Presbyterian pastoral candidates demand apology for violent Bible story on ordination exam: ‘Trauma trigger’

A petition circulating among clergy candidates in the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) is objecting to the presence of a violent Bible story about rape in ordination examinations.

“While it is a vital skill for pastors to be able to interpret, teach, and preach from scripture, stories that feature extreme violence and sexual violence cause harm for both test takers and readers,” reads the petition begun last week by Rev. Elana Keppel Levy, a survivor of sexual assault.

“Those who have experienced violence and sexual violence often suffer from PTSD for years, if not the rest of their lives. Being forced to read and intensely focus on stories like this is likely to be a trauma trigger,” the petition continued, adding that the potential anxiety from addressing such a topic on a high-stakes exam was “tantamount to hazing.”

The petition also asked for a formal apology from the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations for Candidates (PCC), which oversees ordination exams in the largest U.S. Presbyterian denomination.

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The Bible passage in question comes from Judges 19, which tells the story of a concubine who was gang-raped to death before her body was divided into 12 pieces.

In the ordination exam, candidates were asked to provide an outline for a 75-minute Bible study aimed at “exploring unsettling passages in the Scriptures” for college-age students, according to the Presbyterian News Service.

The outlet noted that the passages candidates are asked to interpret cycle through various parts of the Bible, but that Judges 19 was the most recent.

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Rev. Robert Lowry, who chairs the PCC, told Presbyterian News Service that the exam is intended “to invite candidates to demonstrate how their preparation and pastoral call intersects with their acquired knowledge. It takes a great deal of thought and effort to write the questions.”

Lowry went on to apologize to those who might have been upset by Judges 19 being on the exam, explaining that what his committee “tries hard to do is represent the fullness of experiences of the church. As a queer man, I bring a different voice to the table than a straight female ruling elder does. We try to have as many voices at the table as we can.”

“Our only goal is to create exams that allow our candidates to demonstrate their readiness for ministry,” Lowry said. “That’s how we see our role: helping candidates demonstrate that, presbyteries assess that, and our church benefiting by a new generation of great leaders.”

As of Tuesday, more than 1,100 people have signed the petition, which has a goal of 1,500 signatures. The PCC will officially respond to the petition during its annual meeting in March.

The PCUSA has approximately 1.1 million active members, but reported losing about 700,000 of them and 1,400 congregations since 2012. More than 51,000 members have left since 2021, according to its most recent annual report.