July 2008

Dear Friends,

As July rolls around and the summer weather really kicks in, at times we’re all feeling a bit hot – and I hear through the grapevine that I’ve made a few folks hot under the collar. Good! That’s my job. A minister who never upsets anyone is clearly not preaching the revolutionary love of Jesus Christ. A healthy church is one with diverse viewpoints on issues of love and justice, as long as they continue to love and respect one another in the midst of their differences. One of the attributes of Gilead that I respect most is its theological diversity, but imagine how unethical it would be for a pastor never to speak out unless he or she thought everyone would be made happy by what he or she said.

The controversy at hand is that, along with all the ministers of churches in Putnam County, I received an invitation to a hearing regarding a proposed county law that would “set up a registry for domestic partnerships in Putnam County.” This new law would make it possible for a man and a woman who have not been married in a civil ceremony but who consider themselves to be “domestic partners” to register as such, in order to become entitled to such things as family health insurance, inheritances, or hospital and funeral rights, among others. It would also allow for same-sex couples, who of course cannot be legally married in New York, to register as well, and receive these benefits. The letter that we ministers received, from County Executive Robert J. Bondi, said, “I thought that you, as someone who is involved in performing marriage ceremonies would be interested in providing your feedback, either positive or negative, to the County Executive’s office on this matter. I am interested in hearing all sides of this issue and hope that you will make it a priority to attend the Public Hearing...”

As a number of you already know, since it was reported in the newspaper, I attended the hearing, and as the paper said, “Of the 19 who spoke at yesterday's hearing, nine were pastors. Most opposed the registry, but clergy from First Presbyterian Church in Mahopac and Drew United Methodist Church and Gilead Presbyterian Church in Carmel supported it” (Susan Elan, The Journal News, 6/26/08). Some of our congregation are now wondering whether it was appropriate for me to speak in the capacity of the pastor of Gilead at a public county hearing, especially on such a controversial matter. I did speak as the minister of Gilead (that is, after all, why I was asked to attend and speak), but I did not speak for the members of Gilead. When I spoke, I acknowledged Gilead’s diversity in this matter, but said that I believe in the full civil rights of gays and lesbians, and I went further to say that the Church of Jesus Christ should also be fully inclusive of gays and lesbians. This position is not merely a personal opinion of mine. As a minister, I have throughout my career studied this issue and explored the Scripture exhaustively for God’s Word. I have spoken from the pulpit about this on numerous occasions. My activism in the Gospel inclusion of gays and lesbians is part of my calling as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament, and I have never shied away from, nor will I ever, what I believe to be the Gospel. Some will say that what I say in the pulpit is one thing, but speaking at a county hearing in my capacity as your pastor is another. I respectfully disagree. Our Presbyterian Book of Order states that one of the responsibilities of the pastor is to lead the congregation in “its task of reaching out in concern and service to the life of the community as a whole” (G-6.0202b). In fact, the elected leaders of Gilead have in the past asked me to be present as its pastor in the public life of the larger community. I cannot be public but muzzled about the justice of Christ.

It is the very nature of the Presbyterian denomination to be so inclusive that we attract a wide variety of opinions, even on controversial topics. Because we are a democratically elected system, and every one of us has the right and responsibility to vote and/or hold offices of leadership, it’s important that our members are educated and thinking, not just parroting what they’re told from some higher authority within the church, including the pastor. Presbyterians also attract people who are passionate about what they believe, and are willing to speak out about it. Put it all together, and you have a perfect storm of disagreement. But you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that – a church in which everyone agrees is a cult of mindless drones. To be of differing minds on a subject, even passionately, can be a healthy opportunity for stretching our limits of love for one another, and maybe even learning something new. What isn’t healthy is complaining to a third party but not the one with whom we disagree, or silently holding in a resentment that slowly grows larger, or the worst, just leaving the church without ever trying to work things out.

When I first arrived at Gilead six years ago, I mentioned from the pulpit that I was an advocate for gay/lesbian inclusiveness, and a couple of people came to me right away to voice their disagreement in a very gracious way, and we had an excellent conversation about it. To this day, we differ on the matter, but we agree that we love and respect each other very much, and the controversy hasn’t ever gotten in the way of our functioning together as Christians and friends. If any of you would like to speak with me further about anything, please do so. I’d be happy to listen to your concerns. That’s my job. Along with speaking out.

Love and light to you all,

Martin

To read Martin's letters from past months, please click here.