Divestment Under Debate

Item 11-1 of the Committee on Peacemaking and International Issues is currently under debate. A presbyter from New York Presbytery moved substitute language that would back away from apologies on the grounds that there is no precedent for apologies to groups that are hurt by prophetic statements of previous assemblies, including fellow Presbyterians. The question was called, and debate ended. The amendment failed 120-383.

4:49pm CDT: A second amendment would add language to assure Palestinian Christians that we are not abandoning them in this time of trial for all sides. A call for all pending questions was moved, and the Stated Clerk is explaining the ramifications of this. The advisory delegates voted to end debate and the commissioners voted 403-91 to end debate. The amendment lost narrowly with the advisory delegates and likewise lost narrowly with the commissioners.

5:00pm CDT: The main motion is now up for a vote. The advisory delegates voted in favor, and the commissioners voted 483-28-1 in favor of the recommendation.

We had an opportunity to correct our mistakes of 2004, and we took it. Our policy is more just, recognizes that the problems are not limited to one side, and allows our denomination to be agents of healing and pastoral concern rather than agents of punishment.

Our commissioners are to be commended.

Several additional items were moved in a group, as they were answered by the action on 11-1. and they passed with a margin similar to the action on 11-1.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Wednesday Morning Ruminations

As Beau Weston has pointed out, The Center is Holding.

This General Assembly is shaping up to more closely resemble the PC(USA) than in recent years. The members range from conservative to liberal (or evangelical to progressive) in a more or less bell-shaped curve, with a definite tilt toward the evangelical side of things, according to the Presbyterian Panel. Scroll down the page on the preceding link, and you can see the data presented in bar graph form. This skew to the conservative side is true for members, elders, and pastoral clergy. The specialized clergy skew is very pronounced toward the liberal side.

The actions of General Assembly so far seem to reflect the opinions of the PC(USA) membership, tempered by a healthy dose of centrism.

This afternoon the last of the "hot button" issues will come up in the form of a recommendation by Committee 11 (Peacemaking and International Issues) to modify the action of the 216th General Assembly with regard to divesting from multinational corporations that do business in Israel. This was a cause of hurt to the Jewish community, and many Presbyterians back in the congregations felt that the 2004 action was unduly punitive and one-sided.

The Peacemaking Committee is presenting a recommendation to the General Assembly Plenary this afternoon that would shift the focus from punishment to positive engagement, and would present a more balanced response to Middle East violence. This passed the committee 53-6-3, and I hope the Plenary follows suit.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Heartland Overture Disapproved

According to Les, the General Assembly Tracking software:

The Presbytery of Heartland respectfully overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to do the following:

1. Provide the following authoritative interpretation:

Interpretative 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.

2. Direct the Stated Clerk to send the following proposed amendment to the presbyteries for their affirmative or negative votes:

Shall G-6.0106b be stricken? [Text to be deleted is shown with a strike-through.]

“b. Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W 4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.”

The General Assembly approved the committee recommendation to disapprove by a vote of 405-92-4 -- so there will be no amendment this year striking G 6.0106b, nor will there be any changes to the Authoritative Interpretations.

[CLARIFICATION] The Committee on Church Orders recommended disapproval of this overture, and that is what the plenary voted on. In my original posting it was not clear what the vote represented. The remaining overtures to strike G-6.0106b were consiidered to have been answered by this action.


Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

PUP Voting Underway

According to Les, Recommendations 1-4 of the Peace, Unity, and Purity Task force report passed the General Assembly Plenary by a vote of 459-41-7. Were they handled as a group? They had identical vote tallies.

Recommendations 5, 6, and, 7 have no action listed at this time.

3:41pm -- the minority substitute motion fails; A motion to refer recommendations 5 and 6 to the presbyterys was made and seconded and is now under debate.

Well, it's 5:45pm and I'm back from picking up my car from Firestone. Recomendations 5, 6, and 7 passed the Plenary by a vote of 298-221-1.

