February 25, 2024 To our beloved partners in Christ in Del Cristo Presbytery, The staff and session of Grace Fellowship Community Church in San Francisco write to share our concerns with you over the proposed amendments to our Constitution. While we whole-heartedly affirm the letter from the former Moderators of the General Assembly from August 31, 2023, we wish to add our own thoughts to the conversation. Our life together bears witness to the Good News that Jesus brings. Jesus’ prayer in the upper room was that His church would be one. While we practice life together in this unity, we find ourselves with differences in our understanding of sexuality and gender. Grace Fellowship lives on the far reaches of our presbytery. This is where God has placed us. This is how God is shaping us. In our own congregation, we find diversity in ways that include race, age, gender, socio-economics, and theology. But, out of obedience and humility before Jesus, we are learning to treasure the unity of the Gospel, and the joy of having connection and relationship with the larger body in which God has placed us. We are working to explore how to reconcile our diversity. We start with listening in humility, and then engage with one another. We have read the passionate letters from our faithful Cumberland pastors and leaders on either side of the issues at hand. In the presence of such a difference of opinion and beliefs, we want to keep doors open, not shut them. The process and practice of how we engage may be as important as any conclusion we arrive at someday. We live by grace, and we extend that grace. For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith... it is a gift of God. We urge patience

In every generation, the Church is called to discern afresh who God is raising up to lead. However, rather than listening to God's voice, some have shifted the focus to restricting whom God is allowed to call. This reversal distorts the Church’s call to listen attentively to the Spirit. Discernment has too often been replaced by disqualification. The posture has moved from one of hopeful recognition—looking for signs of God’s Spirit in surprising people and places—to one of narrow policing, as if God must first seek our approval before extending a call. This risks distorting the nature of discernment, making it an obstacle to the Holy Spirit. True discernment invites openness. We must ask: are we truly opening our hearts and minds to the Spirit, or are we trying to control who is deemed “worthy” of the call? It is not ours to decide who is worthy, but rather to bear witness to the signs of God’s calling—and to rejoice when the Spirit shows up where we least expect. Today, some seek to ignore the Spirit's calling and legalistically exclude from ministry certain individuals—those in committed relationships who choose not to marry, perhaps due to financial constraints, engaged couples who might be living together or engaged in relations before marriage, and those in same-sex relationships—often appealing to the Confession of Faith as their basis for doing so. Yet notably, the Confession of Faith never condemns or rejects persons in same-sex relationships nor addresses the topic of sex outside of marriage and the recent attempt to specifically add such a restriction to the Constitution was unsuccessful. Even if the Confession had addressed these topics, the Cumberland Presbyterian tradition has never claimed that the Confession of Faith is infallible or exhaustive. When we treat the Confession as infallible or absolute, we risk

February 2024 Dear Friends and Family of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Presbytery del Cristo, I write this letter with trepidation, because I know how emotional the upcoming vote on the proposed amendments has become. I’ve been impressed with the thoughtful letters shared from several of you and so I would like to offer my input in that same sense of civility and connection. For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve been part of Grace Fellowship in San Francisco since 1990, have served as an elder since 2003, and have served on the Presbytery del Cristo Congregational Care Committee and the CPC/CPCA Unified Committee on Theology and Social Concern. Over the past two years, I’ve taken a sabbatical from Grace Fellowship to worship with other local congregations, from Roman Catholic to Mennonite trying to gain perspective on what God is doing in this neighborhood. The thoughts in this letter are mine alone and reflect things I’ve learned both ministering at Grace Fellowship and looking outside the Cumberland to see how other traditions handle sexuality discussions. Several letters have discussed the polity implications of these amendments and I have nothing to add since they were penned by people, such as the 13 former moderators, with a deep understanding of the history and function of the Cumberland. If I were voting, I would give great weight to what these people say. Likewise, the letters that deal with the Biblical texts are extremely helpful and I, a layperson with no formal training in theology, read them with great respect. Our culture is very different in many ways from the ancient cultures in which these texts were penned, so we need the educated voices to help us see what God was communicating to God’s people in those days and today. What I

