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219th
General
Assembly
2010
For our index page for GA 2010 >> |
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The overtures are coming! The overtures are coming!! by
Doug King, WebWeaver and Communications Coordinator
[2-16-10]
Click here for
further information on overtures being submitted for the 219th
General Assembly.
The Office of the General Assembly has already received
and posted some 46 overtures at last count, with many more to come,
proposing a wide variety of actions to the coming 219th General
Assembly, which will be meeting in Minneapolis on July 3 - 10, 2010.
For a list of those received and posted as of February 12,
click here >>
Some notes about this article |
To access material posted on the General
Assembly’s website, PC-Biz, you may need to
go to the
entry page.
Then click on “Explorer.” Then enter “OVT”
in the search box, and click on Search. That should take you to
a list of all the overtures posted thus far. You’ll see a note
on the top of each one (so far) that it has not yet been edited
by the Office of the Stated Clerk, but is posted as received
from the submitting body.
But we have posted
links directly to the overtures mentioned, within the summary
that follows. |
Authorship:
This summary
has been prepared and written by Doug King, the Communications
Coordinator of the Witherspoon Society/Voices of Sophia, and
manage of this website. It is presented here as a personal
effort, and not intended as a commentary or statement of the
organization.
This is a work in
process, and I would greatly appreciate comments, corrections,
and suggestions, either to be
posted with credit to the author, or simply to be considered in
my own next revision.
Please send
a note, and tell me whether to post it, or just to think
about it.
Doug King |
More Light
Presbyterians is providing a
helpful blog listing overtures and reports relating to
ordination and marriage, some of them not yet posted on the
official GA website. |
Here’s a quick survey of
the overtures listed so far, to help you find any in which you may have a
particular interest, either to support them, or take into account the
arguments advanced in the rationale for the recommended action, or to
develop actions of your own in support or in opposition to a particular
recommendation.
Here are some of the main
issues being addressed in overtures:
Ordination
It’s no surprise that there
are lots of overtures on this topic, but some of them offer new approaches
to the issue – some for further steps toward fair and
inclusive ordination policies, others calling for a
reinstatement of the more complete ban on LGBT
ordination, and still others calling for delay,
in one way or another, of any further action.
There are of course efforts
to overturn the action of the 218th General Assembly, which
removed the various statements, of Authoritative Interpretation and
Definitive Guidance, propounded since 1978, which effectively banned the
ordination of LGBT Presbyterians. The ban remains in effect through
provision G-6.0106b in the Book of Order, but it is now left to the
ordaining body (congregation or presbytery) to determine how to weigh its
relevance to each particular candidate.
To restore the ban:
Overture 001, from the
Presbytery of San Diego, would reinstate the various interpretive
statements, thus restoring the absolute ban on ordination. The presbyteries
of Central Florida and Cherokee have concurred with this overture, along
with the presbyteries of The Mid-South, South Alabama, Yukon, and Redstone.
The Presbytery of
Beaver-Butler has sent Overture 046, which would replace the current
G-6.0106b with a longer and more intricate statement, which claims that
“foremost” among the standards for ordination are “the New Testament
Epistolary ethical requirements for ordained officers of ministry, which
include but are not limited to chastity in singleness and fidelity in
monogamous heterosexual marriage.” On first reading, this seems to elevate
the letters of the New Testament over the Gospels and the life and teaching
of Jesus – perhaps because the latter were never quite specific enough in
condemning certain groups or actions.
The lengthy rationale for
this proposal includes a quotation from H. Richard Niebuhr’s well-known
critique of mid-20th century liberal Protestantism. They got the words
right, but moved Niebuhr from his place at Yale Divinity School to Union
Theological Seminary in New York, apparently to take the place of his
brother Reinhold.
To end the ban:
But more overtures have been
submitted aimed at removing the ban.
