Ecumenical News International  Daily News Service  25 August 2011    Mexican Presbyterians end relationship with U.S. church over gays  ENI-11-0454    By ENInews Staff  New York, 25 August (ENInews)--The National Presbyterian Church of Mexico  has voted to end its 139-year relationship with the Presbyterian Church  (USA), in response to the U.S. church's decision earlier this year to allow  the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians.    According to a news release on the U.S. church's website, the decision came  on a 116 to 22 vote of the Mexican church assembly on 19 August. The release  said it likely will jeopardize the continuation of the work that 11 U.S.  church mission co-workers have been doing in Mexico, including work along  the U.S.-Mexican border, as well as the future of short-term congregational  mission trips to Mexico and more than two dozen partnerships.    Before the assembly began, there was talk of dissatisfaction with the U.S.  church's decision to remove from the denomination's Book of Order a  requirement that those being ordained practice fidelity if they are married  or chastity if they are single.    Presbyteries and sessions now will examine candidates for ordination or  installation with the standard being that a candidate's "manner of life  should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and in the  world." The new language also states that "governing bodies shall be guided  by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual  candidates."    The Mexican delegates also voted not to re-establish any relationship with  the U.S. church unless the change is rescinded, the news release said.    The Mexican church, with close to two million members, also considered the  ordination of women to the priesthood. The special assembly, held 17 to 19  August, was called specifically to discuss the issue and voted 158 to 14 to  sustain its policy of not ordaining women.    The assembly also voted 103 to 55 not to allow any sort of grace period for  presbyteries that had, on their own, already begun ordaining women. That  vote means that any presbytery which has already ordained women must  immediately revoke those ordinations.      "Presbyterians do mission in partnership here and around the world, so we  take the voice of the Mexican church very seriously," said the U.S. church's  Director of World Mission, Hunter Farrell, in a statement. "We are grieved  by their decision, but we want to emphasize that we are grateful for their  witness and our history together, and will listen carefully as we engage in  dialogue about where God is leading us in mission."    Hat tip: Fr. Dick Kim