Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
When commissioners to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted on July 2 not to make a technical change that would have allowed local churches and regional presbyteries to ordain homosexuals, they did so by a narrow margin: 259 to 255.
All three local Presbyterian pastors said they were happy with the results.
“I believe in equal rights for people of any sexual orientation but I’m not sure leading a church congregation is entirely suitable in the traditional family-oriented church,” said the Rev. Frank Sherman, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Clovis. “There are some churches that cater to gays and lesbians and there are plenty of denominations that ordain them. If people have a desire to be in the ministry there are denominations they can go to.”
Sherman said he wasn’t surprised by the closeness of the vote but was disappointed.
“Somewhere along the line I just have the feeling that someday we’re going to make Sodom and Gomorrah look like a Sunday School picnic,” Sherman said. “I just think the church needs to reevaluate some of what it’s concerned about.”
The Rev. Clyde Davis, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Portales, said the underlying issue of requiring sexual fidelity and chastity for clergy is more important than the specific issue of ordaining homosexuals.
“I don’t consider myself to be a conservative at all, but I think it should be a given that we are supposed to be in a monogamous relationship,” Davis said. “The definition of Christian marriage is one male remaining faithful to one female. We are expected to be faithful to our spouses and if we cannot be faithful to our spouses were are expected to seek divorce.
“I have a fairly open understanding of some parts of Scripture, but that is not one of them. There are some sociological and anthropological issues that most educated people would regard as supporting monogamy in the human species.”
The Rev. Lance Clemmons, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Clovis, is a member of a conservative network of churches in his denomination and was glad to see his denomination continue to bar the ordination of practicing homosexuals.
“I believe the current stance (on homosexual ordination) is correct because it is what Scripture tells us and we need to follow what God’s word says,” Clemmons said. “God’s word says it is a sin and we need to confess our sin and turn back to Christ.”
While no local Presbyterian pastors support ordaining homosexuals, the Rev. Sheila Gustafson, senior pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, said gay Presbyterians in Clovis need to know they have supporters elsewhere.
“There are gay and lesbian people in your part of the country, and if they hear that almost half of the general assembly voted the way they did, I think it gives some sense of hope and encouragement,” Gustafson said. “There are people working all around the country to try and change the Presbyterian Church’s stance on this issue.”
Gustafson said although the vote nearly passed, it was disappointing to come so close but still fail.
“It would have been a signal to the people who have been waiting for so long to see some sign of acceptance,” Gustafson said.
The next step for the Presbyterian Church (USA) on the issue of homosexuality will be in 2006, when a special task force is scheduled to report back on possible amendments to the church’s constitution that could strengthen or remove the existing ban on homosexual ordination.
