First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood

Jul 11, 2011

A Letter from Senior Pastor, Dr. Jim Davis,
To Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, Kingwood

As many of you may already have heard, last night the Presbytery of the Twin Cities in Minneapolis became the 87th Presbytery to vote in favor of changing current standards for ordination in the PCUSA.  Reports about this change have appeared in today's edition of The Houston Chronicle and in most of the major media outlets. 

As a result of the change, ordination of homosexual persons will be permitted in the PCUSA.  This change was proposed by the General Assembly of the PCUSA last summer.  It required a majority of regional Presbyteries to vote in its favor before it could become policy.  Now that a majority of Presbyteries have done so, the change will go into effect officially in July after all Presbyteries have voted and the vote has been certified by the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly. 

What we all need to know, however, is that this vote does not change anything here at First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood.  The change that has been made at the denominational level permits, but does not mandate opening up ordination standards.   And here in Kingwood, there will be no change.  Here's why.  As a result of the work of the Denominational Relations Study Team (DRST), our Session voted months ago to adopt a "Values Statement" for our congregation.  That statement reaffirms our commitment as a congregation to follow Biblical standards for our sexual behavior in general, and for ordination of church officers in particular.  The "Values Statement" was published at the time of its adoption in The Weekly.  It's available now on our web page as part of the DRST report.  Thankfully, our "Values Statement" will govern ordinations proposed here at FPCK.  So on the congregational level, nothing has changed for us. 

But, as I'm sure we are all realize, the change at the denominational level is profound.  It will reverberate through the conscience of many of us as individuals.  It will also come up in conversations that we will have with many people throughout our community.  For these reasons we need to be prayerfully and carefully at work to seek God's leading as we look to our future. Thankfully we're committed to doing just that.  During the rest of this month we'll complete the reporting process of the DRST to our congregation.  We'll complete a survey of the opinions of our members with respect to the change in ordination standards that has already been made and other changes that may still be made at the denominational level.  Then this summer, our Session will enter into a season of deliberation.  That season may last for several months.  But ultimately, out of it will come a recommendation that will be presented to our congregation as a whole.

Today is a difficult day for me personally.  I suppose it is for many of you as well.  Today, I feel something like Mordecai must have felt when he put on sackcloth and covered his head with ashes.  I am grieving.  I know that our denomination has suffered a terrible loss in letting go of Scriptural and Confessional standards for sexual behavior and ordination.  But I also know, as Mordecai knew, that our  God is a God who has promised to deliver his people from distress, difficulty and danger.  He has done so time and time again.  And I am sure He will deliver us.  If we wait on Him, He will deliver us individually and as a congregation the distress we feel today and the difficulties and dangers that may lie ahead for us.  Let's pray and ask Him to do that.  Let's seek His will for our lives and for our church, patiently looking for the way He wants to lead us.  I take comfort today in being able to do that together with all of you.

Yours in Christ,
Jim Davis

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