Can I Scruple Out?

What is the nature of the covenant between a pastor and the denomination to which he belongs? More specifically, is this covenant mutually binding or does it bind only the pastor to the denomination? Can the church (presbytery, synod, or General Assembly) break this covenant between it and a member minister by so violating their mutually agreed upon conditions (the Confessions and long standing principles of Reformed Polity) so that this covenant must be broken?

When a pastor is installed to a particular work, there are a set of vows exchanged. The nature of the covenant between a pastor and congregation is conditioned on the mutual adherence of those promises. Of course, there is a necessary measure of tolerance for the performance of a pastor and behavior of a congregation. The nature of that covenant is obviously qualified. There is a third party in that covenant. It is the presbytery. The pastor’s request to leave a particular ministry (covenant) is made to the presbytery. So that covenant relationship can be ended by the initiative of any of the three parties but with the concurrence of only two parties.

Here is my question; can a pastor request leave of his or her part of that promise for a variety of good reasons? Sure; through a process of discernment, he may believe God’s purpose for his time at that particular church has been satisfied. For reasons of emotional and physical health the pastor may deem it wise to withdrawal from what has become an irremediably unhealthy relationship. The presbytery may concur with his assessment and release him from that call.

Given the result of the soon to be passed amendment to our government, in that a presbytery may choose to ordain or not ordain a person who is proudly homosexual. They do so on the basis that his declared scruples concerning the biblical and confessional prohibition of homosexual behavior. If the decision is to concur with  the scruple or not,either course may be a personal affront to a given minister member of that presbytery. .

If one is strongly opposed to those fellow ministers who proudly enjoyed homosexuality, for reasons of conscience, he or she may need to request the presbytery to release him as a minister member so he can transfer to a presbytery more faithful to the Gospel. A less radical way to relieve a minister’s offended conscience might be for that minister to cease his active participation in the work of the offending presbytery. This would require him to set aside two parts of his installation or ordination promise. The two that occur to me touch on our participation in the courts of the church and being a friend to his fellow ministers.

Since our current climate seems enamored by the exercise of scruples why shouldn’t one offended by the actions of his presbytery exercise his scruples and take a course of actions to sooth or better assuage his wounded conscience?   Is not a scruple merely a principled stance that results in taking exception to the purpose or action of an organization?