The GAPJC also declared the Synod PJC’s reversal of Boston Presbytery PJC’s not guilty verdict without providing Southard due process safeguards.

The ruling cites the cleared the Rev. Jane SouthardGAPJC ruling, which prohibits PCUSA ministers from treating a same-sex union as a Christian marrige, as key in the decision.

“Southard conducted this ceremony two months prior to Spahr,” the ruling states. “Sensitive to the authoritative interpretation in Spahr, this Commission agrees with the SPJC that Spahr cannot be applied retroactively to the facts of this case. Therefore, Southard did not violate the Book of Order or her ordination vows by erring in her constitutional interpretation. She did not commit an offense because the applicable authoritative interpretation (Spahr) had not yet been promulgated.”

In its order, the GAPJC reversed the Synod PJC’s guilty verdict and re-instated the Boston PJC’s not guilty verdict.

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