Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Task Force to Study Homosexuality Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Task Force to Study Homosexuality Records

Inclusive Dates

1965-1978

Bulk Dates

1976-1978

Call Number

RG 512

Creator(s)

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Task Force to Study Homosexuality.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Advisory Council on Church and Society.

Quantity

9.00 cubic feet (9 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

In 1976, the 188th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA) commissioned a task force to study homosexuality, focused on whether to ordain practicing homosexuals. The UPCUSA Advisory Council on Church and Society (ACCS) oversaw and funded the Task Force to Study Homosexuality with Kathy Young working as the staff consultant. The General Assembly mandated that the task force be comprised of people who represented a broad spectrum of life in the church. Nineteen members were appointed on September 24, 1976 with Virginia West Davidson serving as Chairperson.

The task force met seven times from 1976 to 1978. During each meeting, task force members and experts in various scientific or religious fields presented statements on homosexuality. The task force also attended the Consultation on Homosexuality, sponsored by Presbyterians United for Biblical Concerns in February 1977.

In addition to these meetings, the task force held four regional hearings to gather statements from church members across the country and prepared a questionnaire for the Presbyterian Panel in 1977. The task force also requested that presbyteries send in any information regarding studies on homosexuality in their area as well as conclusions reached by sessions. From 1976-1978, the task force received data, suggestions, and personal testimonies from sessions, presbyteries, and individuals. The task force was charged with studying these responses before making recommendations to the General Assembly.

Members from the task force also prepared two study packets on homosexuality that included partial transcripts from task force meetings, anonymous testimonies from church members who identified as homosexual, statements from other denominations, copies of research papers on the church and homosexuality, and a bibliography. The packets were available for purchase, allowing individuals or sessions to participate in a study similar to the task force meetings.

The task force completed its work by January 12, 1978, sending a final report to the Advisory Council on Church and Society. The report included a background paper, policy statement, recommendations, and a minority policy statement and recommendations. The majority statement recommended that presbyteries and congregations be allowed to make their own decisions regarding ordination whereas the minority statement asked the Assembly to rule against allowing homosexuals to be ordained. The ACCS transmitted the report and both sets of recommendations to the General Assembly for a vote, advising that the General Assembly accept the majority statement. The General Assembly voted to adopt the minority statement and recommendations on May 22, 1978.

Collection Overview

Correspondence, study materials, meeting minutes, and reports document the Task Force to Study Homosexuality's work to create a recommendation for the General Assembly. Also included are records from the Advisory Council on Church and Society (ACCS) which oversaw the task force.

The ACCS Records series, 1976-1978, contains minutes from ACCS and church-wide staff administrative meetings which include reference to the work of the task force. The minutes were taken by Kathy Young, the ACCS staff consultant to the task force. In addition, the series contains correspondence from Young to other ACCS staff members and notes from presentations by the task force to ACCS.

The Meetings series, 1973-1978, includes Kathy Young’s planning notes and the packets of study materials that she sent to task force members prior to each meeting. Also included are copies of statements and papers that members presented to one another at the meetings as well as correspondence from the Consultation on Homosexuality.

The Hearings series, 1973-1977, documents the four regional hearings held by the task force. The series includes correspondence and notes related to arranging the hearings, registration forms, and notes on testimonies given at the hearings. In addition, the series contains copies of the questionnaire and questionnaire results from the Presbyterian Panel.

The Correspondence series, 1974-1978, consists of three subseries. The Internal Correspondence subseries contains letters sent between task force members. The Correspondence with Presbyteries and Sessions subseries includes copies of session resolutions regarding homosexuality. The Correspondence with Individuals and Groups subseries contains letters sent in to the task force from individuals or church groups, including anonymous testimonies, opinions of lay persons and ministers, and responses to task force reports, both for and against ordaining homosexuals.

The Study Materials series, 1965-1978, consists of two subseries. The Study Materials for Task Force Members subseries contains copies of the articles that were circulated among the task force, including statements on homosexuality by other Christian denominations, secular research papers, and articles from Monday Morning and The Presbyterian Layman. The Study Materials for Church-wide Distribution subseries contains copies of research papers, personal testimonies, and correspondence with the task force that were labeled as appropriate for church-wide circulation. This includes two study packets prepared by the task force: the first packet includes copies of task force correspondence, personal testimonies, and partial transcripts from task force meetings whereas the second packet contains copies of papers on homosexuality and the church.

The Reports series, 1977-1978, contains drafts, revisions, and final copies of the background paper, policy statement, recommendations, and minority policy statement/recommendations that the task force submitted to the ACCS after completing its work.

