For All Presbyterians
July 13 Leadership Letter
To Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) congregations:
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
In a letter to you on June 28, we began to tell the story of our
218th General Assembly. Our goal was to provide you a timely summary
and perspective on issues that we sensed would draw the greatest
immediate attention. In that first letter, we outlined the
assembly’s actions and our church’s next steps in a continuing
story, the outcome of which is known only to God. Most importantly,
we infused our letter with our strong and abiding hope for the
future ministry and witness of our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
because we are a Good News people.
We hope that you will share with us a bold and unabashed hope,
firmly grounded in the solid foundation of our faith, that is daily
confirmed for us in seeing how God is at work in and through our
PC(USA). Every day, we hear story after story of new churches and
fellowships, of immigrant and
multicultural ministries, of large churches joining with smaller
ones to support and encourage each other. Everywhere there is a new
and growing hunger to hear and to tell the Good News. The commitment
to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” — overwhelmingly approved by
the assembly — grew out of that very hunger to say “no” to a climate
of decline and say “yes” to declaring a church wide commitment to
participate in God’s activity in transforming the PC(USA).
With this letter, we invite you to continue to celebrate with us
good news of our General Assembly and of our Presbyterian Church. We
ask you to join us in giving collective voice to the hope, the
passion, and the future that has the power to unite us as
Presbyterian Christians:
-As noted, the assembly overwhelmingly adopted a church wide
commitment to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide,” encouraging
synods, presbyteries, sessions, and all agencies, entities, and
networks of the PC(USA) to foster the growth of Christ’s Church in
the areas of evangelism, discipleship, servanthood, and diversity.
This commitment builds on the many initiatives that are already
under way in so many places – and calls on all parts of the church
to start new congregations and transform existing ones; to nurture
immigrant, racial ethnic and multicultural fellowships and
congregations; to reach out through mission; and to deepen
discipleship.
-In a related action, the assembly also enthusiastically approved a
strategy for church growth for African American congregations. We
see this as a call to action, and, more importantly, to
collaboration. With the previous initiative, this comprehensive
strategy invites us all to partner together in growing Christ’s
Church Deep and Wide in the many ways we are called to achieve great
things for God.
-The “Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God’s Mission,” an
historic document which emerged from the Worldwide Mission
Consultation held earlier this year in Dallas, was boldly affirmed
by the assembly. Covenanting to live and serve together, committing
to working cooperatively, celebrating diverse Presbyterian
approaches to mission, sharing responsibility for educating and
preparation of all Presbyterians for mission and seeking and
supporting more mission personnel, are among the statements in the
invitation. Nearly 200 individuals and groups had endorsed this
covenant before it was brought to the assembly and adopted. The
committee that recommended it to the assembly, read the text of the
invitation aloud, making it a statement of faith, a powerful
affirmation of our Presbyterian commitment to mission. We encourage
you to do likewise.
-For the first time in 50 years, the assembly voted to increase the
number of mission personnel serving as the hands and feet of Christ
around the world. The good news is that those who are called to
serve will be "saving lives" not just by providing urgent medical
care or implementing holistic ministries, but by preaching the
gospel, often in places where it has never been heard. With the
support of Presbyterians, this commitment will extend our collective
outreach in mission around the world.
-Realizing that worship is our response to God’s love for us and
that we pray for God to “put a new and right spirit within [us]”
(Ps. 51:10), Presbyterians also covenanted at this assembly to
gather in Solemn Assemblies over the coming years, worshiping God
and seeking God’s healing for the church.
-Called by Jesus Christ to be peacemakers, the assembly continued to
boldly affirm that stance around the world. The assembly called for
“responsibly” bringing the troops home from Iraq, continuing
peacemaking with Israelis and Palestinians, and supporting human
rights in Zimbabwe, the Philippines, North Korea and Colombia.
-752 commissioners and nearly 3,000 other participants in San Jose
were joined by more than 13,000 people who logged in and watched on
line — a 21st century General Assembly!
As God’s story, entwined with ours, continues to unfold following
this General Assembly, we find ourselves newly energized for the
work to be done in the weeks and months ahead. The Good News, which
we received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved, calls us
to immediate action. Empowered by the Spirit, we invite you to carry
out the work called for by Christ’s commands and the Church’s
actions:
-Recommend gifted people to serve as mission co-workers. We need
your wisdom and your help in identifying qualified candidates to
fill the new positions that have been created [www.pcusa.org/msr].
-Hold Solemn Assemblies in your congregation or presbytery. A
website with resources will be available soon through the General
Assembly Council’s Office of Theology and Worship;
-Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide. Visit Deep and Wide [
www.deepandwide.net ] and PresbyGrow [
] to find ideas for
growing the church and contribute your own;
-Support the work of mission around the world. There are countless
opportunities for Presbyterians to invest in and pray for the good
work the church is doing [www.pcusa.org/mission].
With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in
life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus our Lord. And isn’t that Good News?
