My Scruple Under Scrutiny

A scruple is a misgiving or a pang of conscience.

One of my ordination vows reads,

Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?

Each minister (Teaching Elder) must reaffirm these vows with every new call he or she is called to. I reaffirmed my vows before we changed our Church Order allowing for a presbytery to ordain unrepentant practicing homosexual persons to the office of Teaching Elder.

The idea of a “scruple” came from the Adopting Act of 1729 – when Presbyterianism formally began in what is now the United States. A minister was examined primarily regarding the Westminster Standards but also on his endorsement of the government of the Presbyterian Church. Every presbytery has the responsibility to hear any misgivings or pangs of conscience from those examined. They usually dealt with matters of theological doctrine and not worship or government. Yet government is listed as a proper consideration. Such qualms could be deemed as touching on matters that are non-essential to principles of Presbyterianism and thereby a minister could be received even having stated an exception to the system of doctrine, reformed worship, or church government.

The mechanism of declaring a misgiving concerning one’s sexual behavior is what has made it necessary for me to declare my misgiving of this new practice. Our confessions clearly state that homosexuality is a sin and that marriage is exclusively between one man and one woman. Homosexual couples have misgivings about these precepts and can state those misgivings at the time of their ordination examination. A presbytery can decide whether or not such scrupled qualms should or should not disqualify such a person to be minister. Presbyteries do not have to be consistent in their judgments on such matters.

My misgivings turn on those who are unwilling to repent of the sin of homosexuality or any other sin which are clearly listed in our confessions and, I believe, clearly defined as such in Scripture. To assent to any willful sinners’ ordination would violate my conscience because it would say to all those I am called to serve as a pastor and to the general public who might look to me for moral guidance that homosexuality or any other sin is a right manner of life for a Christian. We do not ordain a Teaching Elder for one presbytery only but through one presbytery for the entire Presbyterian Church (USA). Even if my particular presbytery may choose not to ordain a proud and defiant sinner others surely will – others surely have.

My presbytery’s Committee on Ministry, in consultation with the General Assembly’s Constitutional Service Office, is trying to decide what, if anything, action should be taken toward me in response to my statement to the presbytery. There is another case similar to mind that is also being considered.

Everyone who believes that homosexual acts are sinful and are offended by the recent change in our Book of Order must also believe that homosexuals who are ordained are sinners. Christianity has two stages and two sets of expectations – new converts are afforded a measure of liberty or forbearance to grow into Christian discipleship, but, those mature in the faith, those who believe themselves called to teach and disciple others are under a far stricter set of disciplinary standards.