Overture 018
from the Presbytery of Hudson River does the job most directly, simply
calling for the deletion of G-6.0106b entirely, arguing that “G-6.0106b is
superfluous. The Church’s need to protect the mystery and the integrity of
calls to ministry by followers in the Way of Jesus is already well and
carefully met in G-6.0106a.” New York City Presbytery has concurred.
Overture 017,
from the
Presbytery of Detroit,
would replace G-6.0106b with an affirmation of the moral commitment being
undertaken by a candidate for ordination, but with the emphasis on
candidates’ pledge “to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the
Church, as revealed in Holy Scripture, striving to follow where He leads
through the authoritative witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the
Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions.” There is no specific
mention of sexuality or marriage.
The core of the rationale for
this change is this: “Although the hierarchy of the church’s authority is
clear, it is subverted by the current language of G-6.0106b, which
substitutes for our obedience to Christ two concepts that are foreign to
Reformed understanding: ‘obedience’ to Scripture and ‘conformity’ to the
confessions. We do not confess, ‘Scripture is Lord’ nor ‘the Confessions are
Lord.’ Instead, we boldly confess that ‘Christ is Lord!’ ” The Presbytery of
Genesse Valley has concurred with this overture.
Hudson River Presbytery,
along with its simple call for deleting G-6.0106b, has offered another
option in Overture 019,
which
would substitute for that narrow ban on certain sexual relationships a much
broader and positive call “to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples, to love
neighbor and enemy, and to express the love of Christ in faithful
relationships with others.” The presbyteries of New York City and
Cayuga-Syracuse have concurred.
Overture
030, from Western Reserve Presbytery, would also replace G-6.0106b with
an affirmation that ordained service should “reflect the church’s desire to
submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life
(G-1.0000).” The proposed statement also affirms the responsibility of the
examining body to “be guided by scripture and the confessions in applying
standards to individual candidates.” The rationale for this change
concludes: “The proposed amendment would maintain high standards for
ordination and installation by renewed focus on the questions candidates
must answer, but without imposing a single, highly contested interpretation
of Scripture on the whole church.”
Overture 041,
from
the Presbytery of Southern New England,
affirms that “Jesus, the Head of the Church, has established standards for
church officers.” Scripture, the Confessions, and the Constitution of the
church are all seen as reflecting Jesus’ own standards, and are to be used
as the examining body considers each candidate’s “calling, gifts and
preparation and their willingness to adhere to church standards. Those
seeking office shall demonstrate their understanding of and affirm their
willingness to adhere to church standards.”
Other overtures have also
been approved which have not yet been posted on the PC-BIZ website. The
Presbytery of Albany on February 6 passed an overture to amend G6-0106b,
modeled on the Detroit overture.
We will try to add reports on
others as we receive them.
Or – a plea to stop talking about it
On the other hand, some
presbyteries seem to be proposing steps that would simply postpone any
action – for eternity, perhaps? The
Presbytery of New
Harmony, in Overture 007, would amend Standing Rule A.3. of the General Assembly
by adding a new section, stating: “Should an overture require an amendment
to the Constitution that proposes substantially the same action as that
which was approved by one of the two previous sessions of the General
Assembly and subsequently failed to receive the necessary number of
affirmative votes for enactment when transmitted to the presbyteries, it
shall not be considered as an item of business unless and until 75 percent
of the commissioners present and voting vote to do so.”
Overture 011,
from the Presbytery of Prospect Hill, is more straightforward, calling
for “a moratorium until the 220th General Assembly (2012) on motions and
overtures that would change, alter, or remove the current standards of
ordination for the offices of deacon, elder, and minister of Word and
Sacrament.”
And then the
Presbytery of
Foothills, in Overture 009, goes even further, calling for the holding
of General Assemblies only once every six years.
A couple general observations:
These overtures might offer
chance to talk seriously about the moral dimension of ministry
Those calling for a decisive
move from legalism toward fairness, from an ethic of “purity” toward an
ethic of love and justice, are being very clear that this is not removal of
all moral expectations of candidates for ordained office in the Presbyterian
Church. But they are asserting in various ways that the moral expectations
are much broader and deeper than narrow strictures about sexual behavior.
