Down to Cases

Jeffrey Kuan from California-Nevada has amended the TP motion to include, alongside homosexuality, polygamy, divorce and/or remarriage, as disqualifiers for episcopal consecration. In other words, the amendment aims to lift the bullseye off the one thing and widen considerations to all the matters of “biblical sexual ethics” that seem to be so important to some of our brothers and sisters. It is widely-reported that we have (mostly local) pastors in Africa who are polygamous. We have pastors and bishops who are divorced, remarried, and some of them multiple times. We have some who are not celibate in singleness or monogamous in marriage.

While in North America we have made cultural accommodation to non-marital intimacy, divorce and remarriage (in the name of grace and despite Jesus’s clear instructions against it), Mr. Kuan says if we are going to speak against any one of these issues we need to include them all in the name of a consistent and comprehensive sexual ethic. Otherwise we are hypocrites.

Grace is grace for all, or it is grace for none.

Sky McCracken from Memphis says that in his investigative responsibilities re clergy, homosexual issues have taken little time and had little impact, but that heterosexual affairs have split churches wide open. We need to be about discipleship and quit being the sex police.

Cynthia Weems says, “I understand the hypocrisy the amendment addresses, but I cannot support the attempt to make the evangelism exclusive. I will not support the amendment and I will not support the Traditional Plan.”

The Kuan Amendment: Yes: 274, No: 545.

Back to the main motion: Tim McClendon of SC moves we vote the whole question. And asks Tim to pray us through the vote. But before he does...

There has been a move to refer the plan to the General Council on Finance and Administration for cost analyses.

That move failed (I suspect along the lines that the TP will be passed), and now we are back to the main motion with a few more stalling tactics in place. Actually, it feels like a MAJOR stall. I am wondering if some of the delegates are hoping to leave here in 30 minutes with no plan. One young delegate is moving now to "divide" the motion to take them one by one. No way that tactic will work, but it is a last gasp.

Several other motions related to points of order, chair rulings questioned... and now, at 5:52 p.m., Tim McClendon is called back to pray us to and through this motion.

Yes for the TP: 438          No for the TP: 384