The Session of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church reaffirms for the 11^th year in succession its policy of inclusion, which declares "that gays and lesbians are part of God’s good creation and that they, no less than heterosexuals, are meant to enjoy God’s gifts of love, joy and intimacy" (Policy on the Inclusion of Gays and Lesbians, adopted December 19, 1991.)

The Session declares that Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church will continue to welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons and promote their full participation in all aspects of church life, including ordination as Elders and Deacons. In particular, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church has ordained gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. We will continue to ordain self-acknowledged gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, sexually active or not, following the same criteria used to call heterosexual persons to our church leadership.

Moreover, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church will continue to oppose the presence of G-6.0106b in the Book of Order.  We believe the adoption of G-6.0106b came out of a different understanding of the inclusive gospel of Jesus than ours, and that G-6.0106b enables prejudice and discrimination, especially against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. It is the conviction of Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church that homosexual practice in and of itself is not a sin and is not inconsistent with the standards for ordination.

Together with other churches and individuals, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church will work unceasingly within the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the removal of G-6.0106b for the reasons above. The Session will not comply with G-6.0106b so far as it discriminates against any person. Specifically, whether or not we prevail with others to achieve the removal of G-6.0106b, the Session declares that it has not complied with and will not comply with any interpretation of G-6.0106b that prohibits the ordination of self-acknowledged practicing gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender persons.  Any such interpretation would be discrepant with the plainly inclusive meaning of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as a whole. 

Because of what G-6.0106b lends itself to, Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church finds its continued existence in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to be not Christlike, not Scriptural, not Reformed, and not Presbyterian; and we specifically respond with the following resolution: 

Whereas Jesus taught "in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12), G-6.0106b can be interpreted to impose celibacy on all single persons, but particularly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, as the price for their full participation in the church, thus pretending that God would give them "suitable gifts" for ministry (G-6.0106) with one hand and take away from them their gift of sexuality with the other; and

Whereas, all of us being "never able perfectly to fulfill the works of the law" (Scots Confession 3.15), any attempt to make all homosexual practice a bar to ordination nonetheless stigmatizes a whole class of persons as created with a special inclination to sin, contrary to the revelation of God’s love in the teachings and example of Jesus; and

Whereas attempts to make all homosexual practice a bar to ordination would dignify a merely ceremonial law (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13) which is "abrogated under the New Testament" (Westminster Confession 6.103) as a moral law; and

Whereas any attempt to make all homosexual practice a bar to ordination conflicts with Reformed insistence that every "orthodox and genuine" interpretation of Scripture must "agree with the rule of faith and love" (Second Helvetic Confession 5.010) or of the particularly Presbyterian insistence that "[t]he Bible is to be interpreted in the light of its witness to God’s work of reconciliation in Christ" (Confession of 1967 9.29); and

Whereas, there being "[i]n each time and place . . . particular problems and crises through which God calls the church to act" (Confession of 1967  9.43), any attempt to make all homosexual practice a disqualification for ordained service undermines "the reconciling work of Jesus" (Confession of 1967 9.21) by reinforcing the barriers that exist between heterosexual and homosexual Presbyterians, now therefore

Be it resolved that Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church counsels present and future nominating committees to propose persons for ordination solely on the basis of their evident gifts for leadership, their strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Upon examination of candidates for ordination, the Session will not ask onerous questions implied by G-6.0106b. The Session, however, is open to any voluntary statements from candidates.

Be it resolved, finally, that the Clerk of the Session send copies of this resolution to (1) the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), (2) the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, (3) the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, (4) the More Light Presbyterian Network, and (5) any other person(s) the Pastor or Session shall deem appropriate.