Presbyterian leader asks for reconsideration of special meeting

Friday, January 17th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ The top leader in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has asked ministers and elders to reconsider their support for a meeting to push for strict enforcement of church bans on homosexual ministers and wedding-like ceremonies for gays.

The Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, moderator of the 2.4 million-member denomination, wrote to 26 ministers and 31 elders who signed a petition seeking to reconvene last year's General Assembly in special session.

``I implore you in the name of Christ and for the good of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to reconsider your decision,'' he wrote.

The petition reflects the tension within the denomination over homosexual issues. Conservatives have grown frustrated by higher church officials who, they say, have refused to discipline churches that proclaim their willingness to ordain noncelibate homosexuals and hold wedding-like ceremonies for gays and lesbians.

Abu-Akel, a minister in Atlanta, said a special meeting would divert church money and attention away from the work of the denomination. He has said that a special session would cost more than $500,000.

``In the current economy, congregations and governing bodies are reducing their local programs and contributions to the work of the whole church,'' he wrote.

Alex Metherell, who spearheaded the petition effort, said Thursday that Abu-Akel had no authority under church law to issue the letter.

``What he is attempting to do is basically recount the votes in a petition after the petition has been submitted,'' Metherell said.

Under church law, a petition seeking a special General Assembly session requires signatures from at least 25 ministers and 25 church elders who were commissioners at the last regular General Assembly.

Church officials are in the process of verifying the signatures.

The petition has sparked a constitutional argument over the timing of a special meeting. Metherell contends the session could convene 60 days after the moderator issues the call for the meeting.

Abu-Akel said the special session could not start any sooner than 120 days after he received the petition. Under such a timetable, the special gathering would occur just days before the next regular General Assembly meets, starting May 24 in Denver.

Abu-Akel said the denomination's presbyteries, or regional governing bodies, would not have enough time to vote on ratification of any constitutional changes passed by the special General Assembly.

``I believe having two assemblies so close to each other would only create confusion in the church and diminish our greater witness to the world,'' Abu-Akel wrote. ``I believe that this may not have been your intention when you signed the petition.''

Metherell, an elder at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, Calif., said such arguments were meant to pressure the petition signers.

``The tactic is clearly to try to intimidate them with this letter because basically they are being told that this is going to be a useless effort, and in fact that's not true,'' Metherell said.