Diane Shircliff, Inquirer under care of the Commission on Preparation for Ministry of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley and Student Intern at First Presbyterian Church, Lebanon.  

_______________________

"I love my denomination. I love that we value ecumenism, that we have a representative polity, that we encourage leadership in all people regardless of age, gender, race, and as of recently, sexual orientation. I love that we have adopted eleven confessions to represent the width and depth of Christian understanding. What I don't love is the occasional contentiousness which simmers and then boils over, resulting in either schism or mass exodus. We are experiencing a bit of both today."

I do not intend to expound on my views of same-sex marriage. Instead, I am processing the news of these actions and seeking my own position on whether, and how, the denomination might survive this clash of theology and culture. I have been trying to wrap my head around the combination of these moves, and I believe this is the Big Tent approach at work.

By approving the authoritative interpretation, those whose conscience allows them to legally perform a same-gender marriage may do so (with Session approval, which is required for any marriage)[2], while the proposed constitutional amendment gives voice in the change to those presbyteries who disagree. It may be that the majority is not attainable, in which case the authoritative letter would stand, in part as a nod to the changing cultural tide and ministry contexts, and the definition of marriage would stand, at least for the time being, in affirmation of a more traditional biblical interpretation. It may be that the ability of clergy to perform same-gender marriages, and not the constitution's defining words, are sufficient to let the attention-grabbing headlines die down and allow more healing within our Big but tattered Tent.

Moderator's wife to spend term visiting ministries, seeing church in action

As moderator of the 221st General Assembly, Heath Rada will be a public figure for the next two years, meeting with pastors and congregations to sort through the issues that created headlines and renewed long-simmering controversies soon after his election in Detroit this summer.

For her part, Peggy Rada is approaching this period as an opportunity to take a quieter approach to service. While Heath is presiding at clergy meetings, addressing town halls and fielding questions from the press, Peggy intends to be "reading to children, rocking babies, serving in soup kitchens or clothes closets, any place where I can see the Church in action."  

PRESBYTERY OF WABASH VALLEY

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