A panel of Presbyterian Church (USA) leaders is expected to deliberate today in the case of a minister found guilty of marrying same-sex couples in his former church.
The Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken, 45, former pastor of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, argued before a 10-member judicial commission Thursday that his conviction should be overturned. He has said that ministers have a right to call union ceremonies of gay couples "marriages."
The national rulebook for the Presbyterian Church (USA) allows ministers to bless commitment ceremonies by same-sex couples, but they must not call the ceremonies weddings. Van Kuiken says such "word games" assign a lower status to committed gay couples than to straight couples.
Last April the Cincinnati presbytery found Van Kuiken guilty of violating church rules and publicly rebuked him. When Van Kuiken continued holding same-sex marriages, the presbytery stripped him of his status as a minister.
In February, the synod over presbyteries in Ohio and Michigan reversed the Cincinnati presbytery's decision on ministerial status, restoring Van Kuiken's status, but not his job.
Thursday's hearing before the commission dealt with the original guilty verdict. The commission is expected to decide the case soon and may release its verdict next week.