| Paul Capetz, a seminary professor who set aside his ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2000, is asking the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area to allow him to declare a scruple regarding the denomination's ordination standards on sexual practice, and to be reinstated to the ministry. Twin Cities presbytery had been scheduled to vote on Capetz' request for reinstatement at a special meeting on Dec. 1, but postponed that discussion. A new date has not yet been set for that meeting. The presbytery's Committee on Ministry, which voted 11-3 to support Capetz' request, is being asked to provide "a clear statement of what the departure from the constitution is and what was the rationale of the committee on ministry to recommend his reinstatement."
Paul Capetz, a seminary professor who set aside his ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 2000, is asking the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area to allow him to declare a scruple regarding the denomination's ordination standards on sexual practice, and to be reinstated to the ministry. Twin Cities presbytery had been scheduled to vote on Capetz' request for reinstatement at a special meeting on Dec. 1, but postponed that discussion. A new date has not yet been set for that meeting. The presbytery's Committee on Ministry, which voted 11-3 to support Capetz' request, is being asked to provide "a clear statement of what the departure from the constitution is and what was the rationale of the committee on ministry to recommend his reinstatement." Depending on how things proceed, Capetz' case could become the first one in which a presbytery is asked to decide directly whether to grant a scruple -- a deviation from the standards based on conscience -- regarding the language in the PC(USA)'s ordination standards, which limit ordination to those who practice fidelity if they're married or chastity if they are single. Capetz, in an interview, said he is gay and not currently involved in a relationship, but cannot as a matter of conscience pledge to be celibate as a condition of ordination. "If there was one thing the Protestant Reformation stood for, it was the abolition of celibacy for religious reasons," Capetz said. And he added in an e-mail that the Reformers took that position regarding celibacy "because it stood in direct contradiction to the basic tenet of Protestant theology, namely, that we are justified by faith alone and not by works. The Reformers believed that vows of celibacy were in violation of the basic meaning of the gospel." Capetz set aside his ordination in 2000 because of disagreement with what's often referred to as "Amendment B," the "fidelity and chastity" language in the denomination's constitution. "I really came to the place where I could no longer represent the church as a public figure," he said. The General Assembly's decision to adopt Amendment B "was a direct attack on gay people, I thought -- and still do." But he said the General Assembly's vote in 2006 to adopt the recommendations of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the PC(USA) created the way for him to ask Twin Cities Presbytery to allow him to declare a scruple and to reinstate his ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. The presbytery must now decide whether the departure from the standards Capetz wants to declare would involve an "essential" of Reformed faith and practice, and whether to allow his reinstatement. Capetz, 50, is an associate professor of historical theology at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He was originally ordained by Chicago Presbytery in 1991 and began teaching at Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond. He described his decision to set aside his ordination in 2000 as "a very, very painful decision," but one he felt compelled to make. "I never did not want to be a minister," Capetz said. "I only left because of a severe crisis of conscience. I could not represent the church. I couldn't be a representative of this kind of thing (Amendment B) and defend it to anyone." Capetz said he gave up his ordination "out of respect for the polity" of the PC(USA). "I could just as easily have kept quiet and violated it," but did not want to do that, he said. He has written publicly about his views on theology, ordination and homosexuality -- for example, in the Spring 2001 issue of the Journal of Presbyterian History. And he said he cannot, as a matter of principle, support a Protestant denomination making celibacy a requirement for ordination because imposing such a requirement is, in his view, "really departing from the essentials of the Reformed faith." Asked what he will tell the presbytery, Capetz responded: "I am single; I hope I won't be forever. I'm not promiscuous." But he said later, in an e-mail, that "as a matter of theological principle, however, I would never take a vow of celibacy even if I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would never find a partner with whom to share my life." And Capetz said "ironically, it's the church that's backed itself into a corner" with Amendment B. "Because now for the first time in the history of Protestantism, an entire caste of people is required to be celibate" to be in ordained leadership. "Talk about a betrayal of one of the tenets of the Reformed faith," he said. "I'm really kind of pointing the finger back at the church."
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To be sure, our salvation is dependent upon 'grace through faith.' But that does not mean that our actions are beyond judgment. Instead, it has always been clear biblically, by the reformers, and by our confessional documents that our actions, our works, are under the judgment of God and God's commands as to whether they are good or evil. Therefore, we must always seriously consider the biblical injunctions with respect to behavior, and not discount our actions by stripping morality from our beliefs and practices.