Whereas we praise God and rejoice in the presence of all whom God has gathered by the movement of the Spirit and we confess before God that the church has caused and continues to cause great pain in the lives of all those it would exclude, shut out, or repress;
Whereas we acknowledge that the church, if it is to follow Jesus, cannot condemn groups by exclusion and must look for the worthiness in each person, resist legalism, and respond to each person's request for membership with knowledge of that person's belief in the living Christ;
Whereas we are mindful of our obligation to show hospitality to guests and strangers, even those in our midst, as Abraham and Sarah did by the oaks of Mamre and the two disciples did on the road to Emmaus, that we might experience the divine presence;
Whereas we are exhorted by Paul -
Whereas we take special note that the Book of Order directs us to provide “for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity” and mandates that we should welcome into full membership all persons who respond in trust and obedience to God's grace in Jesus Christ;
Whereas this congregation has long declared and described itself as a “Church for All People” and has long sought to affirm racial justice and the rights of women and to welcome refugees;
Whereas we affirm with the Special Commission on Historic Principles, Conscience, and Church Government that “controversy, and the tension inevitably produced by diversity, may be the arena where – in the struggle and grappling with ideas – the Spirit is most likely to speak to the church;
Whereas for us the General Assembly's guidance to deny openly gay and lesbian persons ordination, without considering them as individuals, is too difficult a disparity to understand or accept;
And whereas we reject the use of scripture to confirm rather than confront our prejudices and cultural assumptions and we actively seek yet more light on inclusive nature of God's grace in Jesus Christ and more light in ministry with all people in all forms of loving expression:
Therefore, be it resolved the Takoma Park congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) welcomes all people into the fellowship of the Holy Spirit regardless of gender, race, age, country of origin, sexual orientation, ethnic heritage, abilities or disabilities, educational status, marital status, economic, cultural or religious background, or any other human condition. Affirming that God works through all of us, we extend to anyone wishing to share in the worship, life, work, and leadership of the church all privileges and responsibilities of membership, including ordination. We affirm our intention to continue to extend to each and every member the right to hold office if elected by the congregation.
As one sign of this intention and commitment, we declare ourselves to be a “More Light” congregation*, joining with dozens of other Presbyterian congregations around the country in the struggle to be inclusive of the lives and witnesses of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and to engage in a process of reconciliation and healing.
* The More Light network is a growing movement of congregations who have declared, through actions by their Sessions, that gay and lesbian persons will be welcomed as full participants in the family of faith, including the opportunity to serve as deacons, elders or pastors. More Light congregations strive to reach out to the lesbian/gay community and engage in ministry with lesbian and gay people.
Adopted by Session, 1992
Whereas we continue our mission to live our vision as a “Church for all People” – people who are called by God to explore the Word, do justice, and respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of all persons in our midst;
Whereas we, as a community of faith, celebrate our joyous moments with one another, sustain each other through difficult times, and comfort one another in times of loss and pain;
Whereas we struggle to remain faithful to the biblical directive to live out Jesus' command to love one another by recognizing that all people need loving and truthful relationships;
Whereas we strive to create a hospitable environment for our gay brothers and lesbian sisters in the life of our church;
Whereas we affirm the sanctity of all relationships that are based on love, fidelity, intimacy, and communication as good gifts from God;
Whereas we honor covenants that seal these relationships and we desire to establish a means for our gay brothers and lesbian sisters to share their covenants with this community of faith;
Whereas the blessing and celebration of covenants between our gay brothers and lesbian sisters is consistent with our commitment to being a More Light Church;
Now, therefore be it resolved that the Session of Takoma Park Presbyterian Church authorizes the pastor, or her or his designee, to conduct ceremonies of blessing and celebration of covenants between people of the same gender; and
Be it further resolved that the Session of Takoma Park Presbyterian Church authorizes the use of the sanctuary and other church facilities for the purpose of conducting ceremonies of blessing and celebration of covenants between people of the same gender.
However, as with heterosexual couples, it is expected that any couple whose union is celebrated be persons of faith in Jesus Christ who intend to work out their union within the Christian community.
Adopted by Session, 1996
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