Representatives of the more than 50 churches in the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia voted Saturday against a proposal that would lift the ban on ordaining homosexuals in the Presbyterian Church USA. The vote was 98-70, with two abstentions.
All 173 presbyteries, or districts, in the denomination are voting on whether to ratify the proposal made by the denomination's governing General Assembly last year. The Presbytery of Eastern Virginia extends west from the Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads to just beyond Williamsburg. Though the church allows the ordination of homosexuals, in practice it does not recognize same-sex marriages -- and will not ordain single people who are sexually active.
The issue is wearily familiar to the country's more than 2 million Presbyterians, who have debated the matter for decades and voted on the ban twice in the past five years.
But that familiarity has made the issue no less contentious, nor has it eroded the convictions of those who spoke at Saturday's presbytery meeting at Royster Memorial Presbyterian Church in Norfolk.
``In the sight of God, homosexual behavior is unacceptable,'' the Rev. Frank Drake of Norfolk's Willowwood Presbyterian Church said. ``I believe that is the conclusion scripture leads us to see and to follow.''
But Robert Bradford, a retired minister, said the denomination's rejection of homosexuals seeking ordination inflicted needless suffering on people like his son, who is gay.
``We are all one in Jesus Christ. How can we keep saying `no' to so many in pain?'' Bradford said.
The Presbyterian Church USA ordains ministers, elders and deacons. The policy requires that ordained, married leaders stay faithful to their spouse, and that ordained leaders who are single must remain in ``chastity.'' In other words, anyone who is ordained and unmarried cannot be sexually active, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual.
The policy also effectively requires that ordained lesbians and gays give up sexual activity for life, since Presbyterians do not allow same-sex marriage.
In 1998, the presbyteries voted by a 2-1 margin against approving a proposed repeal of the policy.
Nonetheless, repeal was proposed again last year by the General Assembly, forcing the current vote by presbyteries.
According to Robert H. Bullock Jr., the editor of Presbyterian Outlook magazine, the debate reflects concerns that go beyond views toward homosexuality.
Advocates of homosexual ordination say justice is at stake, just as it was when the church ended its support for slavery and segregation, and when it stopped excluding women from ordination.
But opponents say each of those historical changes actually was premised on solid biblical and doctrinal grounds -- grounds they cannot find when it comes to affirming homosexual activity.
A repeal would lift the ban on ordination of homosexuals, but would not require that presbyteries and churches ordain gays and lesbians.
Instead, presbyteries -- which are empowered to ordain ministers -- would be free to decide individually whether to ordain homosexuals. The same would hold for churches, which ordain elders and deacons.
So far, the repeal has been supported by only a quarter of the more than 60 presbyteries that have voted.