Rev. Tami Terpstra Staff Chaplain and Specialty Chaplain in Adult Psychiatric Care Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO Original Date of Submission: September 30, 2019 Initially addressed to the Unified Committee on Theology & Social Concerns (UCTSC), this letter was revised on February 29, 2024, and is now offered for consideration in conjunction with proposed constitutional amendments currently undergoing review in the church presbyteries. As a recently ordained minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and as a chaplain who specializes in ministering to patients within three secure adult psychiatric units at Denver Health Medical Center, Colorado’s public hospital, it is important that I minister to all, regardless of race, or sexual or gender identity. Our denomination, it seems, is searching for how to do the same. Weekly, I encounter patients who have experienced deep rejection by their families and faith communities because they fall somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Usually, they have just attempted suicide. Therefore, I thank you for this invitation to provide feedback on the matter of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and its posture towards our LGBTQ+ siblings, sisters, and brothers, and for the diligence this committee has already exhibited. My prayer would be that all of our discussions may be tender, and that the expansive love of God would be our guide. Speaking on behalf of those LGBTQ+ patients to whom I have ministered, I would also pray we understand that, whether or not we are aware of it, it is highly likely that the life of someone we already know and love is at stake. Guidance from our Confession of Faith Before delving into specifics, it is important to highlight certain principles in the CPC Confession of Faith (COF) on which we already agree, and which provide a crucial theological frame for this discussion. First, we

Have you ever been confident in your views but then found the need to reconsider them as you gained more information and experience? Rev. Dwight Liles once penned a letter to the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine expressing his belief, based on his interpretation of certain biblical passages, that homosexuality is a sin. However, something occurred that led to a complete transformation in his perspective. He now declares, "I affirm that my LGBT brothers and sisters in Christ should be treated fully as brothers and sisters in Christ, and should be treated as absolutely nothing less than brothers and sisters in Christ." Curious about this shift? Learn more by watching the video! https://youtu.be/5zlbfh2NSZk Rev. Dwight Liles is an ordained minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as well as a Dove Award-winning professional songwriter who has had many of his Christian songs recorded, published, and sung in churches around the world. You might be familiar with his widely acclaimed song "We are an Offering." We invite you to dive deeper into this important conversation. At www.welcomingcps.org, you'll find more stories and resources on reconciling faith and the Bible with LGBTQ+ inclusion. Thanks to Rev. Chris Warren and Seed Creative Care for helping to make this video possible!| Related Links Discernment Resources for Amendments https://www.welcomingcps.org/presbyteries/ Recommendation to Reject the Proposed Amendments (Ed Adair) https://www.welcomingcps.org/adair-recommendation-2023 Japan Presbytery’s Response to the Proposed Amendments to the Constitution https://www.welcomingcps.org/japan-presbyterys-response-to-the-proposed-amendments-spring-2023/ Reasons to Deny Proposed Amendments from Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians https://www.welcomingcps.org/reasons-to-deny-proposed-amendments/ Proposed Constitutional Amendments (2023) https://www.welcomingcps.org/proposed-amendments-2023/

The Confession of Faith in Cumberland Presbyterian History Author: Hubert W. Morrow Source: The Journal of Presbyterian History (1997-), FALL 1998, Vol. 76, No. 3 (FALL 1998), pp. 187-197 Published by: Presbyterian Historical Society It is important to consider how Cumberland Presbyterians hold and use our confession of faith. Is it a document we remain in respectful dialogue with, or something we use to shut down discussion? Is it treated as a fixed legal code, or as a humble expression of our shared beliefs that can adapt and change with time? This is particularly relevant given recent debates, where prooftexts and certain interpretations of the Confession have been appealed to as an authority to marginalize significant portions of the church's membership and leadership. "The Introduction to the 1984 Confession of Faith describes it as a 'testimony to Jesus Christ', stating: "The purpose of a confession of faith is two-fold: (1) to provide a means whereby those who have been saved, redeemed, and reconciled by God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit understand and affirm their faith; and (2) to bear witness to God's saving activity in such a way that those who have not been saved, redeemed, and reconciled might believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and experience salvation.... All testimony to Jesus Christ is made within the context of the church universal and therefore must not be made in a narrow, sectarian manner or spirit...A confession of faith which is evangelical in purpose and spirit seeks to testify to what God has done and is doing in the world to accomplish the redemption of his children." We turn to Dr. Hubert Morrow, Cumberland Presbyterian minister, professor, historian and theologian. Dr. Hubert Morrow’s paper on the Confession of Faith in Cumberland Presbyterian history explores

