PC(USA) denomination to vote on amendment to affirm LGBTQ lifestyle

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a host of overtures at the Presbyterian Church (USA) biannual general assembly meeting from June 25 to July 4 in Salt Lake City, Utah. One proposed amendment to the denomination’s constitution would forbid what the proposal characterizes as discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Committee members approved the amendment to go to the general assembly for vote, with some changes to the proposal. The members rephrased wording that would have required candidates for ordination to be vetted for the ability to fulfill non-discrimination requirements. Instead, candidates will simply be vetted for their ability to guarantee participation and representation in the church.

What is the denomination’s current stance on individuals who identify as LGBTQ? Often confused for the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the PC(USA) is known for allowing individuals who identify as LGBTQ to be ordained as church ministers and elders. The denomination has supported same-sex unions as far back as 1978, according to its website. Assembly members approved an overture in 2018 affirming individuals who claim a gender identity that conflicts with their biological sex, and an overture apologizing to LGBTQ parishioners for the church previously being what it characterized as unwelcoming.

What else is on the voting docket? Other overtures include a proposal to inform church members about material on the Israel-Palestine conflict, such as a book titled Why Palestine Matters, The Struggle to End Colonialism, as a way to end policies the PC(USA) characterizes as Israeli apartheid. The general assembly is also expected to vote on an overture calling for action against gun violence.

Dig deeper: Read Colin J. Smothers’ column for WORLD Opinions on the PC(USA)’s efforts to impose LGBTQ affirmation across the denomination.