The various alternatives being proposed could offer our church a golden
opportunity to “reason together,” carefully and creatively, about how the
moral and ethical dimensions of ordained service really ought to understood,
as a positive framework for ministry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overtures on dealing with marriage – inclusive or exclusive
Toward an inclusive affirmation of marriage
Once again the question of
marriage will come before the Assembly. So far
Baltimore Presbytery
has submitted Overture 015, with the simple title, “On Amending W-4.900
Regarding Marriage." As with past suggestions, it would change the
definition of marriage from “a civil contract between a woman and a man” to
“a covenant between two people [which] according to the laws of the state
also constitutes a civil contract.”
The rationale for this change
is headed, “Marriage: Sharing God’s Gift Equitably in the Church.”
The first set of arguments
focus on marriage as “an Act of Pastoral Ministry.” It notes that “The
Directory for Worship defines marriage as ‘...a gift God has given to all
humankind for the well-being of the entire human family.’ (W-4.9001). A gift
conferred by God can only be denied by God the giver of the gift.” Marriage
as “an act of pastoral care” is clearly a way in which the church supports
loving, committed relationships, and there is no reason why such support
should be limited to heterosexual couples alone.
The biblical and theological
arguments are opened with a quick refutation of the assumption that there is
a single “biblical meaning of
marriage”:
A search of marriage in the
Scripture reveals a broad spectrum of historical marriage practice, some of
which we consider foreign today, including: Solomon’s many wives and
concubines (1 Kings 11:3), levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-6 and Matthew
22:23-32), wives sharing female servants with their husband to increase
progeny (Genesis 29-30), divorce and remarriage as equal to adultery (Mark
10:12), and women being commanded to remain silent in church and only ask
their husbands for instruction at home (1 Corinthians 14:33-36).
Beyond that simple biblical
diversity, Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor is presented as the basis
for all discussions of marriage – and that love as Jesus spoke of it and
lived it is never limited by questions of gender or sexual orientation.
The Presbytery of
Hudson River has sent Overture 020, which proposes essentially the same
changes in the Directory of Worship. The rationale opens with this fine
statement of what marriage is all about:
Marriage is beyond gender. It
refers to the commitment of two people to live beside each other with a love
expressed as tenderness and justice. It refers to the deep promise to live
together through the thick and thin of their journey together through the
years. It refers to the mystery in which the love of God meets, is joined to
and made manifest in the love of two people whose hearts are a home place to
each other. The notion of marriage is demeaned by any lesser definition.
Recognizing this, some states are already ahead of the Church in moving the
legal definition of marriage beyond gender.
The closing paragraph is
equally helpful:
The proposed changes would grant
all loving couples the right to have their marriages performed in our
congregations, strengthening all our communities and families, gay and
straight, since they allow us to recognize the love of two hearts declaring
themselves to be a home to each other, before God, with gratitude.
The Presbytery of
Boston, in Overture 027,
proposes to amend Book of Order provisions
W-4.9000-9006 and D-14.0200 to change all references to marriage between a
man and woman to marriage between “two people” or “couple.” In support of
these changes, the rationale reminds us of the action of the 218th
General Assembly in 2008, which voted by 516 to 151 to “request the Stated
Clerk, the General Assembly Council, and other representatives of the PC(USA)
to urge state legislatures and the federal government to apply the principle
of equal protection to same gender couples and their children.” That action
also expressed support for congregations and pastors as they seek “to extend
pastoral care as well as outreach and evangelism to same-gender couples and
their nontraditional families who are more and more our neighbors on our
streets and our fellow members in our pews.”
Given this action, and the
slow trend among the states to legalize same-sex marriage, “[i]n a state
where same-gender marriage is recognized under the law, it is pastorally
unconscionable to apply exclusionary principles to certain members of the
congregation by declining to perform their marriage.”
