Burlington Church Awaits Decision

A ruling from the Presbyterian Church is expected this week in the case of a local congregation that voted to reject a national church guideline that forbids gay men and lesbians from holding official positions in the denomination.

Burlington’s Christ Church, Presbyterian congregation was ordered by a regional church court to comply with the national rule and refuse church offices to openly homosexual congregants. Its appeal to the denomination’s highest court was heard in late May.

Peter Oddleifson told the court that the entire denomination was agonizing over the issue, and that forcing the ruling on individual congregations “threatens to destroy or seriously damage a church.” Representing proponents of the legislation, Gordon Fish argued that it is allowing individual interpretations of dictates that threatens unity.

Any decision handed down at this level can only be overruled by the church’s General Assembly, which is expected to discuss the issue when it meets at the end of June.

At that time, the assembly is also expected to discuss a same-gender marriage ceremony performed in a Dobbs Ferry, NY, congregation, as well as a proposal that would forbid same-gender marriages completely.