
It might be interesting for folk to know that the Church of Scotland
(also a Presbyterian church)  managed to "agree to disagree" over
women's ordination for 25 years.  The reasoning was that congregations
are free to call whoever they wish, and that Ministers and Sessions
choose elders.  If a congregation did not wish to have a woman, they
were not obliged to, and if a Session did not wish to, they could not
be forced to.  (Note that the who issue of freedom to call on the part
of the Congregation is VERY important here - this year is the 150th
Annivarsary of the Disruption, where the church split on that very
issue, they didn't get back together for almost 80 years).

A couple of years ago on the 25 anniversary of the allowing of womens
ordination the position was changed - so that, in theory, all
ministers and elders must recognise that women can be ordained.  In
theory, a minister who refused to ordain a woman to his Session, or
refused to work with a woman minister in Presbytery, could be
disciplined.  In practice this has not happened, and I believe it is
unlikely to happen.  My personal view is that the new legislation was
a mistake, and that the permissive (but not prescriptive) legislation
worked very well.  

We are going to start going round the homosexual debate at next years
assembly.  At this years, a motion was put to ban the blessing of
same-sex couples (after an Edinburgh minister did so).  Our Panel on
Doctrine is currently looking at marriage, and will report next year -
the matter will be considered and debated then.

Hope this is interesting