scholarly journals The polity debate regarding gay and lesbian ordination and/or installation in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roch� F. Vermaak

The paper summarises the formation process of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)�s (PC(USA)) polity regarding the ordination and/or installation of partnered gays and lesbians as officers, i.e. deacons, elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament, in light of General Assemblies� decisions and General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commissions� ecclesiastical rulings since the 1970's.

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roch� F. Vermaak

The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. united in 1983 to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Since 1978, these three denominations have been involved in an ongoing debate regarding same-gender relationships. Subsequently, General Assemblies and General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commissions (GAPJC) � the highest denominational court � have formed a polity regarding the election and ordination and/or installation of gays and lesbians as officers, i.e. deacons, elders, and ministers of the Word and Sacrament, as well as same-gender blessings and marriages. This first of three papers will focus on the historical development of Presbyterian ordination polity with emphasis on specific markers such as the Adopting Act of 1729 with its emphasis on scrupling and essentials, the five fundamentals of 1910 and the Special Commission of 1925 regarding subscription, G-6.0106b Book of Order, and relevant GAPJC rulings.


2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roch� F. Vermaak

This paper will examine how the decision made by the Presbyterian Church in 1927 � to use polity rather than theology to solve its theological issues � has guided the same-gender blessing and marriage debate since the 1980s. The paper summarises the formation process of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)�s polity regarding same-gender blessing and marriage ceremonies in light of General Assemblies� decisions and General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commissions� ecclesiastical rulings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Duncan

The Bantu Presbyterian Church of South Africa (BPCSA) was birthed out of a quest for union amongst Presbyterians, which began in the 1890s more than 30 years before it was actually established as the fruit of the mission of the United Free Church of Scotland in 1923. From that date onwards church union hardly ever disappeared from the agenda of the highest court of the denomination, the General Assembly. During the twentieth century such discussions involved two of the three other Presbyterian churches and the Congregational Union of South Africa. In addition, the BPCSA has maintained a high ecumenical profile in both the South African and global contexts. The main thrust of this article describes and analyses the vicissitudes of Presbyterian conversations during the period 1923–39


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