Two things are worth noting.

First is that recommendation 4, relating to using alternate forms of discernment, was amended to make it clear that this does not apply to final actions, which are governed by Robert's Rules unless otherwise provided for.

The second is that recommendation 5 was amended to provide for not only the process used by governing bodies to be subject to review, but to allow the results to be reviewed as to their constitutionality. The comment that accompanied this is as follows:

Comment: The success of this proposal is dependent upon all governing bodies taking all standards of the church seriously and applying them rigorously in the examination process. All governing bodies are encouraged to develop resources to ensure that this happens.

Recommendation 6, passed with 5, asks that all existing Authoritative Interpretations be retained, and that no new ones be passed, and further that no changes to existing constitutional statements on Christology, ordination requirements, and sexuality be proposed:

a. the 217th General Assembly (2006) to approve no additional authoritative interpretations, to remove no existing authoritative interpretations, and to send to the presbyteries no proposed constitutional amendments that would have the effect of changing denominational policy on any of the major issues in the task force’s report, including Christology, biblical interpretation, essential tenets, and sexuality and ordination.

b. all church members to acknowledge their traditional biblical obligation, as set forth in Matthew 18:15-17, Matthew 5:23-25, and in the Rules of Discipline in the Book of Order, “to conciliate, mediate, and adjust differences without strife” prayerfully and deliberately (D-1.0103) and to institute administrative or judicial proceedings only when other efforts fail to preserve the purposes and purity of the church.

For better or for worse, this is now approved by the General Assembly. I do not share the vehement opposition of some, although I respect their opinions. The two changes made to the recommendations improve the final product, and personally, I do not see a tectonic shift taking place in the PC(USA). Sessions and Presbyteries that are already inclined to ignore constitutional standards will, no doubt, continue to do so. Recommendation 5 takes note of this and (if I understand it correctly) adds the review of the outcome, in addition to the review of the process. Does this mean that an ordination can be set aside, if the process was unconstitutional? I'm not sure. We'll have to see how this goes down in practice.

In any case it was a busy and, no doubt, grueling day at General Assembly. Let's pray for forbearance and strength for all our commisioners.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Random Reflections From Afar

Les has been very useful to me, and thus far I have had no problem getting logged in and retrieving information. Its user interface could use some work. My browser of choice for Windows and Linux is Firefox, and it works fine with Les.

Streaming video from GA this year is of higher quality than I have experienced in the past, and they do a good job of showing what is happening. The audio quality is excellent.

With Les and streaming video, and a broadband connection, information is available in real-time, thus allowing interested Presbyterians to know what is happening with unprecedented ease.

Bloggers are providing us with news and analysis to a greater extent than ever before. Two years has made quite a difference in the bloggosphere.

Nearly all bloggers covering GA 217 from Birmingham or from a distance are "doing it decently and in order."

This is not to say we all agree, nor is it to say we always get it right. (although I am confident in saying that we do a far better job than the average newspaper reporter)

I like what I have seen of our new moderator, and having read her book Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers, she DID write the book on polity (as one of her nominators pointed out).

I am evangelical in my theology and a member of what Beau Weston calls the "Loyal Center". As such, I am used to not getting my way all the time. Given a choice between getting my way and having the Presbyterian Church hold together, I lean toward staying together. Thus far I have seen many actions in past years that irritate me, and even anger me, but I have also seen actions that pleased me. My threshhold for schism has yet to be reached, and I do not go from year to year looking for excuses to leave my church home.

Vigorously advocating for one's beliefs is one thing; an "all or nothing" stance is quite another. In our diverse denomination no one is going to get their way all the time, and to expect it is unreasonable.

