July 11, 1997 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - It is always entertaining to observe the liberal denominations in their attempt to find harmony in the midst of their confused "unity in diversity." In 1996, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA passed Amendment B, which was popularly called "the fidelity and chastity amendment." It was an attempt by conservative Presbyterians within this very liberal denomination to place some biblical restrictions upon church officers. It required church leaders to live in obedience to Scripture, in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church, and to live "in fidelity within the covenant of marriage of a man and a woman or chastity in singleness."

At the 1997 General Assembly in June Amendment B was modified with an amendment called "B plus." According to the PC-USA News, June 20, 1997, the modification --

* requires church officers to "lead a life in obedience to Jesus Christ under the authority of scripture" rather than in Amendment B's "in obedience to scripture";

* requires them to "be instructed by the historic confessional standards of the church" rather than Amendment B's "in conformity" to them;

* requires them to "demonstrate fidelity and integrity in marriage or singleness, and in all relationships of life" rather than living "in fidelity within the covenant of marriage of a man and a woman or chastity in singleness."

This amendment is pure politics. The new language allows more liberty for those who oppose the Bible's plain teaching against homosexual and every other form of immorality. It promotes the denominational harmony that these church leaders love above all else.

DENOMINATIONAL TWO-FACEDNESS

Though the Amendment B was a good-sounding amendment, it was almost meaningless in practice because it's sentiments have long been ignored by a large number of Presbyterian Church USA congregations, leaders, and ministries. Let me give you some examples:

Presbyterians for Lesbian and Gay Concerns was founded twenty-seven years ago by David Sindt, a homosexual who eventually died of AIDS. Though many are opposed to its goals, this homosexual ministry has been allowed to spread its leaven all of these years within the Presbyterian Church USA. It has displays at the general assemblies and disseminates its literature widely.

In 1988 a Presbyterian Church USA youth worker, Chris Glaser, wrote the foreword to Virginia Mollenkott's book Uncommon Calling: A Gay Man's Struggle to Serve the Church. This is what Glaser said: "I fully agree with Chris that instead of repenting of their orientation, perhaps gay women and men most need to repent of their closets. Ultimately, the church will grant justice to gay people only when the issue has been sufficiently personalized by the faces of thousands of gay Christians who openly thank God for the good gift of their sexuality." Glaser's unscriptural opinions are representative of many who within the Presbyterian Church USA.

A wide-ranging survey taken in 1990 revealed that the ordination of "celibate homosexuals" was endorsed by 64 percent of pastors and 70 percent of ordained ministers working in ministries other than the pastorate. According to the same survey, 17 percent of pastors and 32 percent of other ordained ministers approved of the ordination of sexually active homosexuals.

In a friend-of-the-court brief in 1991 James Andrews, stated clerk for the Presbyterian Church USA, argued that Kentucky's sodomy law is unconstitutional. The Presbyterian brief argued that it is wrong for the law to "favor a particular religious position: that sodomy is immoral." Erig Graninger, associate general counsel for the Presbyterians, said, "It is not for the state to tell the citizens of Kentucky what their morals should be" (Christian News, Sept. 2, 1991). This is a strange statement for denominational leaders who claim to be Christians. God is the standard for righteousness. Apart from the righteous God, there is no absolute standard of morality, and the government's responsibility is to reward good and punish evil by God's standards. The Bible plainly says that the government "is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Romans 13:4). How does the government know what is evil? By the revealed Word of God, the Bible. The state's authority should be the unchangeable code of righteousness revealed in the Word of God, and when it bases its laws upon this divine authority it has every right to enforce those laws.

In 1992, Jane Spahr, an openly homosexual woman, a divorced mother, was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry. "Rev." Spahr has had a "specialized ministry" among homosexuals since the mid-1970s.

