Using a 2008 More Light Presbyterians event as an example, the Presbytery of Santa Barbara has asked for oversight of General Assembly events sponsored by Presbyterian Church (USA) aligned groups to make sure they honor the denomination’s constitutional standards.

Citing a “wedding” between two men officiated by a Presbyterian pastor at the 218th General Assembly in San Jose, Calif., Santa Barbara asks that such events be evaluated by the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) in advance. The same-sex marriage, even though legal on a secular level at the time, was in violation of section W-4.9001 in the Book of Order and the GA Permanent Judicial Commission’s ruling that church officers will not state or imply that same-sex ceremonies are a marriage.

Hoping that it will help influential staff understand the implications of their decisions and recommendations, Great Rivers Presbytery that being active in a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation be required for key General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) staff.

“These are the bodies that set the direction of the denomination and represent its public face to the world,” the overture states, adding that some GAMC staff influence the entities that formulate PCUSA policy. “From time to time, these policies and pronouncements create situations for local congregations that cause consternation or worse.”