July 4-10, 2011
General Assembly News
Gay acceptance and gay ordination broached during recent PCUSA visit to PCT
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
PCUSA General Assembly Staff Judy Semaria, Evangelism Staff Nancy Cavalcante, and Asia Staff David Hudson visited PCT General Assembly from June 22 to 25, 2011. PCT officials were overjoyed at their visit glad for this opportunity for both churches to review their joint mission projects.
One of the topics of discussion that arose during the visit was PCUSA’s recent vote that would allow openly gay men or women in a same-sex relationship to be eligible for ordination. The 3 secretaries recounted how partner churches in Japan and South Korea had expressed their disappointment, unease, and opposition with regards to this vote. They candidly admitted that PCUSA General Assembly was treading on uncharted waters and expressed anxiety over possible backlash from the ecumenical community as well as local churches.
PCT Ecumenical Relations Secretary Hu Hong-chih remarked that based on his own observations, most churches in the world have come to terms with this issue after a long period of discussion and at times fierce debate. The matter is in the end handed to the General Assembly for a final decision.
Hu conceded that one of these days PCT will likely need to face this issue as well and decide as a church what it’ll do. But for the time being, most PCT pastors aren’t yet ready to accept gay ordination. The issue’s complexity is further intensified if neither side is willing to concede or compromise. His main worry was that if the matter was broached before either side was ready, it could lead to deadlock or disastrous communication.