General Assembly Actions

Assembly leaves definition of marriage unchanged
Approves civil rights for same-sex couples, gracious response to churches leaving

Definition of marriage
Item 04-08, which generated the most discussion of the evening, was an overture to change the definition of marriage in W-4.9000 of the Directory for Worship to include same-sex couples. The committee recommended disapproval of this overture, and the Assembly agreed after defeating a substitute motion.

the motion to disapprove the overture to change the definition of marriage passed with a vote of 540-161-3. The definition of marriage in the Directory for Worship will remain the same.

And how do we define marriage? W-4.9000 says this:
Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the wellbeing 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.

Civil rights for same-sex couples
The committee brought a recommendation to the Assembly to approve urging civil rights for same-sex couples and the appointment of a special committee to study the issue. This overture was approved 516-151-13.

Gracious response to churches leaving
The Assembly also considered a Commissioner Resolution that urges a gracious, pastoral response to churches wanting to leave the PC(USA). In commenting on the resolution, Minister commissioner the Rev. Robert Austell of Charlotte Presbytery observed that the resolution intends to underscore that "we are more interested in shepherding the ship with grace than with litigation." Item 04-28 was approved with a vote of 519-157-8.

http://www.pcusa.org/ga218/news/ga08138.htm

And then, on the other side of the gay and lesbian issue...

Assembly proposes amendment to delete G-6.0106b and replace it with a new version

The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted today (June 27) 380-325 to send a proposed amendment to the denomination's 173 presbyteries that would delete the current paragraph G-6.0106b in the Book of Order ­ which requires church officers to live in "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness"­and replace it with a new G-6.0106b.

The proposed new G-6.0106b ties ordination decisions more closely to assent to the ordination vows currently in the church's Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.

In the same action, the Assembly issued a new authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order declaring that interpretive statements related to sexual standards for ordination that predate the adoption of G-6.0106b in 1996 "have no further force or effect."

The Advisory Committee on the Constitution has repeatedly said that clearing the way for ordination of sexually active gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Presbyterians requires the deletion of G-6.0106b and the removal of the authoritative interpretations that undergirded Assembly policy statements of 1978 and 1979 prohibiting the ordination of practicing homosexuals.

http://www.pcusa.org/ga218/news/ga08131.htm