Let's all continue to pray for the General Assembly, and pray that our unity in Jesus Christ overcomes our self-centeredness as we speak and interact with each other.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Sexuality Curriculum Recommendation

Along with everything else going on, there was an overture by Shenango Presbytery that revisited a similar attempt several years ago to bring the youth sexuality curriculum in line with Biblical and Confessional standards. As I recall, this passed a General Assembly in the late 1990s and seems to have been forgotten, due in no small part to the reluctance of the Congregational Ministries Division to comply.

In any case, while I was browsing on Les (the GA information and tracking system) I found the following item (12-11) that was discussed by Committee 12 (Church Growth and Christian Education):

“The Presbytery of Shenango overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to direct the General Assembly Council (Congregational Ministries Division) and all other PC(USA) entities to use the biblical and confessional teachings that sexual relationships belong only within the bond of marriage of a man and a woman as the standard for the development of any future materials or recommendations for materials in print or in its website. [The curriculum should include information on reproductive health to allow for an open discussion between teachers and youth in light of our understanding of God’s plan for sexuality.]”

The material between the square brackets and underlined was added by amendment.

The Committee recommended approval by a vote of 29-17-0. The Congregational Ministries Division and Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns both testified against the Shenango Overture.

This all sounds familiar, and if this passes, I hope that those charged with implementing it actually do so, rather than waiting to see what the next General Assembly will come up with.

[UPDATE] This overture passed in the Plenary session 381-108-6, according to Les.

[UPDATE 5:26pm CDT] A motion to reconsider was defeated approximately 70% to 30%. The afternoon Plenary session is adjourned until 8:15pm CDT this evening. (observed via streaming video)

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

GA 217 Peacemaking Committee Votes to Replace Divestment Language

GA 217 Peacemaking Committee Votes to Replace Divestment Language:

The Committee on Peacemaking and International Issues voted last night 53-6 to make the following change in the previous General Assembly's directive. The PC(USA) news release said that this issue could be revisited today (Sunday), and that a minority report may be forthcoming.

"We acknowledge that the actions of the 216th General Assembly caused hurt and misunderstanding among many members of the Jewish community and within our Presbyterian communion. We are grieved by the pain that this has caused, accept responsibility for the flaws in our process, and ask for a new season of mutual understanding and dialogue.

To these ends, we replace the instructions expressed in Item 12-01 (Minutes, 2004 Part I, pp. 64-66) item 7, which reads

"7. Refers to Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) with instructions to initiate a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel, in accordance to General Assembly policy on social investing, and to make appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly Council for action."

with the following:

To urge that financial investments of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits, and affirm that the customary corporate engagement process of the Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment of our denomination is the proper vehicle for achieving this goal."

I feel the Peacemaking Committee has made a choice that will lead to peacemaking. Our Jewish friends have been hurt and bewildered by the apparent one-sided action of the 216th General Assembly and felt that they were being unjustly blamed and punished for the problems that exist in the Middle East. Joining the Jewish community are many Presbyterians who feel that the actions of 2004 need to revisited in light of intervening events as well as concerns for justice.

I see in this action a shift from a punitive approach to a pastoral approach -- one more in keeping with what it means to be a peacemaker. I hope the lopsided vote truly reflects the committee's wish to correct the mistakes of 2004.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Trinity paper approved with amendments

Trinity paper approved with amendments:

By Bill Lancaster

BIRMINGHAM, June 17 — The Theological Issues and Institutions Committee of the 217th General Assembly approved, with amendment, the paper entitled, "The Trinity: God's Love Overflowing." The vote was 42-16-3 (for-against-abstain). There will be a minority report. ...

The paper affirms Father, Son and Holy Spirit as the church's anchor language for the Trinity, but lifts up other biblical images of the Trinity for study and use in worship.

One approved amendment adds a paragraph affirming that Jesus Christ is the very image of God. The full text, to be added at line 436 in the paper, states, "We must always bear in mind that Scripture affirms Jesus Christ is the very image of God. This means the Triune God has chosen to reveal the Divine identity in the life and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is the mystery of our salvation and the revelation of God in the world." ...