Opposing any change in the understanding of
marriage
But there are those who
rejected these modest steps toward an inclusive notion of marriage.
New Covenant
Presbytery has submitted Overture 010,
“On Affirming the Biblical
Teaching on the Topic of Marriage.” It calls on the Assembly to “joyfully
affirm the historic, biblical, and Christological teaching of the Church on
the topic of marriage as a gift from God to bless humankind. As God created
man and woman, so does God call some men and women to live together as
husband and wife. God’s very order and design defines the institution of
marriage.” [But you might look back at the “biblical
meaning of marriage” as summarized so neatly in the Baltimore overture.]
The
Presbytery of Prospect
Hill has submitted Overture 042, which urges the Assembly to “[d]eclare
... that no sexual union outside the bonds of marriage, such as in
co-habitation, adulterous affairs, domestic partnerships, or same-sex
unions, is within the will of God or approved by this body.” [We humbly note
that this list does not seem to follow Jesus’ apparently negative views of
marriage of divorced persons.]
The
Presbytery of Santa
Barbara has sent Overture 037, with the catchy title, “On Accountability
for Presbyterian Organizations at General Assembly Sponsored Meetings and
Events.” This calls on the Assembly to “require events sponsored by PC(USA)
aligned groups taking place at General Assembly or other G.A. sponsored
gatherings to be evaluated by the Office of the General Assembly in advance
of all General Assemblies or other G.A. sponsored events to assure that the
activities of all PC(USA) aligned groups are conducted in a manner that
honor the constitutional standards of the church.” To be sure that this is
done, the overture further calls for the establishment of a “Board of
Oversight and Review” to monitor Presbyterian-related organizations and
events – and advises that this board should “be available to receive
complaints from Commissioners at G.A.” A GA morals
squad!
Just in case anyone might
wonder what inspired this interesting idea, the Presbytery offers this
explanation:
On June 21, 2008, during the
General Assembly that took place in San Jose, More Light Presbyterians held
their traditional reception and dinner, advertised to all G.A. attendees. At
that gathering a planned "wedding" took place between two gay men officiated
by an ordained Presbyterian pastor.
Well, “never again,” if Santa
Barbara Presbytery has its way.
Click here for our report of that celebration at the 2008 GA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peacemaking and international issues
On
Strengthening the Peacemaking Program
The
Presbytery of
Pittsburgh has sent Overture 013, calling on the 219th
General Assembly to strengthen the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program,
celebrating the 30th anniversary of the important document,
Peacemaking: The Believers’ Calling, and the establishment of the
Peacemaking Program. It would do this by the creation of a nine-member task
force to review the document from 1980, and to present suggestions to the
220th GA for updating the church’s peacemaking efforts in light
of more recent developments such as the emergence of weapons of mass
destruction (WMD), the recovery by the U.S., after Viet Nam, of its status
as a respected “superpower,” the end of the “cold war,” new wars,
globalization and the current global financial crisis, the role of religions
in wars and in peacemaking, and “the rise of Muslim influence and
militancy.”
Three personal observations:
 |
I note here the focus of
concern on “weapons of mass destruction,” which is a term used largely
in accusations against those accused of terrorism, without any reference
to the nuclear arsenal and other forms of warfare such as drone
aircraft, which are primarily a part of the arsenals of U.S. and other
“Western” nations. And I wonder. |
 |
The overture calls for the
creation of “an advisory committee of six expert persons to meet
quarterly to counsel the Peacemaking Program on issues regarding weapons
of mass destruction (WMD) and other emerging issues.” It is unclear to
me why the standing committee for the Peacemaking Program would need to
be supplemented with such an “advisory” body. |
 |
There is a very interesting
call for “a seminary and college-wide review of peace studies and
peacemaking opportunities appropriate to the major shifts in the
approach of the United States international relations ...” It goal would
be to “engage students in active peacemaking and to share the wisdom of
faculty among our church-related educational institutions.” [See also a
possible overture drafted by the Rev. Len Bjorkman, which pursues this
possibility in more detail. >> ]
|
Afghanistan
The
Presbytery of Hudson
River has sent Overture 022, “On the War in Afghanistan,”
which calls on the 219th General Assembly to “declare itself in
opposition to further military operations by the United States in
Afghanistan.” The overture includes a comment that General Assemblies have
not offered any response to the war in Afghanistan, which has gone on for
more than eight years. The implication is that it’s about time we said
something.This would include urging the
U.S. government “to engage in a responsible withdrawal plan,” which would
involve only “non-combative actions” to further peace and prosperity in the
area, cooperating with the UN and neighboring nations in that process, and
cooperating with the UN in expanded development and humanitarian programs.
