WHEREAS, between 2015-2020 24 Overtures and Petitions have been made to General Assembly requesting, in general, that The Presbyterian Church in Canada permit congregations to leave the denomination with their property at nominal cost to the congregation if the denomination approves either a redefinition of marriage to include same sex couples or the ordination of those leaders who are in a same sex marriage (“Gracious Dismissal”); and

WHEREAS, in response to those Overtures, in 2016 and again in 2018 the Clerks of Assembly presented to General Assembly a response that concluded that there was not a process to permit Gracious Dismissal due to both the polity of the denomination and the statutory restrictions set out in the Act to Incorporate The Trustee Board of The Presbyterian Church in Canada (1939) (“Trustee Board Act”), although the Clerks of Assembly in the 2016 report reminded the denomination of the missional focus of the denomination and that “there will always be room for gracious action, and loving respect on the part of those leaving, those remaining, their presbyteries and the Trustee Board. By God’s grace, we remain brothers and sisters in Christ”; and

WHEREAS, in discussions with the Clerks of Assembly and representatives of the Trustee Board, the Gracious Dismissal Committee of Assembly Council (“Committee”) concluded (contrary to the statements made by the Clerks of Assembly in their 2016 and 2018 reports to General Assembly that formed the basis for the 2016 report’s adopted recommendations) that there was a legally acceptable way to achieve Gracious Dismissal (in the manner set out by the Committee in its report attached hereto as Schedule One (“Gracious Dismissal Report”)) under the denomination’s existing polity and legislation if General Assembly duly approved a Gracious Dismissal process, all without amendments to the Trustee Board Act; and

WHEREAS the Committee concluded that if legislative amendments were ultimately believed to be required to the Trustee Board Act to allow Gracious Dismissal, the recent experience of the United Church of Canada in amending its similarly governing Act of Parliament showed such a legislative change could occur with relatively little expense or time, all as summarized in Appendix B to the Gracious Dismissal Report (and again, contrary to the statements made by the Clerks of Assembly in their 2016 and 2018 reports to General Assembly that formed the basis for their 2016 report’s adopted recommendations); and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council at its meeting in November 2019 agreed that Gracious Dismissal, properly understood, applies to all congregations that in good faith believe they cannot remain in unity with the denomination as a result of the decisions reached by General Assembly regarding the related issues encircling human sexuality, the authority of scripture as it speaks to human sexuality, and the demands of a biblical understanding of justice on the matter of human sexuality, and as such, regardless of the decisions of the General Assembly (if any) regarding those issues and similar decisions at subsequent General Assemblies, Gracious Dismissal can apply equally to both those congregations described by the terms “traditional” and “affirming”; and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council agreed in November 2019 that every congregation in The Presbyterian Church in Canada is acknowledged by all other PCC congregations as a valid witness to

and participant in the reconciling work of Jesus Christ in the world, regardless of that congregation’s position on the issues of human sexuality, the authority of scripture as it speaks to human sexuality, and the demands of a biblical understanding of justice on the matter of human sexuality; and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council agreed in November 2019 that the strength of The Presbyterian Church in Canada is found in its missional pursuit of being a faithful witness to Jesus Christ and not located on its balance sheet- that assets are important tools and gifts offered by God to the denomination generally to help achieve missional goals of congregations, but the aggregation of assets at the expense of missional vitality in congregations should be avoided; and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council agreed in November 2019 that unity of the church does not necessarily require unity of any particular denomination – the origins of our denomination in the Reformation speaking to how unity of the church can be upheld even if organizationally it suffers loss of congregations and people to other entities that continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council agreed in November 2019 that the goal of examining the possibility of Gracious Dismissal is not to facilitate the departure of congregations with concerns about the denomination but that the goal, perhaps counterintuitively, is to encourage congregations to remain within the denomination, and that the debates about the human sexuality / authority of scripture / justice matters should be based on theology and ecclesiology, not on property, and by providing a clear, neutral answer to the question of Gracious Dismissal as an option, the debates can focus on the issues themselves, without the fear of the practical imposition of results on a congregation feeling threatened with the removal of its sanctuary and other church property; and

WHEREAS, the Committee concluded that Gracious Dismissal should be permitted by the denomination for four reasons, as set forth below

• First, and most obvious, there is no agreement by all in the denomination on the issues surrounding human sexuality, authority of scripture, and the requirements of justice on this matter. Even if a consensus could be reached, those who oppose such a consensus do so from their deepest beliefs and commitments. To require compulsion on such a fundamental issue is both in principle inappropriate and in practice inviting acrimony, recrimination and a national and local preoccupation on divisive issues.
• Second, Gracious Dismissal is applicable to all and not a response to one perspective or theological viewpoint. Regardless how the Remits are addressed at General Assembly, there will be those deeply dissatisfied with the results from those who are both “affirming” and “traditional”. Providing a mechanism to allow a Gracious Dismissal for all encourages a fairness to any process adopted.
• Third, a Gracious Dismissal process upholds materially the structure and principles the Clerks of Assembly set out in their 2018 response to overtures “A Way Forward” (although different to the extent that the Clerks of Assembly believed at the time the denomination’s governing legislation would not allow the transfer of property at less than fair market value).
• Fourth, Gracious Dismissal should not be implemented because of emotional, quick, or theologically suspect reasons. The process proposed emphasizes actions that are ‘decently and in order’:

THEREFORE, the Session of St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, North Vancouver humbly overtures the Venerable, the 146th General Assembly to permit congregations to leave the denomination with their property at nominal cost to the congregation if the denomination approves either a redefinition of marriage to include same sex couples or the ordination of those leaders who are in a same sex marriage (“Gracious Dismissal”), to adopt a process for the implementation of Gracious Dismissal in the manner described in Appendix C to the Gracious Dismissal Report or as modified by General Assembly in its wisdom after due consideration of the details, and to place the matter before and have it considered and fully addressed by the Venerable, the 146th General Assembly prior to addressing Remits B and C, 2019 under the Barrier Act being considered by such General Assembly so that decisions made about the Remits are based on theology and ecclesiology, not on property, or to do otherwise as the General Assembly, in its wisdom, may deem best.

Schedule One: Final Report Of Gracious Dismissal Committee With Appendices