From Same-Sex Marriage to Polyamory: The Predictable Path of Apostasy in the PC(USA)

By Dr. Eric M. Wallace

A remarkable debate is unfolding within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA). At its upcoming General Assembly in Milwaukee, commissioners will consider a proposal requiring ordained clergy who are sexually active to be in monogamous relationships. The proposal, known as CON-10, was introduced primarily in response to growing advocacy for polyamorous and polygamous relationships within the denomination. Yet what is perhaps most remarkable is not the proposal itself, but the fierce opposition it has generated from official church committees and activist groups within the church.

For many Christians, the idea that a church would have to debate whether its clergy should practice monogamy is difficult to comprehend. Yet this moment did not arrive overnight. It is the predictable result of a theological trajectory that began years ago when the denomination chose to place cultural accommodation above biblical authority.

In 2011, the PCUSA opened the door to the ordination of openly gay clergy. In 2014, it redefined marriage from the biblical union of one man and one woman to a union between "two people."

At the time, many defenders of biblical marriage warned that these decisions would not end the debate. They argued that once marriage was detached from God's design and redefined according to contemporary cultural values, there would be no principled basis for limiting future revisions.

Today, those warnings appear prophetic.

What is striking about the current controversy is the language being used by opponents of the monogamy requirement. Rather than appealing to Scripture, they appeal to inclusion, lived experience, relationship satisfaction, cultural diversity, and social justice. Some critics argue that monogamy itself reflects "white privilege" and imposes a culturally dominant understanding of family upon others. Others claim that requiring clergy to be monogamous risks shame, coercion, and exclusion.

Notice what is missing. Where is the appeal to Genesis? Where is the appeal to the teachings of Jesus? Where is the appeal to the qualifications for church leaders outlined by the Apostle Paul?

The debate is no longer fundamentally about marriage. It is about authority. Will God's Word define human sexuality, or will contemporary culture? That question lies at the heart of every theological controversy facing the church today.

The Presbyterian tradition historically affirmed that Scripture is the supreme authority for faith and practice. Yet increasingly within mainline Protestantism, Scripture is treated less as the final authority and more as one voice among many competing voices. Personal experience, academic theories, sociological studies, and cultural trends are often granted equal or greater authority than biblical revelation.

When that happens, the outcome is predictable.

If the highest moral standard is personal fulfillment, mutual consent, and emotional satisfaction, then it becomes difficult to explain why two people are morally superior to three people, four people, or more. The same arguments that were used to redefine marriage in 2014 can easily be extended to justify polyamorous relationships today.
The issue is not merely sexual ethics. The issue is whether the church will submit to divine revelation or continually revise its doctrine to conform to the spirit of the age.

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people "will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV).

Jesus Himself warned, "Take care then how you hear" (Luke 8:18, ESV).

Those warnings remain relevant because apostasy rarely begins with outright rejection of Christianity. More often than not, it begins with small compromises that elevate human wisdom above God's Word. One accommodation leads to another. One revision creates pressure for additional revisions. Eventually, the authority of Scripture is replaced by the authority of culture.

In my book, The Heart of Apostasy, I describe this process through the lens of Jesus' Parable of the Sower. The Detached Heart ceases to hear God's Word as authoritative. The Distracted Heart becomes captivated by the world's approval. Together, they create fertile ground for theological drift.

The current debate within the PCUSA is not an isolated controversy. It is a case study in what happens when a church abandons biblical authority as its governing principle.

Ironically, the denomination is now struggling to defend a standard—monogamy—that Christianity has affirmed for two thousand years. Yet once Scripture is no longer the final authority, even the most basic biblical norms become negotiable.

The church's calling has never been to mirror the culture. Its calling is to proclaim the truth of God's Word with conviction, compassion, and courage.

The question facing the PCUSA is not whether clergy should be monogamous. The real question is whether the church still believes that God has spoken.

Dr. Eric M. Wallace, author of the new book, The Heart of Apostasy: How The Black Church Abandoned Biblical Authority for Political Ideology--And How to Reclaim It, is a trailblazing scholar, dynamic speaker, and passionate advocate for faith-based conservatism. With a distinguished academic background and an unwavering commitment to biblical truth, Wallace has become a leading voice challenging cultural and political narratives that conflict with a biblical worldview.

Wallace holds postgraduate degrees in biblical studies (M.A., ThM, Ph.D.), Wallace is the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in biblical studies from Union-PSCE (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). His scholarship and ministry experience equip him to address today’s most pressing sociopolitical issues through the lens of faith, reason, and historical accuracy.