Black Church Group: We Are Ever So Pissed At The Presbyterian Church

The National Black Church Initiative today declared that they are furious with the Presbyterian Church's decision to endorse same-sex marriage. They are now totally no longer besties and have "broken fellowship" with them. Whatever that means. Via press release:

This arbitrary change of Holy Scripture is a flagrantly pretentious and illegitimate maneuver by a body that has no authority whatsoever to alter holy text. Rev. Anthony Evans, NBCI President noted "NBCI and its membership base are simply standing on the Word of God within the mind of Christ. We urge our brother and sisters of the PCUSA to repent and be restored to fellowship." PCUSA's manipulation represents a universal sin against the entire church and its members. With this action, PCUSA can no longer base its teachings on 2,000 years of Christian scripture and tradition, and call itself a Christian entity in the body of Christ. It has forsaken its right by this single wrong act.

The NBCI claims to represent "34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African Americans."

Presbyterians Approve Same-Sex Marriage

The largest denomination of the Presbyterian Church tonight voted to amend its constitution to approve of same-sex marriage. Via the New York Times:

The final approval by a majority of the church’s 171 regional bodies, known as presbyteries, enshrines a change recommended last year by the church’s General Assembly. The vote amends the church’s constitution to broaden marriage from being between “a man and a woman” to “two people, traditionally a man and a woman.” The Presbytery of the Palisades, meeting in Fair Lawn, N.J., put the ratification count over the top on Tuesday on a voice vote. With many presbyteries still left to vote, the tally early Tuesday evening stood at 86 presbyteries in favor and 41 against and one tied. “Finally, the church in its constitutional documents fully recognizes that the love of gays and lesbian couples is worth celebrating in the faith community,” said the Rev. Brian D. Ellison, executive director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, which advocates gay inclusion in the church. “There is still disagreement, and I don’t mean to minimize that, but I think we are learning that we can disagree and still be church together.”

Presbyterian Church USA has about 1.8 million members, a number that has been dwindling in recent years as conservative congregations moved to other denominations over LGBT rights.

Pastor Kevin Swanson: The Presbyterian Church Is Controlled By The Anti-Christ

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Kevin Swanson says Nabisco loves axe murderers.  Kevin Swanson says Disney is using Frozen to make kids gay. Kevin Swanson says the Rose Bowl Parade should feature a float in which gays are stoned to death. Kevin Swanson says all gays must be imprisoned because Christian freedom. Kevin Swanson says gays caused the Colorado floods. Kevin Swanson says Christians should tell gay couples that they hope they die on their wedding day. Kevin Swanson blames homosexuality on Shakespeare.

Perkins Denounces Presbysterian Church

"If the church can’t find its moral compass, how on earth do we expect the culture to? That was the question on most people’s minds after the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted Thursday to walk away from the Bible’s authority on marriage. By a lopsided 71-29%, the liberal denomination threw its support behind the redefinition of marriage, giving its shrinking congregations the flexibility to embrace what God condemns. Under a new resolution, pastors now have the green light to perform 'any such marriage they believe the Holy Spirit calls them to perform.' The only stipulation, members decided, is that the marriage has to be between 'any two people.' Of course, this open rebellion is nothing new for PCUSA, which three years ago embraced openly homosexual clergy -- and watched as 438 churches left the denomination and realigned under more orthodox leadership. Now, several years into this 'follow your feelings, not the faith' mentality, membership is in freefall. For too many of our pulpits, truth is built on the shifting sands of contemporary thinking -- rather than the solid rock of God’s Word." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

Presbyterian Church USA Votes To Allow Pastors To Perform Same-Sex Marriages

Via the Associated Press:

The top legislative body of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has taken major steps toward recognizing gay marriage. The General Assembly voted Thursday in favor of redefining Christian marriage in the church constitution as the union of "two people" instead of "a man and a woman." The redefinition will take effect only if most of the 172 regional Presbyteries approve it in voting over the next year. The Presbyterian delegates in Detroit also voted to immediately allow pastors to preside at gay weddings in states that recognize same-sex marriage.

More from GLAAD.

“The Church affirmed all its faithful members today. This vote is an answer to many prayers for the Church to recognize love between committed same-sex couples,” said Alex McNeill, Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians, a national network of Presbyterians working for the full inclusion of the LGBT community within the church. “We will keep praying that the majority of our 172 presbyteries will confirm that all loving couples can turn to their churches when they are ready to be married.” The General Assembly of PC (USA) is taking place this week from June 14 – 21 in Detroit, Michigan. At the last General Assembly two years ago, marriage equality was not upheld, though a policy had been amended around that time to allow gay and lesbian Presbyterians to be ordained as clergy.

UPDATE: The Human Rights Campaign reacts.

"This is a giant step forward for the PCUSA Church and for people of faith everywhere. Presbyterian LGBT couples are now one step closer to being able to get married in the church of their choice,” said Sharon Groves, Director of HRC's Religion and Faith Program. “Perhaps even more significantly, young people and their families can go into a Presbyterian church and know that their denomination has not turned a blind eye to them but has instead taken a giant step toward becoming a more loving and more welcoming place for all people to worship. We at HRC congratulate the Presbyterian Church (USA) on a job well done and thank the good people at More Light Presbyterian, The Covenant Network, So We May Freely Serve and Presbyterian Welcome for their years of dedication that got us to this point.”

UPDATE II: The anti-gay Institute On Religion & Democracy is ever so pissed about this.

By overturning natural marriage the PCUSA is only accelerating its already fast-paced demise. It will become even smaller, whiter and older. Only declining denominations reject historic Christian standards and in nearly every case that rejection reinforces the decline. Who respects a church that only echoes the secular world? Many faithful have already quit the PCUSA and many more now will. But some faithful will remain. May the Holy Spirit bless their witness and lay the groundwork for the PCUSA's return some day to the teachings of the global church.