“The report is making its conclusion based on humanism and human logic, not on Scripture. I heard exactly the same misuse of Scripture being quoted at our last presbytery meeting when we were leaving the PC(USA). It was the Scripture about the woman caught in adultery. The AIC presenter quoted Jesus as saying, “Neither do I condemn you,” but he left out the sentence where Jesus says, “Go and sin no more.” It was not quite a PTSD moment, but I had the feeling like I had been here before.”

Editor’s Note: In March, TE Bill Reisenweaver resigned as chairman of the Ministerial Committee of the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean as an act of conscience in response to the Ad Interim Committee on Same-Sex Attraction. Previously, Bill served as Moderator and Chair of the Leadership Team for the presbytery. He chaired the Ministerial Committee for almost five years prior to his resignation. In the following interview with the Plumb Line, Reisenweaver explains why he could no longer serve in leadership in the EPC.

Plumb Line: Bill, what prompted you to resign as Chair of the Ministerial Committee for the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean?

Reisenweaver: lt was the report on same-sex attraction that caused me to resign. It was more of a conviction than a protest. My conviction was stirred by my study of celibate homosexuals and Scripture. It began several years ago when Greg Johnson’s transfer was put on pause for several years. I told my wife, “If this goes any farther, I can’t continue to serve.” When I saw the result of the AIC report, especially the pastoral letter, I felt it was violating my conscience.

Plumb Line: Why did you choose to resign now instead of waiting for General Assembly when we vote on the final report?

Reisenweaver: I think the Lord has made me an involuntary buoy. You know, when you are piloting a boat in heavy fog, you have these buoys with ringing bells and the buoy warns you to stay away from danger and disaster. Maybe my purpose in making this decision was to be a ringing bell. I wasn’t optimistic when I shared my critique with the Ad Interim Committee, and none of it has shown up in the revisions. It hasn’t changed at all. If they really wanted to make revisions, they should have done that earlier in October, but now we’re in the eleventh hour. It is too late for revisions

Plumb Line: You have written a critique of the AIC recommendations. In particular, you focused on the pastoral letter. Briefly, what do you think is wrong with the pastoral letter?

Reisenweaver: When I got to the pastoral letter, it stopped me in my tracks. First, it has a strategic flaw because they are attempting to use a general letter on sexuality to make it into a document on ordination. Second, it is exegetically flawed. It misuses Scripture. For example, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, they take the aorist verbs in Greek, “You were washed, you were justified, you were sanctified …” and they change them to, “You are being washed, you are being justified, you are being sanctified.” They change the translation from the past tense to the present tense. The third problem is they neglect relevant Scriptures. One example is Ephesians 5:3: “Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” Specifically, in the pastoral letter there is a section where they say it is unwise to call yourself a gay Christian. It is not unwise, it is a sin to call yourself a gay Christian and name yourself with that sin. Third, the pastoral letter is theologically flawed. It does not deal with Biblical teaching on church membership or for ordination for church office. The conclusion of the pastoral letter, which is very clearly stated on page 19, says that same-sex attracted candidates may be accepted for church office. This conclusion is disconnected from vague references to Scripture on page 3. Also, it violates the Westminster Confession, Chapter 1, paragraphs 6 and 10, where it says we reject the traditions of men: “Nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelation by the Spirit or the traditions of men.”

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