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| October 25, 2000
To PSNE clergy and commissioners to the November Meeting of the PSNE Dear friends in Christ: The sessions of six Churches, First Presbyterian Church of Hartford, CT, First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, CT, First Presbyterian Church of New Haven, CT, First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich, Providence Presbyterian Church and Wilton Presbyterian Church have each asked the Presbytery to send a request (overture) to the General Assembly to remove the section of the constitution of our denomination which excludes certain people from being ordained or installed as Ministers, Elders or Deacons. (The section has been applied to exclude practicing homosexuals, but includes all persons not "living in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." As well as all "Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin.) The full text of our actions has already been circulated from the Presbytery office. The Council of Presbytery has placed our request on the Docket for the November meeting of Presbytery, but is recommending that Presbytery neither debate or vote on this request, but instead "postpone indefinitely". We have brought this request to the Presbytery because we believe the issue is of great importance to the Church and feel it is an insult to the petitioning sessions and to all persons effected by this provision to avoid considering our request on its merits. We seek your support for a debate and vote on the issue, what ever your position is on the merits of such an overture. Second we would urge each commissioner to vote in favor of this overture. Our Church is deeply divided on the issue of ordination of gay and lesbian persons. We will not soon be of one mind on this matter, but by God's grace we may be able to agree to remove this prohibition from our constitution. Removing this section returns the power to make decisions in regard to ordination to where it has historically rested, Presbyteries have power to ordain ministers, sessions have power to ordain elders and deacons. This would allow each session to follow the leading of the Spirit as to who is called to serve as elders and deacons in that congregation, and whom they believe God is calling as installed Pastor(s). This constitutional change (and the elimination of previous parallel actions of General Assemblies) would allow each Presbytery to seek God's guidance alone in deciding who God has called to the office of ministry. No session would be required to ordain or install anyone whose life did not seem to be an exhibition of the Gospel, nor would any presbytery be required to ordain anyone unacceptable to that Presbytery. We urge you to support debating this matter, and ask that you prayerfully consider whether we are right, that this is the step which God is calling us as a Church to take at this hour. Yours truly,
Bill Goettler &
Maria La Sala
Joseph Miller
David Graybill
William A. Evertsberg
Gary Wilburn
136 Capitol Avenue
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