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
Moderator of the 218th General Assembly
Elder Linda Bryant Valentine
Executive Director, General Assembly Council
The Rev. Gradye Parsons
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
June 18 Leadership Letter
June 28, 2008
To Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
The 218th General Assembly adjourned just a few short hours ago.
Even now, 973 commissioners and advisory delegates are making their
way back home from San Jose, CA, where they worshiped daily,
discussed and debated overtures, and celebrated the countless ways
Presbyterians are engaged in ministry near and very far away—all
with a focus on discerning the mind of Christ for the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) and seeking ways to live out this assembly’s theme:
“Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
Beginning today and continuing over the next two years, elected
commissioners will be about the task of interpreting the actions
they took at this assembly. Already, their decisions have been
broadcast across the church and, in this Internet world—with
information received in real time, live blogs, and more—many people
have already weighed in on the assembly’s actions, sharing their
thoughts and feelings about the implications of those decisions on
our life together in the PC(USA).
The assembly dealt with well over 400 business items. Some items had
undivided agreement, including a covenant to join together to carry
out mission together and a churchwide commitment to “Grow God’s
Church Deep and Wide.” There was an action to continue to study a
revised Form of Government, and one committee devoted its time
entirely to youth issues. In addition, we continued our longstanding
work toward peace in the Middle East. More information on these and
other actions will be coming soon.
A few of the many assembly actions will make, or already have made,
headlines across the country. Most likely, you will read about the
actions from a number of sources over the next many days and weeks,
but we want you to hear about this important gathering directly from
the General Assembly. That is why we are writing this letter to you.
Perhaps the subject that will make the most headlines has to do with
the ordination standards of our church. It is a subject with which
Presbyterians are familiar and one that tends to evoke great debates
and deep emotions. With that in mind, we want you to know what the
assembly did—in the actual wording—in regard to ordination
standards, and what will happen next.
-By a 54% to 46% margin, the assembly voted to propose an amendment
to our Book of Order to change one of our current ordination
standards. The change is to replace the current language that says
officers of the church must live by “fidelity within the covenant of
marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness”
(G-6.0106b) to this new language: Those who are called to ordained
service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional
questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge
themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the
Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the
Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction
of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the
standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with
examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and
G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to
these standards.
-By a 53% to 47% vote, the assembly adopted a new Authoritative
Interpretation (AI) on G-6.0106b: Interpretive statements concerning
ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190th General
Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America, and the 119th General Assembly (1979) of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States and all subsequent
affirmations thereof, have no further force or effect.
-By a 54% to 46% vote, the assembly adopted a new AI on G-6.0108
which restores the intent of the Theological Task Force on Peace,
Unity, and Purity of the Church report (2006) to allow someone who
is being considered for ordination or installation as a deacon,
elder, or minister to register a conscientious objection to the
standards or beliefs of the church and ask the ordaining body to
enter into a conversation with them to determine the seriousness of
the departure.
-The assembly left unchanged the definition of marriage found in the
Directory for Worship (W-4.9000)—“a civil contract between a woman
and a man.”
By its actions, the assembly has initiated a new opportunity to
focus ordination on primary allegiance and obedience to Jesus
Christ, as well as to Scripture and the church’s confessions.
The assembly places the responsibility onto sessions and
presbyteries for discerning a candidate’s fitness for ordination. In
all of this, it is important to note that he assembly has not
removed the church’s standard of “fidelity in marriage and chastity
in singleness.” For the proposed change—making obedience to Christ
the ordination standard—to become part of the Book of Order, a
majority of presbyteries will need to ratify it over the next year.
We know the assembly actions may do little to ease the anxiety that
seems to permeate our life together as a denomination. The debate
isn’t new and the future holds difficult challenges. As the Rev. Dan
Holloway, moderator of the committee that took up the items on
ordination standards, said, “As we move forward, it is essential
that we have conversations that are gracious and loving and
welcoming, since we are not all of one mind.” Our hope is that none
of us will act or react immediately to the decisions, choosing
instead to pray and talk with one another about these issues.
During the question-and-answer time for the Stated Clerk election on
Friday morning, now Stated Clerk-elect Gradye Parsons spoke of the
story of Jesus being in the boat with his disciples in the middle of
the lake when a storm arose (Luke 8). If fear could have capsized
their boat, the disciples would have found themselves working hard
to tread water in the midst of the wind and waves. Yet, Jesus calmed
the storm and proceeded to question them about their faith.
Like the disciples, we, the PC(USA), are in the boat together,
sometimes not altogether sure where we are headed. We see the storm
approaching and our fears rise with the waves. Yet, as he was with
the disciples, so, too, is Christ in our midst—calming the wind,
settling the waves—being present and guiding us as we proceed ahead.
Gradye offered the following mantra as a summary of the Luke story:
“Get into the boat. Go across the lake. There will be a storm. You
will not die.”
As we move forward from this assembly, we know that storms may come,
but we put our confidence and trust in the one who both calms the
storms and leads us into God’s future with hope.
Copyright 2007 First
Presbyterian Church Wausau