Friday June 19, 2026
Evangelical Presbyterian Church Strengthens Biblical Stance on Human Sexuality and Ordination
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, at its 46th General Assembly in Denver Colorado this week, vigorously but gracefully debated multiple measures on the issue of Same Sex Attraction and Ordination. After two years of study, and an assembled week of deliberation and prayer, the EPC’s GA approved recommendations coming from an Ad-Interim Committee that built a firm foundation on the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith.
The assembly’s action reaffirmed the EPC’s historic position on human sexuality and ordination and added language that would help ensure those standards. “The commissioners came ready and prepared as they engaged the committee’s recommendations,” stated Ad-Interim Committee Co-Chair TE Cameron Shaffer, “and they voted to reaffirm our confessional heritage.”
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church again declared that the only persons qualified to serve in the offices of Teaching Elder, Ruling Elder and Deacons are those who live faithfully in the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman; and that those who are single must remain sexually chaste. The assembly approved statements that affirm the historic Reformed Doctrine of Concupiscence; that all disordered sexual desires, including those that arise from same sex attraction, are in fact sinful. These sinful desires of thought, word and deed must be renounced, repented of and regularly mortified by all who seek to follow Christ, especially those potentially called to serve as leaders, seek by the grace of God to live into these Biblical Standards.
“We live in challenging times,” said, long time EPC Pastor Bob Stauffer, “ but the EPC again has stood firm on the inerrant Word of God in a graceful way – we have not, nor will not declare good, what God has declared sinful.”
Amen!
Bravo for taking a stand!! I am a former member and elder of Reynolda Church in Winston-Salem, NC, and have a great affection for the EPC and all it stands for.
Please note that your first phrase – “The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, at it’s 46th General Assembly in Denver Colorado this week….” – contains a grammatical error. You need to use “its,” not “it’s.” The former is a possessive pronoun, which is correct here because the 46th General Assembly is owned by the EPC. “It’s” is a contraction for “it is.” If you expand the contraction in the above, it sounds like this: “The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, at it is 46th General Assembly in Denver Colorado this week….”
Hi Jack, thank you for your response to our post and for catching the error. We sincerely appreciate your desire to ensure that we are accurate in our reporting. We are a small team and mistakes do happen at times. Many blessings and thanks for standing with the EPC!
Praise God!! We stand on the word if God!🙏🙏🙏
I agree with the statement. Was the issue of church membership as it relates to ongoing and unrepentant sexual sin discussed?
Was changing “Evangelical” in our name to something less politically
Inflammatory discussed?
Hi Marion! If you’d like to learn more about what we discussed during all of our business sessions, you can watch our YouTube playlist for GA46! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5RTggJ4ykg&list=PLSlvHtKi7gU12ruGgrpIrxWAdKZpJCpIj
Thank you for standing firm on this matter! I feel so comfortable with this and love that our church stands with the scriptures!
I agree with this biblical teaching. Gods be the glory always.
PRAISE THE LORD!
Praise the Lord! Thank you to all who participated in General Assembly and stood firmly in the faith.
Linda Snelling, Ward Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Northville, Michigan
Does the EPC accept the language of “side B homosexuality” which allows an individual to identify as homosexual but who is chaste to be an officer?
HI Stan, thanks for your question! Please check out our Position Paper on SSA for a direct statement on everything here: https://epconnect.org/adinterimonssa/
Excellent!