The president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary joined leaders from 11 other seminaries... Unity report endorsed...

The president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary joined leaders from 11 other seminaries this week in endorsing a Presbyterian Church report that urges the denomination to maintain unity in the face of division over homosexuality and other issues.

There are no proposed changes to church law in the report issued by the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church -- a 20-member team assigned in 2001 to investigate contentious topics in the church.

But the document does emphasize the breadth of the church's constitution -- which allows for some flexibility in interpreting church law -- and asks members of differing views to meet regularly and to seek mediation before taking formal church action against one another.

"I am grateful for this report, both because of what it says and because of what it embodies," said the Rev. Theodore Wardlaw, president of the Austin seminary.

The task force included disparate theological views reflective of the larger church body, he said. "If people from different points of view around the family table can stay in conversation together," he added, "maybe the rest of the church can do it, too."

Homosexuality -- particularly the ordination of gay ministers and blessing same-sex marriage -- has embroiled the denomination's 2.4 million members in an ongoing debate. Despite efforts to change the Book of Order, the church's constitution, the church does not sanction gay unions, and it restricts ordination to candidates living in a faithful heterosexual marriage or maintaining chastity in singleness.

Still, Karen Thompson, a gay seminarian in Austin, said she is encouraged that the report asks members to look more broadly at the whole constitution and not focus solely on the language that addresses sexuality.

"Many of us in the church believe that . . . our constitution allows candidate for ministry and there is no blanket prohibition against gay or lesbian persons," Thompson said. "We believe that there are several places in our constitution that call for inclusiveness . . . and what the task force is encouraging us to do is to look at the whole."

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