Among other specific policy
directions are urging the U.S. government “to provide adequate healthcare
and rehabilitation ... for members and veterans of its armed forces,” and
also “to tabulate Afghanistan war casualties among all parties, civilian and
military, and make a general inventory of destruction so that the human and
material costs of the war may be assessed and the moral obligations of
reconstruction and restitution be kept before the conscience of the nation.”
Also, like the Pittsburgh
overture, this one calls for specific review of peace studies programs in
our seminaries and colleges. And in a fairly daring step, it calls for “the
Federal Government to make a public report on the Spoils of War asking to
make transparent the contracts, figures, and contract duration involving
American companies participating in the war efforts and its aftermath.”
The rationale closes with
this summary of the whole thing: “It is not the province of a church to
devise a template of government strategies; we are not a political party.
But it is our responsibility to call the nation and the world to the way of
peace and to resist the logic of war. That is at the heart of the biblical
vision and the gospel of Christ. For God's foolishness is wiser than human
wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians
1:25, NRSV)”
Divestment
from Caterpillar
The
Presbytery of Newark has
sent Overture 039, “On Divestment from Caterpillar, Inc.,”
renewing a call considered at each Assembly since 2004, for the PC(USA) to
divest its stock holdings in Caterpillar, Inc., as a witness against the
company’s continuing “selling of equipment to Israel that is used to build
illegal Israeli settlements, construct walls that illegally encroach upon
Palestinian lands cutting Palestinians off from their own property and
natural resources, destroy Palestinian life and property, and otherwise
continue to support the occupation of Palestinian territories.”
The rationale for this move
traces the process of study and deliberation, and efforts by the Mission
Responsibility Through Investment committee of the PC(USA) to engage the
company in moving toward some change in its policy of support for the
Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. MRTI has at
length concluded that the corporate engagement approach is not achieving the
needed change, and has thus recommended that the General Assembly Council
issue a “statement of denouncement” of Caterpillar’s actions, to be
forwarded to the Assembly.
The writers of this overture
thus call for “divestment from all assets held by the PC(USA) in CAT.” They
acknowledge that such decisions are very difficult, and therefore say that
“[w]e recommend such action with profound humility, confession of our
brokenness as a human race, and with an ongoing desire for reconciliation
even in the face of serious disagreement.”
In closing the rationale,
they add: “We have no illusions that this recommended action will actually
sway Caterpillar, Inc. to engage in better and more just business practices,
although we always pray for this eventuality. What it will do, however, is
keep us consistent with the following affirmation: We are the Church of
Jesus Christ. When the powers of the world decide that they will conduct
business as usual, and that business is contrary to the teachings of Christ
and the will of God for humanity, then it is time for the church to end its
complicity in this sinful behavior. If we do not, then we remain
unrepentant.”
Sudan
The Presbytery of Trinity has
sent what has now been designated as
Overture 008, “On Partnering for Peace
in Sudan.”
It has received concurrent support from the Presbytery of Redstone.
