Reviewing the Headlines

A Google News search uncovers these leads to stories discussing the PC (USA) decision to maintain ordination standards and emphasize the primary role of churches and presbyteries in applying those standards:

Associated Press: "A Presbyterian Church (USA) national assembly voted yesterday to let local bodies that wish to have homosexuals serve as clergy and loy officers do so, despite a denominational ban on homosexual ministers."

The LA Times: "The nation's largest Presbyterian group, meeting in Birmingham, Ala.,
approved the new policy that enables local and regional church bodies
to approve the ordination of gays and lesbians on a case-by-case basis."

UPI: "The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA approved a
resolution Tuesday that would allow regional bodies to ordain
homosexuals as ministers."

Reuters: "The largest U.S. Presbyterian Church body approved a measure on Tuesday
that would open the way for the ordination of gays and lesbians under
certain circumstances."

Cox News Service: "A divided General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Tuesday adopted a provision that allows congregations and local presbyteries to ordain non-celibate gays and lesbians."

Here's the thing. The words "gays," "lesbians," and "homosexuals" appear nowhere in the recommendations that the GA adopted. Admittedly, everybody in the church knows that when you talk about ordination standards, that's what you're talking about. But NPH wants to emphasize that the standard that was affirmed, the standard that local ordaining bodies will have to wrestle with on a case-by-case basis, is about "fidelity" and "chastity."