A group of Presbyterians in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on Tuesday cast the decisive votes that open ordination to openly gay men and lesbian clergy in the 2 million-member Presbyterian Church USA.
A regional church group called the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area became the 87th presbytery to approve the constitutional change to the denomination’s book of order, reaching the required majority vote among the denomination’s 173 presbyteries.
The Presbytery of South Louisiana, representing 61 Presbyterian USA churches, voted to approve gay ordination at a meeting in Baton Rouge last month.
Good news, indeed, however I was sorry to read the following news about the local Presbyterian church, which I did not know until now:
By one count, the drift caused an estimated 100 large Presbyterian churches to leave the denomination for more conservative Presbyterian bodies.
In Louisiana, for example, First Presbyterian churches of Baton Rouge and Thibodaux, as well as Woodland Presbyterian Church in Algiers, left for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, which takes a traditional stand on sexuality.
If we had no Episcopal Church in my town, I'd thought I might attend the Presbyterian Church, but now, I don't know.
Is there not an ELCA church in Thibodaux? (That would be my 2nd choice after Piskies. Of course, this is all academic now that we've got you in our clutches, Mimi! ;-p)
ReplyDeleteJCF, there is no ELCA church here. The Lutheran church in nearby Houma, LA, is Missouri Synod.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the Misery Synod. Actually, sad to say, it's better than the Wisconsin Synod, although neither is a place you'd (or I'd) want to be.
ReplyDeleteBex, yes. LCMS is not the Lutheran church with which the Episcopal Church is in full communion. I didn't know there was another Lutheran group besides them.
ReplyDeleteThe Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) makes Missouri Synod look downright liberal.
ReplyDeleteAny UUs or United Church of Christ down your way? I guess people in my area are a bit spoiled with the choice we have.
A local ELCA church will be hosting Jefferts Schori for dinner (students only) at the beginning of June. She sometimes attended it when a student at Stanford studying biology (odd shaped church, hexagon with the altar in the middle of the room). She is also doing the Ascension Day sermon at Stanford Memorial Church (the local ELCA and Piskies borrow the church for the event) and giving a lecture (I hope to attend the lecture).
Erp, we have a Methodist church, two or three Baptist churches, several Roman Catholic churches, several pentecostal churches, a non-denominational church, and that's it. Nothing for me really.
ReplyDeleteLucky you. I've heard the PB preach. She gives a good sermon.