The overture calls upon the
Assembly “to show that working toward a just and lasting peace for all of
Sudan is a high priority in keeping with the Great Ends of the Church (Book
of Order, G-1.0200)” by approving a number of objectives in relation to the
on-going conflict in Sudan, including “prayer and advocacy by the churches
regarding (a) renewed international commitment to the full and timely
implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 (CPA); (b)
increased private investment for the economic development of Southern Sudan
and other areas affected by conflict; (c) increased development assistance
by the United States government, including assistance in restoring security
for the citizens of Southern Sudan and other areas affected by violence and
proliferation of arms; and (d) renewed efforts by all parties to end
hostilities in Darfur and elsewhere in Sudan ...”
Christians
in the Muslim World
Eastern Virginia Presbytery
has submitted Overture 025, “On Protecting Christians in the Muslim World,”
which would call on the PC(USA) to urge the UN to “exhort the religious and
political leaders of Muslim Nations” to reduce the “extreme behavior”
against Christians which has been reported through partner church leaders in
Pakistan, specifically, as well as in Afghanistan and Iraq.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abortion
Two overtures have been
submitted which are apparently intended to oppose abortion, not in terms of
the “rights of the fetus,” but specifically as it is linked in some cases to
violence against or intimidation of women who are pregnant.
Overture 040, from the
Presbytery of Boise,
calls on the 219th Assembly to “condemn assaults, attempts, and
actual acts of pressure, force, violence, and coercion upon a pregnant
female, especially where the activity inflicts mental or physical injury or
death on the pregnant female.” Women are depicted in the overture as weak,
often victimized, and powerless to make choices of their own. They may be
forced into having abortions by those who want to “destroy evidence of child
molestation or incestuous activities; ... eliminate personal
responsibilities or inconvenience to the perpetrator’s lifestyle; dislike
for biracial unborn children; or desire to destroy pregnant females.”
The overture would call on
the Stated Clerk to communicate to federal and state legislatures “urging
them to adopt legislation that recognizes the special vulnerability of
pregnant females and to protect them from assaults, attempts and acts of
force, coercion, and violence, that inflict physical or mental injury, or
death, on the pregnant female.”
In a similar vein,
Overture
043, from Prospect Hill Presbytery,
calls on the Assembly “to declare that we stand with all women against the
injustice of any forced or coerced abortions.” Arguing that “a high
percentage (64%) of abortions are NOT the woman’s choice,” but are forced
upon them by others, this overture also contends that women having abortions
are often victims, who must be protected against these forms of “violence
and injustice.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Proposed
new Form of Government
Two overtures have been
submitted in response the the report and recommendation of the Form of
Government Task Force.
Overture 044, from the
Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, asks the Assembly to receive the report with thanks, and to refer it to the
church “for an additional period of study and discernment.”
Overture 029, from the
Presbytery of Western Reserve,
would amend 3.0109 of the proposed Form of Government “to Allow Flexibility
in the Composition of Committees,” specifically in balancing the ratio of
minister members and others on various committees.
Evangelical
pastor Bob Campbell comments on OVT 011
and the FOG report: Doug –
I was browsing the overtures at Presbyterian
Voices for Justice (nice name, can
Evangelicals join?) and one of them raised a question for
me: 011. If the GA “call(s) for a moratorium until the 220th
General Assembly (2012) on motions and overtures that would
change, alter, or remove the current standards of ordination for
the offices of deacon, elder, and minister of Word and
Sacrament” wouldn’t that mean that the nFOG would be put off
until 2012? It does change things in Chapter 14 of the FoG!
[Your WebWeaver responded to this by
mentioning my general sense that many people, from right, left,
and center, may want to delay action on the Form of Government
proposal, for a variety of reasons. Bob Campbell replied:]
My sense is that even if it passes the GA it
will fail in the presbyteries. The major reason is trust. The
nFOG Task Force comes right out and talks about trust and says
we will have to trust to use the nFOG. But you can’t dictate
trust. It has to be built up.
