[MLPnews] BREAKING: Church Orders committee votes 30-28 to disapprove Heartland overture

[mlpnews at mylist.net]

At 3:18 PM central time today, in a virtual tie, the Committee
on Church Orders voted 30 in favor, 28 opposed on a motion to
DISapprove the Heartland overture, which calls for the deletion
of G-6.0106b.

This committee vote means that the Heartland pro-LGBT delete-B
overture and its 21 supportive overtures and concurrences have
received a nominal thumbs-down from the committee, however the vote
is so obviously divided that it may have little significance when
the General Assembly plenary session begins.  As MLP Birmingham
and Legislative and Judicial Affairs team member Mike Smith noted
via phone, "Now we'll go to the floor and see if the General Assembly
is equally close... we're going to try to win this thing!"

Your Right Now postcards, your prayers, your financial support,
your More Light Sunday participation, all of these have made
a tremendous difference in our work for justice at General Assembly.
Our prayers are with our MLP General Assembly ground team as they
shift to the next stage of this year's political efforts: advocacy
for the Heartland overture on the floor of General Assembly.

A statement from MLP field organizer Michael Adee follows this
message.

More updates and news from Birmingham will be available
throughout General Assembly at www.mlp.org - be sure to
check in daily to stay current.

________________________________________________

More Light Presbyterian members, supporters, donors, allies & friends,

June 17, 2006
 From the 217th General Assembly, PCUSA, Birmingham, Alabama

RE:  Perspective on the Church Orders' Committee vote today on the 
Heartland Ordination Overture

Minutes ago, the Church Orders' Committee of the General Assembly voted 
30-28 to disapprove the Heartland Presbytery Ordination Overture that 
would have removed discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender persons in our church.

While this vote is a disappointment, of course, this is not the end of 
possibilities within this Assembly for justice to be done here in 
Birmingham.  Several other options remain including a minority report, a 
hearing on the plenary floor of the entire Assembly, etc.  This 
remarkably narrow vote is a message to the Assembly that there are 
indeed those in the Church willing to remove barriers to LGBT persons 
following God's call to service.

Those of us here in Birmingham witnessed many allies coming forward to 
speak from within this committee asking for fairness, the welcome and 
affirmation of LGBT people in our Church, and to end discrimination. 
With the committee discussion of the ordination orverture, many 
thoughtful, articulate, passionate voices spoke for change, for 
fairness, for justice.... calling for the committee, and our Church, to 
recognize the sacred worth and gifts for ministry of lesbian, gay, 
bisexual and transgender persons.

 From the open hearings before the Church Orders' committee to the 
Overture Advocates' presentations, many lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender Presbyterians spoke of their faith, love for God and God's 
Church, and their calls to ministry.  Each time a LGBT person finds 
their voice, to courage to speak, to offer a witness this counts, this 
is a "win."  Many heterosexual allies, parents and friends stood to 
speak their truth, how they changed their hearts and minds, and why they 
believe that our Church needs to remove these barriers.

Special thanks to all of the Sessions and presbyteries that sent 
Ordination overtures to this General Assembly.  Our work is not over, 
the committee vote was close, many possibilities await us there in 
Birmingham in the next few days.

Much gratitude to all of you at home, and in church, praying for this 
Assembly, and for our Church to "get it" .... to recognize that all of 
us are children of God, that all of us are created in the image of God, 
unconditionally loved by God, and the Gospel is "good news" to all 
persons, not just heterosexuals.  It is my continued deep hope and 
prayer that this Assembly will bring a "good word" to LGBT persons, our 
parents, families and friends.   It is my continued deep hope and prayer 
that this Assembly "do justice" and do justice now.

To keep up with MLP and "GA News" I encourage you to keep going to the 
MLP Website - www.mlp.org  MLP Board Member Bruce Hahne is closely 
monitoring G.A. business and MLP activities and posting them on our 
national website.

For those of you who are like me gay, or lesbian, bisexual and 
transgender, let us "remember who we are" as children of God, created 
good just as we are and unconditionally loved by God just like our 
heterosexual sisters and brothers.  No matter what the PCUSA does or 
says this week, it is my prayer that no LGBT, queer or questioning 
person, younger or older, doubt that they are a child of God and loved 
by God.

So, do not lose heart in being who you are, or in loving God and 
neighbor, offering mercy or doing justice.  It is gratifying to know 
that the many dozen MLP'ers who are here praying, working and witnessing 
in Birmingham that we are not alone, that you are here with us, in 
heart, prayer and spirit, too.

Now, back to the MLP educational/outreach booth in the G.A. Exhibit 
Hall.  Stay tuned for more news from Birmingham - www.mlp.org

with hope and grace,
Michael
Michael J. Adee, M.Div., Ph.D., National Field Organizer, More Light 
Presbyterians