Two Presbyterian churches in Latin America has made the decision to sever ties with Presbyterian Church (USA) last month after the denomination changed its view to allow same-sex marriage in June 2014.
The Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB) and the Evangelical Reformed Church of Peru voted last month to end its affiliation with the largest U.S. Presbyterian denomination.
Our church "that had initially decided to continue in partnership, in this last General Assembly, made the decision to interrupt the official partnership with this beloved church," IPIB wrote in a letter announcing the end of its partnership.
"Despite this notable contribution to the expansion of God's Kingdom in the world and especially in Brazil, our church has understood that the recent decisions made by the PC(USA) are against the principle of the authority of Scripture over the life and faith of the church, as well as the confessional documents of our common Reformed heritage," it continued.
The Nation Presbyterian Church of Mexico also cut ties with the denomination in August 2011 in response to PC(USA)'s decision to allow the sexually active gays and lesbians to be ordained.
In response to the two churches' vote, Rev. Gradye Parsons, the highest elected official in PC(USA), said, "It's a continuum of what people think God is calling them to do with LGBT issues. Some think they should be loved and changed, and some think they should be loved and accepted," according to Religion News.
