From www.365gay.com comes this great news …
(Santa Rosa, California) A longtime Presbyterian minister who was the first of her faith to be tried for officiating at the unions of gay couples was acquitted Friday of violating her denomination's position on same-sex marriage.
A regional judicial commission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) ruled 6-1 that the Rev. Jane Spahr of San Rafael acted within her rights as an ordained minister when she married two lesbian couples in 2004 and 2005.
Because the section of the faith's constitution that reserves marriage for a man and a woman “is a definition, not a directive,” Spahr was “acting within her right of conscience in performing marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples,” the tribunal said in a written ruling.
The tribunal stated that Reverend Spahr acted within the “normative standards” of her region. The ruling may mean that all ordained clergy are permitted to preside at same-sex weddings. Read the full story at http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/03/030306pastor.htm
Spahr was charged with using the term 'wedding' not for actually performing the ceremony. Click here for the backstory
http://www.pghlesbian.com/blog/_archives/2006/3/3/1794706.html
A tearful Spahr, 63, a longtime activist who could have faced sanctions ranging from a rebuke to removal from the ministry, rejoiced at the verdict. Flanked by her lawyers and the two couples she married, Spahr said she would continue performing same-sex weddings.
“The church said God loved everyone, and for years I believed it,” she said. “Today, for just one moment, to hear this is remarkable.”
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Being the Presbyterian Church, this is hardly the end.
The Presbyterian Lay Committee will go nuts over this result. That group that started in Butler will whine, too. Of course, there's a tremendous overlap between them and the PLC.
I think this summer's going to be another General Assembly (it's gone Bi — bianual, not bisexual), where everyone sits around arguing and they reach some sort of consensus that no one's happy with. Someone somewhere will suggest we all stop worshipping Jesus and consider Sophia or Freddy Mercury or something. Out of a crowd that big, someone's bound to stop taking their medications.
After General Assembly, there will be calls proclaiming the delegates apostates and heathens. I don't know which side: possibly both. More threats will be made to leave the PCUSA, and at least two churches in the coming year will attempt to leave to join the Presbyterian Church of America (which doesn't have these arguments, doesn't have women in positions of leadership, and is pushing for Creationism to be taught).
Believe it or not, this is remarkably speedy progress in the Presbyterian Church USA.
At least the Presbyterians and the Anglicans are wrestling. The Catholics are still pointing fingers and burying their heads in the sand.