We, the churches of Louisiana Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), greet you in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Committed to the Word of the Holy Triune God and as part of the universal Church with Jesus Christ as the Head, we are grieved by trends that are manifesting themselves in the churches and judicial systems of this nation through endorsing and protecting conduct that defies our great God and King.

The U. S. Supreme Court’s recent decision which declares sodomy to be constitutionally-protected conduct is reprehensible. Furthermore, it is contrary to the history and foundation of this nation and to the concept of stare decisis in that it overruled previous judicial decisions which acknowledged the Christian foundation of our laws. What is even more abominable is the Episcopal church’s acceptance of homosexuality as legitimate Christian behavior, even to the point of ordaining practicing homosexuals. Not only is this contrary to the practice of the Church throughout her history, but it also directly contradicts the Word of the Living God as revealed in the Old and New Testaments.

These actions clearly show that America, if she does not repent and actively turn from her national sins, has begun a death march. What is more, we fear these trends arise to a large degree because we as the Church in this nation, in both our individual and corporate lives, have not been faithfully proclaiming the truth of God’s Word or faithfully living out the beauty of the Gospel in our lives

With the Christian Church throughout the ages, we confess that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible does not leave room for doubts regarding what God thinks regarding issues of sexuality. God’s Holy Word tell us that God ordained at creation the ordinance of marriage in which one man and one woman unite through holy matrimony, the only permissible union for sexual relations (Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:6-8). Aberrations from this prescribed pattern, including premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality and all sexual practices outside of the marriage relationship, are displeasing to God, destructive to those who practice them and harmful to our society as a whole. The Lord, Who does not change, clearly declared in His older Testament that adultery and sodomy (also referred to as homosexuality) are forbidden sins (Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 18:22). Furthermore, He declared in His newer Testament that those who practice adultery, fornication and sodomy shall not inherit the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10).

We confess that the Church in our nation has failed to speak God’s Word and to reflect God’s character regarding the abuses of marriage, including sexual aberrations from God’s design. We have failed to proclaim how these sins anger God and wreck the lives and societies in which they are practiced. We have failed to reach out to those in sin with truth and grace with the Gospel of God’s grace in Christ, which brings both forgiveness and repentance (Titus 2:11-14). We have failed to model God’s glorious design of marriage: one man and one woman in a lifelong union of love and sacrifice. Christ showed His Bride, the Church, passionate, sacrificial love which marriage requires, even laying down His life for her, yet we Christian men have failed to model before a watching world this love towards our wives.

In accordance with God’s holy, unchanging, infallible, inerrant Word of truth, Louisiana Presbytery denounces the decisions by the Episcopal church to endorse homosexuality and the decision by the federal judges which declares sodomy to be constitutionally protected conduct, for God has declared it an abomination. Louisiana Presbytery decries all civil and ecclesiastical actions and decisions which in substance and effect defy the Holy Word of our God. We remind all people engaged in the sins of sodomy, adultery and fornication that the loving, merciful God Who declares these sins an abomination will have mercy on and forgive all who sincerely confess and forsake them. We implore all to seek His mercy.

Louisiana Presbytery calls upon all of its fellow servant churches to cry out unto the Lord in accordance with His Word in II Chronicles 7:14: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." To that end, we call on churches to proclaim God’s displeasure regarding sexual sin, to lovingly and truthfully reach out with the Gospel to those enslaved in these sins and to model God’s glorious design for marriage. May God have mercy upon us and upon our land. We beg this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.