Reformed Church in America eliminates conscience clause for women's ordination opponents

The General Synod of the Reformed Church of America (RCA) has removed the "conscience clause" from its the Book of Church Order (BCO), ending the right of its clergy to object to the ordination of women.

At the 2012 meeting by a vote of 143 to 69, the delegates voted to remove the conscience clause. Two thirds of the classes or jurisdictions of the presbyterian organized denomination were required to endorse the vote for it to take effect and over the past year 31 classes voted in favor of removing the clause and 14 voted to keep it. On 20 June 2013 General Synod ratified the vote.

After women were ordained by the RCA 1979, the BCO was amended in 1980 to state:"If individual members of the classis find that their consciences, as illuminated by Scripture, would not permit them to participate in the licensure, ordination or installation of women as ministers of the Word, they shall not be required to participate in decisions or actions contrary to their consciences, but may not obstruct the classis in fulfilling its responsibility to arrange for the care, ordination, and installation of women candidates and ministers by means mutually agreed on by such women and the classis" (Part II, Article 2, Section 7).[12] Read more