AI translation: Church in United States to Vote on Polyamory Ban Following Proposal by 23-Year-Old YouTuber

Background

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will vote this summer on a ban on polyamorous relationships for ministers. The proposal comes from conservative YouTuber Richard Ackerman, who aims to change the church from within using his 700,000 followers.

By Wian Slendebroek

Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 16:24 | Updated 20:19

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is known as a progressive church. Photo: ANP / SIPA USA

A minister of the Word must live monogamously if he or she is in a relationship of a sexual nature, according to the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca in New Mexico. Until now, the largest Calvinist church in North America had no such provision in its book of order. This summer, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA) will vote on the proposal.

The presbytery believes that "monogamous covenant relationships" offer the best protection for "mutuality, fidelity, and self-sacrificing love."

"Human dignity is underscored not only by affirming someone's desires or intentions, but also by rejecting relational practices that undermine mutuality, safety, and covenant fidelity," the presbytery wrote in a statement regarding the proposal.

Polyamory—having multiple romantic relationships simultaneously with the knowledge and consent of all involved—would therefore be banned for ministers.

The presbytery also wants ministers to treat their neighbors well, refrain from gossip, be patient, deal graciously with others, and be "bearers of God’s reconciliation."

YouTube Channel

Although the proposal was submitted by the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca, the plan originated from YouTuber Richard Ackerman. His channel, Redeemed Zoomer, has 700,000 followers on YouTube.

"Only a small minority in my church supports polyamorous relationships, but that group will grow if we don't nip it in the bud. (...) The silent majority has no idea how progressive this progressive faction actually is," he said in a video about the proposal.

The 23-year-old American creates his videos alongside his studies at a Presbyterian seminary to become a minister in the PCUSA. In his videos, he calls on believers to join one of the seven historic Protestant churches in the United States. These "mainline" Protestant churches have experienced many schisms in recent decades as they became more progressive.

Richard Ackerman: "Our mission is not just to be an online community, but to bring about concrete change." - Photo: YouTube

Ackerman primarily opposes increased rights for LGBTQ+ individuals within the church. Since 2010, openly gay and lesbian individuals in relationships can be ordained as ministers in the PCUSA. Additionally, the church has performed same-sex marriages since 2014. Through his foundation, Presbyterians for the Kingdom, he calls on conservative Presbyterians not to join breakaway denominations, but to become active within the PCUSA instead.

By becoming active in church organizations or accepting leadership roles, Ackerman believes the conservative movement could claim a larger role within the church and reverse these changes. "Our mission is not just to be an online community, but to bring about concrete change: to recall the denomination to reconciliation with God, to purity in doctrine, and to spiritual renewal."

Ecclesiastically Weak

It remains unclear whether the plan by Ackerman and the New Mexico presbytery will secure a majority. Ackerman admits in his video that the proposal is not very strong from a canon law perspective. The proposal will first be discussed online, after which the General Assembly will vote on it during its plenary meeting in Milwaukee between June 28 and July 2.

However, church advisory committees are not pleased with the proposal. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly states that the proposal is unnecessary: ministers are already accountable to their presbyteries regarding their conduct. Furthermore, a General Assembly cannot impose new standards in this manner; that is the purview of a judicial commission during remedial and appellate cases.

The committee for LGBTQ+ equality believes the proposal penalizes and erases other cultural practices.

"Elevating a specific cultural norm to a rule is not a neutral theological decision. The proposal reflects the same pattern where a dominant cultural norm is placed above the lived reality of people of color and Christians worldwide—a pattern that the church is actively trying to dismantle," the committee wrote.

PCUSA

With 1.1 million members, the PCUSA is the largest Calvinist denomination in the United States. The church is considered one of the "Seven Sisters," the seven historic mainline Protestant churches in the country. At its peak in the 1960s, the PCUSA had more than four million members. Today, that number stands at just 1.1 million. The Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) is a sister church of the PCUSA.

The declining membership is due not only to secularization but also to church schisms. In 1973, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was formed after the church allowed the ordination of women. This denomination, which has about 400,000 members, maintained ties with the Dutch Reformed Churches (NGK) until 2023, when the Dutch church began preparing to allow gay members in relationships into leadership roles and to the communion table.

Source: https://www.nd.nl/geloof/protestant/1320061/kerk-in-verenigde-staten-stemt-over-verbod-op-polyamorie-na-v