Organization and Arrangement

The collection is arranged as follows:

SERIES I: ADVISORY COUNCIL ON CHURCH AND SOCIETY RECORDS, 1976-1978

SERIES II: MEETINGS, 1973-1978

SERIES III: HEARINGS, 1973-1977

SERIES IV: CORRESPONDENCE, 1974-1978

SERIES V: STUDY MATERIALS, 1965-1978

SERIES VI: REPORTS, 1977-1978

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Received from Dwight Smith in 1978, Kathy Young in 1979, and Virginia West Davidson / Advisory Council on Church and Society (New York) in 1980.

Processing Information

Collection processed and guide prepared in 2018 by Elizabeth Wittrig, Pam Byers Memorial Fund Project Archivist, as part of the Pam Byers Memorial Collection.

Preferred Citation

Task Force to Study Homosexuality Records, RG 512, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Personal Name Subject

West, Virginia Davidson, 1916-2009.

Corporate Subject

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Task Force to Study Homosexuality.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Advisory Council on the Church and Society.

Topical Subject

Homosexuality--Religious aspects--Presbyterians--History--20th century.

Ordination of gay people--Presbyterians--History--20th century.

Ordination of lesbians--Presbyterians--History--20th century.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Minutes (administrative records) aat

Reports. aat

Corporate Added Name

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Advisory Council on Church and Society.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

		SERIES I: ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY RECORDS, 1976-1978

1	1	ACCS meeting, 1977 Feb.
1	2	ACCS meeting, 1977 Nov.
1	3	ACCS meeting, 1978 Jan.
1	4	ACCS meeting, review group notes, 1978 Jan.
1	5	ACCS meetings, background information, 1976
1	6	Church and Society, correspondence, 1977
1	7	Church-wide Administrative Staff meeting, 1978 Jan.
1	8	Council on Theology and Culture Homosexuality Paper, 1976-1978
1	9	General Assembly, correspondence (includes case study), 1976
1	10	General Assembly, planning notes and press releases, 1977
1	11	General Assembly, correspondence, 1978	Digital
1	12	General Assembly Overtures, 1978
1	13	General Assembly Mission Council meetings, 1977-1978
1	14	Staff consultant to the task force, correspondence and planning notes, 1976-1978
1	15	Staff consultant to the task force guidelines, 1976
1	16	Staff consultant to the task force, notes on enabling constituency groups, 1976-1977

2	1	Task force budget proposal, 1976-1977
2	2	Task force formation, correspondence, 1976
2	3	Task force nominations, correspondence, 1976
2	4	Task force progress reports to ACCS, 1977-1978
2	5	Task force publicity, correspondence, 1976-1978
2	6	Task force roster, 1976
2	7	Virginia West Davidson presentations to ACCS, 1977-1978

		SERIES II: MEETINGS, 1973-1978

2	8-9	Statements and papers from task force members, 1973-1978
2	10	First meeting, planning notes, 1976 Sept.-Oct.
2	11	First meeting, minutes, 1976 Oct.
2	12	Second meeting, preliminary packets, 1976 Oct.-Nov.
2	13	Second meeting, planning notes, 1976 Oct.-Dec.
2	14	Second meeting, minutes, 1976 Dec.
2	15	Second meeting, transcript, 1976 Dec.
2	16	Consultation on Homosexuality, correspondence and planning notes, 1976 Dec.-1977 Feb.

3	1	Third meeting, planning notes, 1977 Jan.-Feb.
3	2	Third meeting, preliminary packets, 1977 Jan.-Feb.
3	3	Third meeting, minutes, 1977 Feb.
3	4	Third meeting, transcript, 1977 Feb.
3	5	Fourth meeting, preliminary packets, 1977 Apr.-June
3	6	Fourth meeting, minutes, 1977 June
3	7	Fifth meeting, planning notes, 1977 July-Sept.
3	8	Fifth meeting, preliminary packets, 1977 July-Aug.
3	9	Fifth meeting, minutes, 1977 Aug.
3	10	Sixth meeting, planning notes, 1977 Aug.-Oct.
3	11	Sixth meeting, preliminary packets, 1977 Aug.-Oct.
3	12	Sixth meeting, minutes, 1977 Oct.
3	13	Seventh meeting, planning notes, 1977 Sept.-1978 Jan.
3	14	Seventh meeting, preliminary packets, 1977 Oct.-1978 Jan.
3	15	Seventh meeting, minutes, 1978 Jan.

		SERIES III: HEARINGS, 1973-1977

3	16	Nametags for task force members, undated
3	17	Presbyterian Panel Questionnaire (drafts), 1973 April-1977 Feb.
3	18	Presbyterian Panel Preliminary Outline, 1976 Nov.
3	19	Presbyterian Panel Questionnaire (final), 1977 Jan.

