Same Gender Couple Rights

On November 16, 2006, the Presbytery of Baltimore approved a resolution that supported giving the same civil and legal rights to same gender couples that marriage confers.  The vote was 73 to 44.

The Presbytery entered into a lengthy period of discernment – listening for the voice of God and listening to one another as we considered a proposal for marriage equality.  The original resolution that was supported by nine sessions read:

THAT, the Presbytery of Baltimore goes on record in support of equal access to civil marriage for same-gender couples of the state of Maryland and the United States of America as the means of providing equal protection in securing access to the full rights, benefits, privileges, and responsibilities that only civil marriage confers in our society.

After small group discussions, a writing group that consisted of the small group facilitators met and drafted a possible substitute motion:

THAT the Presbytery of Baltimore supports same gender couples in covenantal relationships to have equal access to civil and legal rights granting the same privileges, benefits, protection and responsibilities as those that marriage confers in the state of Maryland and in the United States of America.

The Presbytery voted 62 to 58 to substitute this motion for the original and the Presbytery adopted it by a substantial margin.  Click here for a full version of the resolution.

In offering the substitute motion, the writing team took note of the process of discernment that was utilized which enabled a stronger sense of unity of voice to emerge.  This will enable a stronger witness of the Presbytery's position and is in line with the Letter to the Ephesians 2:14 which states, “For (Jesus) is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.”

This vote and position is in line with the Presbytery's historic commitment to equal rights for all people and its understanding that we are called “to glorify God and express God's inclusive grace.” (Presbytery of Baltimore Mission Statement 1999)