While the definition of a PCUSA governing body in the Book of Order establishes such bodies – a presbytery or synod – as geographical, the Santa Barbara Presbytery hopes that its proposal would allow churches within the synod’s boundaries to become member churches of the Santa Barbara cluster

In the weeks following the historic change in ordination standards within the Presbyterian Church (USA), presbyteries opposing Amendment 10A are rallying to respond.

The Presbyterian Coalition, a Virginia-based movement whose self-described mission includes “upholding historic Biblical leadership standards,” has posted a list of responses and resources released by presbyteries across the U.S. following the passage of the amendment on May 10.

Amendment 10A will allow for the ordination of non-celibate single heterosexuals, those who commit adultery, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals to positions as deacons, elders and ministers in PCUSA churches. The changes to the Book of Order will take effect on July 10.

“We’re concerned about how [Amendment 10A] is being interpreted,” said Terry Schlossberg, renewal advisor with the Coalition.

“So, one of the things we want to do is help churches sort all this out,” she said, adding that many presbyteries do not really know what the substitute language in 10A states or what language was substituted.

“We can see maybe four or five ways it is being interpreted,” Schlossberg said, adding that the PCUSA Office of the Stated Clerk, presbyteries, executive presbyters and pastors all have their own analysis.

“We want to try to help sort out the interpretations,” she said, adding, “we are working on interpreting the language ourselves.”

Specifically, the Coalition wants to talk about what the new language in itself does not permit. Schlossberg said the language can still be interpreted as requiring church authorities to insist that candidates for ordination adhere to traditional Biblical and ecclesiastical standards and confessions as well as the church’s traditional view on sexual morality.

“You don’t necessarily see permission for immoral acts in the new language,” she said, adding that people within presbyteries and sessions were feeling frustrated and often confused in trying to sort out the effects of 10A.

The Coalition has posted the following responses (all resources are linked below):

Committees of Correspondence

Created by the Presbytery of Santa Barbara in May, the Presbytery Committees of Correspondence hopes to unite presbyteries who opposed the passage 10A to “discern together God’s will for our future.”

“We believe that it is essential that we not fragment or carry out individual presbytery or congregational actions,” the committee’s online position paper states, adding the group hopes to discourage “division and isolation” and instead help present a united front if the PCUSA chooses to initiate hostile action towards any church or presbytery seeking to recognize Scriptural authority in ordination standards and other theological issues.

Organizers say the committee has no specific plan of action at this time but that they consider “every option on the table.” For now, the group hopes to identify and contact congregations with similar goals both within and outside the geographic boundaries of their home presbytery, as well as identifying like-minded presbyteries.

Mostly, however, the committee seems to seek a network of communication and informational sharing among these congregations and presbyteries.

The committee plans to host a daylong meeting in Minneapolis following a meeting of the Fellowship of Presbyterians on Aug. 27. The Fellowship is comprised of 45 Presbyterian ministers and sent an open letter to the PCUSA on Feb. 2 in which it called the denomination “deathly ill.” The group includes pastors serving in nine of the PCUSA’s 15 largest churches – so-called “Tall Steeple” ministers.

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