Robert Campbell, Pastor
Tully Memorial Presbyterian Church
Sharon Hill, PA
tullyrobert1@verizon.net
Another little note from your
WebWeaver:
Campbell asks
another very interesting question: “Can Evangelicals join
Presbyterian Voices for Justice?” My personal response is
certainly a very warm YES, of course! After all, many of us on
the “liberal” side of the church would quite happily call
ourselves Evangelicals too – if that refers to someone who
believes, proclaims, and attempts to live out the Good News, the
“evangel” that Jesus announced and enacted.
Doug King |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Creating a
new synod for conservatives
Overture 036, from the
Presbytery of Santa Barbara,
calls for the creation of a new, non-geographical synod, upon the decision
of three presbyteries to join such a body, which would “maintain the
standards for ordination and continuing ministry,” which mean, of course,
such doctrinal affirmations as “the singular saving work of Jesus Christ,
[and] the unique and authoritative witness of Scripture,” along with “the
standard that its officers will live either in fidelity within the covenant
of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness.” The synod
would also provide to its presbyteries and congregations some statement such
as the “Essential Tenets and Reformed Distinctives” statement which was
adopted by the Presbytery of San Diego in 2003. And of course the synod
“will celebrate marriages only between a man and woman.”
Click here to read a
thoughtful analysis of this proposal, which has been prepared by the Rev.
Margaret Thomas.
And click here for a report
on an action of the Presbytery of the Pacific, which rejected a similar
overture proposal.
And non-geographical presbyteries as
well --
Along the same lines,
Beaver-Butler
Presbytery has submitted Overture 045,
which aims to “provide
flexibility in presbytery membership,” by replacing the current definition
of the presbytery as consisting of churches and ministers within a defined
geographical area, so that it would instead include those “who have chosen
to affiliate based on geographic, theological, missional or other
considerations of importance to those congregations.”
The rationale for this
proposal includes the basic affirmation that “Jesus Christ alone is head of
the church. Jesus alone is the source of the church’s unity.” And there is
also the familiar affirmation of G-1.0301(1)(a), that “God alone is Lord of
the conscience ...” Further, the rational includes the affirmation in
G-3.0401d that the church today is called “to a new openness to God’s
continuing reformation of the Church ecumenical ...”
These are all affirmations
which most of us on the “liberal” side of the church would certainly affirm
heartily, so the debate on this may be interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To leave
Belhar Confession out of the Book of Confessions
Overture 014, from the
Presbytery of Sacramento,
would reverse the action of the 2008 Assembly by discontinuing the effort to
include the Belhar Confession in the Book of Confessions. While written and
adopted in the church of South Africa, and reflecting the particular
challenges faced by the church in that formerly white-dominated African
nation, its inclusion in the PC(USA) Book of Confessions has been seen as a
way of affirming explicitly God’s call to shape church and society in ways
that transcend racial divisions.
This overture would reject
such inclusion not to justify racism, but because the Belhar Confession, it
says, “is a complex and somewhat confusing document, which some
parties—theologians as well as the ordained and laity—have attempted to use
to press issues other than racial equality. This overly broad application of
the Belhar Confession to champion liberation theology in general or same-sex
causes in particular produces a conflicted response to its antiracism
message.”
The call to reject the Belhar
Confession is couched, then, in a pious affirmation to “uphold the oneness
of all believers,” as long as LGBT believers are not included. A
confessional rejection of racism is fine, apparently. But not a similar
rejection of gender discrimination.
See a very helpful
presentation on the
Belhar Confession
by Allen Boesak, theologian from South Africa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the right of Christian Educators
to a role in presbyteries
Mission Presbytery’s Overture 026
proposes two amendments to the Book of Order
(G-11.0407 and G-14.0730), to make clear that Certified Christian Educators
are “entitled” to play an active role in their presbyteries. And those who
are ordained elders have both voice and vote, whether or not they are
currently serving in a ministry under the jurisdiction of the presbytery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a work in
process, and I would greatly appreciate comments, corrections,
and suggestions, either to be
posted with credit to the author, or simply to be considered in
my own next revision.
Please send
a note, and tell me whether to post it, or just to think
about it.
Doug King
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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