Maybe we should vote no? Reason #6

Reason #6 to vote no on Overtures 23 and 37:  Both sides of this argument are striving for biblical faithfulness, and therefore both sides of the argument should be allowed to stay in the PCA.

The BCO changes in Overtures 23 and 37 seek to prevent and remove Officers if they are publicly known to experience same sex attraction. People against and in favor of these changes are fully committed to the Bible’s teaching on sex. Both sides of this argument believe that sex is designed by God to be experienced in male + female marriage. Both sides of this argument believe that all sexual activity and sexual fulfillment outside of marriage (in thought, word, and deed) is against God’s design at creation and should be resisted, avoided, and repented of. Both sides want to have Officers who are honest and holy in their walk with Jesus and in their leadership of the church.

The changes to BCO 16 from Overture 23 and to BCO 21 and 24 from Overture 37 address the issues of identity, self-profession, and reputation of Officers and Candidates for Office. Both sides of this debate have biblical reasons for their positions, and both are prioritizing different elements of biblical teaching to make their case. The question is whether the PCA should have ordained men who are known publicly as being committed to Jesus and refraining from all sex outside of man + woman marriage, but who experience romantic attraction to other men (even though they do not act upon those attractions).

To vote yes on the Overtures is to say that Officers cannot self-identify or be publicly known as experiencing same sex attraction. The overtures list three reasons for saying these men are not qualified.

1. These men are accused of denying the sinfulness of fallen desires.
2. These men are accused of denying the reality and hope of progressive sanctification.
3. These men are accused of failing to pursue Spirit-empowered victory over their sinful temptations, inclinations, and actions.

These are serious accusations. If these accusations are true, then there is certainly biblical grounds for concern about the strength and/or content of the faith of these men, especially as officers. But are these accusations true or fair?

These overtures accuse all men who experience same sex attractions, even if they are committed to Jesus and refrain from all sex outside of man + woman marriage. But they go farther that simply accusing. These overtures actually condemn every one of these men. This goes too far. It is appropriate to ask questions of sexuality to ensure their being faithful. But it is not appropriate to convict them as guilty simply because they are being honest about their temptations, especially when they are committed to the same standard of faithfulness that all our straight Officers have taken.

For this reason alone, the BCO changes recommended by Overtures 23 and 37 should be rejected. We need to ensure accountability for all our Officers, but a blanket condemnation without trial is not appropriate, as these BCO changes would install.

What motivates those who oppose these overtures? Many want these men ordained in the PCA for at least two reasons:

1. These men should not have to hide this part of their lives. Every Officer in the church needs accountability, encouragement, support, and challenge. These are essential parts of biblical fellowship. These are essential for every Officer, whether the Officer experiences same-sex temptation or hetero-sexual temptation. All officers need this kind of robust fellowship to keep sexual sin from reigning over them. It is not safe for any Officer of the church to be alone with any sin. No one against these overtures denies the sinfulness of all sex outside of man + woman marriage. No one against these overtures denies the reality and hope of progressive sanctification. No one against these overtures is failing to pursue Spirit-empowered victory over sin in all its forms. Rejecting these BCO changes is motivated by a desire to allow all Officers to be able to be honest about this part of their story, so that they can experience the blessing of fellowship in the body of Christ. These BCO changes will have the effect of driving Officers into isolation, because as long as they are not “known by reputation” or “self-profess” they are not disqualified. This is a dangerous precedent to set.
   
   
2. The PCA is uniquely gifted to clearly proclaim to the church and to the world that if you are not straight, if you experience any sexual attractions that do not line up with God’s creation design for married, one man + one woman sex, you can still become a Christian, you can still be a Christian, and if you are faithful to Jesus you can serve and even lead in His church. The PCA is uniquely gifted with theological nuance that can differentiate between someone’s sexual attractions and their sin. The PCA has the theological sophistication to differentiate between the brokenness of the Fall and battle against temptation. The PCA has the theological sophistication to separate temptation from the sin of giving in to that temptation. We offer hope and the gospel promise of fruitfulness and maturity for our brothers and sisters who are called to singleness. We offer hope and the gospel promise of fruitfulness and maturity for all who follow Jesus in a mixed-orientation man + woman marriage. We want to have mature non-straight men as pastors as examples to the flock that faithfulness to Jesus is possible and that abundant life often includes extreme denial. By rejecting these overtures, the PCA would be powerfully demonstrating that our sexual attractions are not the basis of our identity. Our faith in Christ is the core of our identity. Whether someone is straight or not, if they are committed to Jesus and have the mature character and gifts required for an officer, then they can lead and serve in the church. It is ironic that the way for us to affirm that our identity is in Christ is by being MORE open about our celibate same-sex attracted heroes of the faith, NOT BEING LESS open. We are first and most importantly children of the living God. Having men as Officers in the church who experience same sex attraction but who are committed to celibacy or are committed to be faithful to a woman in marriage... this will show the non-straight Christians in our churches and the non-straight non-Christians in our communities that Jesus welcomes them and calls them to a life of grace and holiness. Having same-sex attracted leaders in the church demonstrates that this life following Jesus is abundant.

The concerns for policing the faithfulness of Officers and Candidates who experience same-sex attraction go way too far in these BCO changes. The blanket judgment rendered without inquiry is not consistent with gospel community, or with the weakness-laden reputations of the Apostles themselves (see reason #2 above). 

Instead, the PCA has an opportunity to honor those who are faithful to Jesus by becoming eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:12). We can instead give these brothers the support and encouragement they need for their sacrificial obedience to Jesus. We can allow them to be honest about this part of their stories.

For these reasons, we should reject the BCO changes recommended by Overtures 23 and 37. 

Here are my posts that go further into the reasons to vote no on the PCA Overtures:
A Vision
Reason #1
Reason #2
Reason #3
Reason #4
Reason #5
Reason #6
Reason #7