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Synod PJC decision:
a letter from Lynne Reade, attorney for the Presbytery |
In response to an inquiry from your WebWeaver, Lynne Reade, who
served as attorney for Redwoods Presbytery in the case involving
complaints about the ordination of the Rev. Katie Morrison, sent us this
letter. [5-22-02]
__________________________________
Lynne Reade, Attorney at Law
3610 Dunbar Court
Fremont, CA 94536
__________________________________
May 22, 2002
Doug King, Newsletter Editor
Network News
The Witherspoon Society of the Presbyterian Church
7833 Somerset Circle
Woodbury, MN 55125-2334
Re: Edgar
Hart, et al.; Presbytery of San Joaquin; Session of
Rockville Presbyterian Fellowship v,
Presbytery of the Redwoods
(Remedial Cases 01-03, 01-04; 01-15; 01-16)
Dear Doug,
In answer to your inquiry about the Redwoods
Presbytery case and my involvement in it, I was pleased to be asked to
serve as Counsel to the Presbytery's Committee of Counsel. The Committee
was made up of Rev. Beverly White, Chair; Rev. Herman Waetjen and Elder
Jody Berger - all very helpful and supportive.
The two attorneys for the parties who filed formal
Complaints against the Presbytery are also fine people, as are the
parties themselves.
All Counsel in this case worked without fee but, even
so, the case cost the parties thousands of dollars that the church could
have better used for mission purposes. This is ominous when we consider
that those opposed to ordination of homosexual Presbyterians have
reportedly declared this to be the "judicial season" in the
church.
Since gays and lesbians and their allies are being
targeted in this "judicial season", I am particularly pleased
that the decision in the Redwoods Presbytery case should result in the
closing of most of the investigations already underway against those who
participated in Katie Morrison's ordination. It is a sad day when
members of a duly-appointed Presbytery Commission have to worry about
facing disciplinary accusations - especially when the accusations can
come from a single individual a continent away who has never even met
the many people he is accusing.
There is a rough road ahead until our denomination
eventually changes its position on this issue as it did with slavery and
women.
I think the next big battle will be about the term
"chastity" as used in G-6.0106b since there are different
interpretations of the word. (In doing my research for my Pretrial
Brief, I found that twelve different Overtures to the 1996 General
Assembly had wanted the term "celibacy" used in what became
G-6.0106b. One of them wanted "chaste celibacy" and I am still
wondering about that! Instead, the word "chastity" was used
and it has yet to be finally defined. We never got to that point in the
Redwoods trial because my Motion to Dismiss was granted, properly, at
the beginning of the trial.)
In my Pretrial Brief, I quoted the Heidelberg
Catechism that instructs that we should all "live chaste and
disciplined lives, whether in holy wedlock or in single life."
(4.108) I said there, "This certainly does not mean that married
couples should be celibate. This is a clear illustration that the
Confessions do not tell us that chastity and celibacy are the same
thing."
For those who think differently, maybe they will have
to include this as a warning to every man and woman in the process of
having a Presbyterian marriage - that even after the marriage ceremony,
the newly-wed husband and wife will have to remain celibate or risk
facing disciplinary charges because they are doing something the
Confessions call sin!
Best wishes,
Lynne Reade
Lynne Reade
Attorney at Law
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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Plan now for our 2010 Ghost Ranch
Seminar!
GHOST RANCH SEMINAR
July 26-August 1, 2010
WE’RE ALL IN
THIS TOGETHER
CONFRONTING THE STRUCTURES OF INJUSTICE |
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