My friend, Adam Walker-Cleaveland, has once again been thwarted in his attempt to be ordained as a “minister of word and sacrament” in the Presbyterian Church (USA). First it was because his presbytery in Idaho objected that he asked his best friend, who happens to be gay, to preach at his ordination service. Now it’s because his new presbytery in California says that his M.Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary — a PC(USA) seminary!!! — isn’t good enough.

Few things piss me off as much as the sinful bureaucratic systems of denominational Christianity. When rules and regulations trump common sense, then the shark has officially been jumped.

But what gets to me even more is that bright, competent, and pastorally experienced persons like Adam continue to submit themselves to these sinful systems. They assure me that it’s not for the health insurance or the pension. They do it cuz they feel “called.” And if I hear another person tell me that they’re sticking with their abusive denomination because, “They’re my tribe,” I’m gonna go postal.

So, it’s time for us to do something. It’s time for us, the body of Christ, to ordain Adam. To that end, I’ve started a petition, beseeching Adam to quit the PC(USA) ordination circus and to accept our ordination of him.