4	1	Presbyterian Panel Questionnaire (final), 1977 Jan.
4	2	Presbyterian Panel Report, 1977 Jan.-Apr.	Digital
4	3	Guidelines and press kit for hearings, 1976 Dec.-1977 June
4	4	Cleveland, OH hearing, 1977 Jan.-Mar.
4	5	St. Louis, MO hearing, 1977 Jan.-Apr.
4	6	San Francisco, CA hearing, 1977 Apr.-May
4	7	Philadelphia, PA hearing, 1977 May-June

		SERIES IV: CORRESPONDENCE, 1974-1978

		Subseries 1: Internal Correspondence, 1976-1978

4	8	All task force members, 1976-1978
4	9	All task force members, 1978
4	10	Dwight Smith, 1976-1978

		Subseries 2: Correspondence with Presbyteries and Sessions, 1976-1978

4	11	Lake Erie Presbytery, 1976-1977
4	12	Moderators' letters, 1977-1978
4	13-14	Redwoods Presbytery, 1976-1977

5	1	Requests to presbyteries, 1976-1978
5	2	Requests for speakers from the task force, 1977-1978
5	3	Responses to task force reports, 1978 Jan.-May
5	4	Seattle Presbytery, 1977
5	5	Session Resolutions, 1976
5	6	Session Resolutions, 1977 Jan.-Mar.
5	7	Session Resolutions, 1977 Apr.-May
5	8	Session Resolutions, 1977 June-Aug.
5	9	Session Resolutions, 1977 Sept.-1978 Jan.
5	10	Synod of the Northeast, 1977

		Subseries 3: Correspondence with Individuals and Groups, 1974-1978

5	11	The Chicago Plan, 1978 Jan.-April

6	1	Presbyterian Charismatic Communion (includes newsletters), 1977-1978	Digital
6	2	Presbyterian Gay Caucus (includes newsletters), 1974-1977	Digital
6	3	Requests for information and permission to publish materials, 1976-1978
6	4	Requests for testimonies from gay Christians and responses, 1977
6	5	Responses to task force reports, 1978 Jan.-May
6	6	Testimonies and correspondence, 1976
6	7	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 Jan.-Mar.
6	8	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 Apr.
6	9-10	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 May
6	11	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 June
6	12	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 July
6	13	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 Aug.-Oct.

7	1	Testimonies and correspondence, 1977 Nov.-1978 Jan.
7	2-4	Virginia West Davidson correspondence, 1976-1978
7	5	Virginia West Davidson correspondence re: speaking events, 1977-1978
7	6	Virginia West Davidson correspondence with Vocation Agency, 1977-1978

		SERIES V: STUDY MATERIALS, 1965-1978

		Subseries 1: Study Materials for Task Force Members, 1965-1978

7	7-9	Christian Denominations, statements and papers, 1965-1978 and undated
7	10	"Is the Homosexual My Neighbor?" by Letha Scanzio and Virginia Mollenkolt (draft), 1977

8	1	Monday Morning articles, 1973-1977
8	2	The Presbyterian Layman articles, 1976-1978
8	3	Trends magazine, July/August 1973	Digital
8	3	Presbyterian statements and papers, 1970-1978 and undated
8	4	Presbyterian statements and papers, 1970-1978 and undated
8	5	Secular resources, 1976-1978
8	6	Technical statements and papers from "experts," 1965-1977

		Subseries 2: Study Materials for Church-wide Distribution, 1972-1977

8	7	Bibliography Group notes and correspondence, 1976-1977
8	8	Materials labeled for church-wide distribution, 1972-1977 and undated
8	9	Presbytery lists and labels, 1976-1977
8	10	Study Packet orders, 1977
8	11	Study Packet 1 (drafts), 1977 Feb.-Apr.
8	12	Study Packet 1 (final), 1977 Apr. 18	Digital
8	13	Study Packet 2 (drafts), 1977 Apr.-June

9	1	Study Packet 2 (final), 1977 June 15

		SERIES VI: REPORTS, 1977-1978

9	2	Report of the Task Force (first draft), 1977 July-Sept.
9	3	Report of the Task Force (first draft), member revisions, 1977 Aug.-Sept.
9	4	Report of the Task Force (second draft), 1977 Oct.-Dec.
9	5	Report of the Task Force (second draft), background paper revisions, 1977 Oct.-Dec.
9	6	Report of the Task Force (second draft), Kathy Young revisions, 1977 Oct.-1978 Jan.
9	7	Report of the Task Force (second draft), member revisions, 1977 Oct.-1978 Jan.
9	8-9	Report of the Task Force (second draft), Virginia West Davidson revisions, 1977 Oct.-1978 Jan.
9	10	Report of the Task Force (final draft), 1978 Jan.	Digital

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Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Task Force to Study Homosexuality Records

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