Ordain gays, Presbyterian panel urges

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• Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES A United Presbyterian task force commissioned to study the ordination of practicing homosexuals as ministers has recommended that regional units of the 2.6 millionmember denomination be allowed to ordain qualified gays.

The task force report, made public today, also says that homosexual behavior should not, in itself, be considered sinful.

Five of the 19-member task force disagreed, and, in a minority report, ásk that practicing homosexuals not be ordained to

any church office.

If the majority report is adopted at the church's national convention in San Diego this May, it would make the United Presbyterian Church the nation's most liberal major denomination in extending. full rights of membership and ministry to homosexuals.

Summary information from the task force, which spent 15 months and $70,000 to make a thorough study of "Christian approaches to homosexuality," was to be released today, after the church's 8,800 pastors had a chance to announce

the controversial recommendations to their congregations yesterday.

The issue already is seen by, church leaders as explosive and possibly divisive. Similar reactions have surrounded discussion of ordination of gays in the United Methodist and Episcopal churches.

"This has more potential to split the church than anything since slavery and the Civil War" (which caused the Presbyterian Church to divide), said the Rev. Don Williams of Pasadena. He was one

of the five task force members who issued the minority report.

Chris Glaser, a homosexual candidate for the United Pres byterian ministry and a task force member, praised the majority report.

"For us," he said, "it is a big step towards God's future. Both the background paper and the policy statement treat homosexual persons with far greater love than any previous church statement, while at the same time respecting the consciences of all with diverse viewpoints within our church."