Marriage Is for Two People not Just A Man and A Woman

Baltimore Presbytery has submitted an overture to the General Assembly to change the Directory for Worship in the Book of Order.

Here is an article in the Baltimore Sun.

This is the overture originally submitted by an individual to the Session of Govans Presbyterian Church. The Session approved the overture and sent it to presbytery. The presbytery approved the overture and now it will go to the General Assembly. One person making an overture starts the ball rolling.

What the directory says now:

W–4.9001 Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage a lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.

What it would say if this is overture is adopted:

W–4.9001 Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage is a covenant between two people and according to the laws of the state also constitutes a civil contract. For Christians marriage is a covenant through which two people are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage a lifelong commitment is made between two people, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.

Similar changes would be made in other sections of the Directory for Worship.

Commentary: It is good timing to present this overture to the General Assembly (and hopefully to the presbyteries). The whole nation is discussing marriage and it would be good for the church to debate this. This is idealistic legislation and probably won't make it out of committee, but even if it doesn't, to have the discussion on the table is a step toward justice.