Presbyterians and Human Sexuality 1991

This report comes to the 203rd General Assembly (1991) after three years of study, research, and writing by the Special Committee on Human Sexuality. The origin, membership, and process of the special committee are described in the Preface. The final draft of the report was approved by the special committee at its meeting in Tampa, Florida, on January 31-February 3, 1991.

As the special committee entered its final months of deliberations, it became clear that several  members felt that our emerging drafts did not adequately express their views on various problems or on theological method. Efforts to integrate all views into this report was unsuccessful a nd we anticipate that a minority report will eventually be circulated. David Searfoss, Grady Crosland, Michael Bullard, Donald Repsher, and Jean Kennedy asked that their dissent from this majority report be made a matter of record. I am glad to indicate, however, that all of our deliberations were marked by mutual r espect, shared concern over the issues, cordiality, and good humor.

This report demonstrates our intent to address many issues from the perspective of a consistent ethical position. We have resisted from the beginning all attempts to make us a "one-issue" special  committee. We therefore urge all persons who read this report to read it as a whole, for its parts inform and sustain one another and should be seen in relationship.