In November 1993 more than 400 Presbyterian Church USA women participated in the blasphemous Reimagining Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The PC-USA gave $66,000 toward the conference expenses. This meeting, attended by more than 2,000 women of various mainstream liberal denominations, featured a prayer to the goddess Sophia -- "Our maker Sophia, we are women in your image: With the hot blood of our wombs we give form to new life ... Our mother Sophia, we are women in your image: with nectar between our thighs we invite a lover, we birth a child; With our warm body fluids we remind the world of its pleasures and sensations." Representatives at the meeting gave a standing ovation to more than 100 "lesbian, bisexual and transsexual" women who gathered at the front of the convention hall. They were celebrating the "miracle of being lesbian, out, and Christian." The lesbian theme was heard repeatedly by various speakers. American Baptist clergywoman Nadean Bishop, for example, claimed that Mary and Martha in the Bible were lesbian lovers. Presbyterian Church USA clergywoman Jane Spahr claimed that her theology is first of all informed by "making love with Coni," her lesbian partner. United Methodist clergywoman Jude Westerdorf claimed that the church "has always been blessed by gays and lesbians." Lesbian theologian Mary Hunt said, "Imagine sex among friends as the norm. ... Pleasure is our birthright of which we have been robbed in religious patriarchy." (See our article "WCC Conference Honors Sophia Goddess," O Timothy, Volume 11, Issue 3, 1994, available in the O Timothy Computer Library and at the End Time Apostasy Online Database at the Way of Life web site.) While it is true that PC-USA staffer Mary Ann Lundy was forced to resign due to the outcry against this wicked conference, the PC-USA General Assembly in 1994 passed a resolution which supported those who attended the conference and said the important issue was to have peace within the denomination.

In 1996, a regional body of the Presbyterian Church USA in Georgia voted that Eric Swenson could retain ordination even though he had undergone a sex-change operation and changed his name to Erin. This transsexual individual has a marriage-counseling service!

The convoluted position of the Presbyterian Church USA in regard to homosexuality is expressed in the following report by Jerry Huffman, editor of the Calvary Contender: "PCUSA'S MIXED MESSAGE ON HOMOSEXUALITY -- The Presbyterian Church (USA) at its recent meeting sent a muddled message on homosexuality, and failed to condemn partial-birth abortion as sin. It approved a policy of forbidding the ordination of practicing homosexuals, but: (1) It continues to receive self-acknowledged, practicing homosexuals as members in good standing. (2) Its new moderator favors ordination of homosexuals. (3) 43% of the commissioners were unwilling to ban homosexual ordination. (4) It passed a resolution urging the Stated Clerk to explore the feasibility of giving civil rights to same-sex partners. Plains Baptist Challenger editor E. L. Bynum said the PC-USA is following the Roman Catholic plan. He said RC priests take a vow to be celibate, yet reportedly, at least 40% practice homosexuality" (Calvary Contender, September 15, 1996).

We are saying that the 1996 Presbyterian Church USA Amendment B represented typical liberal denominational two-faceness. In writing, they might have some excellent biblical statements. In practice, these statements are ignored and those who disobey and pervert the Word of God are not disciplined. The "B plus" amendment which was passed at this year's General Assembly more correctly represents the reality of the denomination.

All of this reminds us of the fact that denominations like this are unscriptural. The Apostles did not build denominations; they built autonomous assemblies which were not organizationally yoked together by any denominational structure or headquarters. The one Head of the New Testament assembly is the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord sent His Word to the seven churches of Asia, He did not write to a denominational headquarters; He sent His Word directly to each of the churches (Rev. 1-3). When the Lord called Paul and Barnabas to missionary work out of the church at Antioch, the church did not have to consult with any other church before sending them on their way (Acts 13:1-4). Each New Testament church is autonomous and independent under its one Head Jesus Christ, and has the authority to carry out the Great Commission. Churches fellowship with other churches with which they are spiritually and doctrinally compatible, but this fellowship is not to be unionized. The Bible gives a perfect pattern for the organization of the New Testament church: its government; its program; its discipline are carefully described by Apostolic authority. No such biblical pattern is given for any other institution. Denominational structures, being man-made, have no biblical injunction by which they can guide themselves, and they very quickly become morally and doctrinally polluted. The New Testament assembly, on the other hand, has the authority and biblical mandate whereby it can discipline itself and remain morally and doctrinally pure (1 Corinthians 5; Titus 3:10-11). Not only does God give the church instruction for discipline, He is present in the action of that discipline so that the discipline is accompanied by His authority and power (Matt. 18:15-18; 1 Cor. 5:3-5). No other institution has this capacity.

We praise the Lord for those multiplied thousands of sound New Testament churches across the world which remain independent of man-made denominational structures and which jealously preserve their God-given autonomy under their Head Jesus Christ.

"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).