As follows is a letter from Honorably Retired Minister, Rev. Dr. George R. Estes, expressing opposition to proposed amendments to the Church Constitution. These amendments intend to remove persons in same-sex relationships from church leadership: In a church fight, the first casualty is the gospel. Those whom our Lord especially charged to love one another find themselves harboring feelings of suspicion, anger and competitiveness toward brothers and sisters in Christ. Half-truths and exaggerations mark the tense dialog that often accompanies such disputes. When sharp differences of opinion arise in the church, it is incumbent upon us to reassess our commitment to the way of Christ as we make our way through the difficulties. The proposed amendment(s) to the Constitution that General Assembly has sent to the presbyteries for deliberation and action is a matter eliciting strong emotions on all sides. Supporters of the amendment typically think of themselves as faithful to Scripture while its opponents argue the same from their perspective. Some self-styled “orthodox” Cumberland Presbyterians have sought to disengage from those they perceive to be “progressive” Cumberland Presbyterians. The antipathy of the latter group is less organized but no less dedicated to their vision of the Church. There has been a tendency on the part of supporters of the amendment to regard its opponents as Constitutional Cumberlands as distinct from Confessional Cumberlands, i.e., themselves. There is no such line of demarcation. In the history of our Church the vows of church membership and of ordination have seen no ideological division between the Confession and the Constitution. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church came into existence in response to a legalistic predestinarianism and elitist requirements for clergy. Faith and constitution were involved. They still are. The actions and attitudes of those fostering the amendment have been demonstrably schismatic. The Church is at

Rev. Betty Youngman by Rev. Betty Youngman My first pastorate was with the Meadowbrook Church in Fort Worth, Texas. It was a small congregation located in what was called “a transitional” neighborhood… elderly folk were moving out and mostly African-American families were moving in. I frequently preached that we should welcome whoever came to our door, and the congregation affirmed this goal. Among those we welcomed was a very nice gay couple. Their return for the second Sunday was a signal to me that it was time for a pastoral visit. What I learned on that visit changed the direction of my life. The guys had just moved into our neighborhood to be near friends of theirs who needed their help. While I visited, they asked, would I please make a hospital visit to a close friend who had AIDS. This was during the early days of the AIDS epidemic and fear was pervasive. Scientists had determined that the disease was transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids…probably. But when I arrived at the hospital I found the patient in strict isolation, and visitors were required to gown up, head to toe. My path from the door of his room to his bedside took forever. My mantra “you can’t get this from touch” seemed as much a prayer for God’s guidance as a wish to be anywhere else but in this hospital. What I learned from that very young and very ill gentleman changed the course of the Meadowbrook congregation. He was one of five living in a one-room apartment…four of whom had AIDS. All had been separated from their families of origin. The fifth person was employed, trying simultaneously to pay rent and to provide food and nursing care to his friends. This apartment was located no

Faithful servants of God and the church are facing a profound challenge as they await a decision on the amendments being deliberated in the presbyteries. These are their stories... God Has Called Me To Serve Anonymous Cumberland Presbyterian Minister In the rural area where I grew up, we assumed that everyone was alike. The reality, as I came to understand, is that everyone is different in their own way. I just did not realize it when I was young. When I entered college, I had an awakening and discovered that there were a lot of things I had not experienced. For example, two of my female classmates (one black and one white) were known as a couple. I make a point of their different races because, at the time, such commingling was considered heresy. But then, to make matters worse, they were a couple… Well, as far as I knew--based on the culture in which I grew up--they were hell-bound! This was how I was raised. People of different races didn’t date. And still, for many people today, people of same gender…well, to many, that is still considered a bridge too far. Imagine my own personal struggles when I went to Seminary; and for the first time, because of people I met, had classes with, and walked beside in faith, I wrestled with these social issues. It was quite the Jacob moment. It was during this time that I came to terms with who God created me to be. After all, how does one tackle the issues of faith and ultimately not come to know oneself even better? It is only through God’s grace and the special intervention by some very near and dear people that I am able to tell this story. You see, when I was entrapped by

As presbyteries deliberate upon proposed amendments that intend to exclude a whole class of persons, let us bear in mind the gravity of these changes. They will profoundly impact the lives of individuals already faithfully serving within our denomination, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, their families, and their congregations. For personal insight into these issues, we share a story from an anonymous Cumberland Presbyterian minister. Their story serves to illustrate the experience of a person of faith, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, who has both answered God's call and also identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. In a spirit of love, compassion, and our commitment to following Christ's example, let us recognize that God calls who God wills, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure that all members of our church family hearing God's call are given the opportunity to answer and serve within our denominations. As individuals open up and share their testimonies, let it be our prayer that the love of Christ unite us. May we practice forbearance, making room for one another, becoming a church that reflects God's boundless love and grace for all. Our Lives Have Callings on Them anonymous Cumberland Presbyterian minister As a child born into the Cumberland Presbyterian church, a member of a family who loves the Lord and a person who obeyed God’s call to serve in the ministry, my life has been unreservedly impacted by the church for the entirety of my existence in flesh. As an infant, I was dedicated to the Lord to be raised in the church and my church family took great pride in being the community that raised me. At 7 years old, my father led me to know Christ. By the time I was 13 years old, I realized that I was