Saturday, June 21, 2014

Presbyterian Church Votes To Allow Gay Marriages



Presbyterian Church Votes To Allow Gay Marriages
Jaweed Kaleem jaweed.kaleem@huffingtonpost.com
Posted: 06/19/2014 5:15 pm EDT
In a monumental move, the nation's largest Presbyterian denomination voted Thursday to change its definition of marriage and allow its pastors to officiate same-sex ceremonies in states where gay marriage is legal.

By a vote of 429-175, leaders of the 1.76 million-member Presbyterian Church (USA) voted during the biennial General Assembly in Detroit to change the denomination's Book of Order to describe marriage as being between "two people."

The decision opens a path toward gay marriage across the denomination's 10,000 churches.

A majority of the church's 172 regional bodies, called Presbyteries, must now approve the decision before it's official, a process that can take up to a year. But after years of failed efforts to get the church to approve gay marriages, LGBT activists and pastors said they were optimistic.

“This is a glorious day for the church and for LGBT people who have been seeking full inclusion here for decades,” Pittsburgh-based Rev. Randy Bush, the co-moderator of the board for pro-LGBT church group Covenant Network, said in a statement.

In a separate vote, 371 to 238, the church assembly also approved a measure to allow pastors who minister in places where same-sex marriage is legal, which currently includes 19 states and the District of Columbia, to officiate those weddings. That move is final and doesn't need further approval.

Many smaller, more conservative Presbyterian denominations, including the Presbyterian Church in America and Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, don't ordain gay people or official same-sex marriages.

But the decisions for the USA group, which came after hours of tense debate, follow years of discussions on the meaning of marriage in the church and a rapidly changing tide of support for religious and civil same-sex marriage. The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted in May 2011 to allow the ordination of openly gay men and women in same-sex relationships, and other Christian denominations have also increasingly ordained openly gay clergy.

The Episcopal Church started allowing same-sex marriage blessings last year, though individual priests have been performing gay marriage ceremonies for years in states where they are legal. The United Church of Christ has allowed same-sex marriages since 2005. Going further back, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations has officially supported same-sex marriages since 1996. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America allows individual church ministers to make decisions on gay marriages. Among Jews, two of the three major Jewish denominations, Reform and Conservative, allow same-sex marriages.

Like most religious groups that have policies allowing same-sex marriage, Presbyterians decided Thursday to let pastors who are against gay marriages make the choice to not perform them.

Some speakers at the assembly said they were afraid the decision would cause more conservative people to leave the church, which has been gradually losing members. As recently as 2010, the Presbyterian Church (USA) had 2.1 million members. Hundreds of congregations have defected in recent years, in part because of the church's increasingly liberal views on gay issues.

To combat splintering, Presbyterians voted to include language that marriage is not only between "two people," but also "traditionally of a man a woman" in the change passed Thursday.

While all Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations are affiliated nationally, congregations tend to differ widely in worship style and views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Liberal pastors are known to publicly and privately officiate same-sex marriages, but the church has censured some of these people. In one high-profile case in 2010, the church's highest court found a California minister guilty of misconduct for officiating gay marriage ceremonies.

United Church of Christ
Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago) is a member of the United Church of Christ.

Note: Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. is the senior pastor for the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago), and gave two racial sermons.
Jeremiah Wright controversy
Trumpeter Newsmagazine is a publication for the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago).
Louis Farrakhan was awarded the 2007 Jeremiah Wright Jr. Trumpeter award, is the organizer for the Million Man March, and the acting head for the Nation of Islam.
Barack Obama was a parishioner at the Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago), and an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP, and an advocate for the ONE Campaign.
ONE Campaign is a partner with the Episcopal Relief and Development, and a partner with the International Rescue Committee.
Roman Martinez IV is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Howard S. Jonas is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Princess Firyal is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a leader’s council member for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Joan H. Tisch is a leader’s council member for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and a lifetime trustee at Gay Men's Health Crisis.
Maurice R. Greenberg is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Scott Pelley is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a correspondent for 60 Minutes.
Jennifer Breheny Wallace was the associate producer for 60 Minutes, and is a board member for the Episcopal Social Services.
Georgette F. Bennett is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, a trustee at the Third Way, and the founder & president of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.
Adam Solomon was a trustee, co-founder for the Third Way, and a founding member of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.
William M. Daley is a trustee at the Third Way, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration.
Mark S. Sisk is a director at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, a bishop for the Episcopal Church, and a bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, and supported same-sex marriage in New York.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the International Rescue Committee, the Aspen Institute (think tank), and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
James S. Crown is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
David H. Koch is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Lester Crown was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank), is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and his daughter is Susan Crown.
Susan Crown is Lester Crown’s daughter, an executive committee member of the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was a trustee at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
John H. Bryan is a life trustee at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Sue L. Gin is a director at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank), the International Rescue Committee, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, Mark Schwartz was his senior adviser, and is the founder of Soros Fund Management.
Jeffrey W. Greenberg was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), is Maurice R. Greenberg’s son, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Mark Schwartz was George Soros’s senior adviser, the president & CEO for the Soros Fund Management, and is a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Maurice R. Greenberg is a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and an overseer at the International Rescue Committee.
Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, supported same-sex marriage in New York, and a leadership council member for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Scott Pelley is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a correspondent for 60 Minutes.
Diane Sawyer was a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and a co-anchor for 60 Minutes.
Steve Kroft is a correspondent for 60 Minutes, and a director at the Center for Public Integrity.
Arianna Huffington is a director at the Center for Public Integrity, and the president & editor-in-chief for the Huffington Post.
Jennifer Breheny Wallace was the associate producer for 60 Minutes, and is a board member for the Episcopal Social Services.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation, and Demos.
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and a contributor for the American Bridge 21st Century.
Demos was a funder for the National Education Association.
American Bridge 21st Century was a contributor for the National Education Association.
John I. Wilson was an executive director for the National Education Association, and is a director at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Kevin Jennings was the founder & executive director for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and is an executive director for the Arcus Foundation.
Arcus Foundation was a funder for the Center for American Progress.
George Soros was a supporter for the Center for American Progress, the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and is a director emeritus for Refugees International.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, Refugees International, the International Rescue Committee, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
V. Gene Robinson is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, and delivered the invocation for the 2009 Barack Obama inauguration.
Constance J. Milstein is a director emeritus for Refugees International, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
John C. Danforth is a director at Refugees International, and an ordained minister for the Episcopal Church.
Mark S. Sisk is a bishop for the Episcopal Church, a bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and a director at the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.
Georgette F. Bennett is the founder & president of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the Third Way.
Clifford S. Asness is a director at the International Rescue Committee, supported same-sex marriage in New York, and a leadership council member for the Robin Hood Foundation.
Maurice R. Greenberg is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Howard S. Jonas is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Roman Martinez IV is an overseer at the International Rescue Committee, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Richard S. Fuld Jr. was a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and is a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Daniel S. Och is a director at the Robin Hood Foundation, and a trustee at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.































































































































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