Civil unions being studied by Presbyterians

A Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage has been appointed by the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The committee will study and offer policy recommendations regarding:

• The history of the laws governing marriage and civil union, including current policy
• How the theology and practice of marriage have developed in the Reformed and broader Christian tradition.
• The relationship between civil union and Christian marriage.
• The effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children.
• The place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community.

The resulting report will be made to the 219th General Assembly (2010) next summer in Minneapolis.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) still defines Christian marriage as between "a man and a woman," while at the same time recognizing equal rights for families of same-gender partners.