This was shaping up to be a controversial topic, and may well prove to be, as a minority report will also be sent to the plenary. The additions seem to make it clear that the Trinitarian doctrine is in little danger of being set aside, but there are many who are looking very carefully at what this document says.

The final version of The Trinity: God's Love Overflowing (prior to GA) is available as a pdf file

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

GA 217 Committee Actions This Weekend

PresbyWeb, The Presbyterian Layman, More Light Presbyterians, and several blogs are reporting three committee actions on fairly controversial issues:

The Baltimore Overture (which would require per capita assessments to be remitted by congregations) failed in committee by a rather lopsided vote of 37-8-3.

The Heartland Overture to remove 6.0106b from the Book of Order as well as to nullify all authoritative interpretations related to ordination of self-affirming homosexuals failed in committee (on a motion to disapprove) 30-28.

A trio of overtures which would put the PC(USA) on record as affirming marriage as being between one man and one women failed. All of these appeared to cast their reach into the civil realm.

It needs to be noted that our Constitution (and the underlying Scripture from the New Testament) already defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. There are many fights worth fighting; is this really one of them?

What will happen now?

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the Baltimore Overture is going nowhere.

With regard to the Heartland Overture, no prediction here. Just a hope that we don't have to keep fighting this every two years...

The marriage overtures are probably not going anywhere.

Anything can happen in the Plenary Sessions, though, so we have something to look forward to.

I checked the official GA 17 web site, and as of this moment, none of the above are being reported by the PC(USA), but we need to keep in mind that these are recommendations to GA, not actions of GA.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

The Eagle and Child: Excursis -- Things the PCUSA is doing right

The Eagle and Child:

"One of the great blessings is being able to connect with mission folk from all around the world. Some of our least recognized missionaries in the PCUSA are our military chaplains. ..."

In this short posting on The Eagle and Child, Russell Smith gives welcome encouragement to those Presbyterian ministers who feel the call to serve God by serving those who serve in our nation's Armed Forces.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could be opposed to the military chaplaincy, yet, like Russell, I have heard such sentiments expressed. Are our men and women in the armed forces to be denied the "shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God?"

My father was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. The first stateside churches I remember were Presbyterian, but while we were overseas we attended the Protestant Chapel. I grew to respect the chaplains who helped me along in my spiritual development. My confirmation class was conducted in Heidelberg, Germany by a Lutheran chaplain, who unbeknownst to me had contacted the Session of the Falls Church Presbyterian Church in Virginia, which received me in absentia into communicant membership in the UPCUSA.

I also developed over the years a great respect for my father, who was drafted in 1951 and served in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Germany, as well as stateside postings. When he went to Korea I was less than a year old, but I was in my 12th year when he went to Vietnam. He served well and honorably in war and in peace, and when he retired in 1971, he embarked on a second career as a teacher. I am proud of his service to our country, his dedication to his students, his dedication to his Church, and his dedication to his family. And I am proud to be his son.

Happy Father's Day!

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

GA217: Surprise announcement electrifies Assembly

PC(USA) receives historic $150 million gift for church growth

by Evan Silverstein

BIRMINGHAM, June 15 — A Colorado businessman and elder has contributed a historic $150 million gift to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) aimed at helping presbyteries start new churches, transform struggling congregations and develop new racial-ethnic congregations.

The money from Stanley W. Anderson of Denver, CO, for the new Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund will be distributed to presbyteries through grants ranging from $250,000 to $1 million each.

Presbyteries will be required to apply for the grants and will have to match a portion of it.

Word of the money came through a surprise announcement Thursday that electrified those attending the opening of the PC(USA)’s 217th General Assembly here, prompting commissioners to stand and cheer.

Presbytery mission causes and Presbyterian seminaries will also benefit from the money. ..."

This is astounding, and I hope it will be used wisely. While this is a designated gift, it does seem to fit in with the recent General Assembly Council actions in shifting the locus of action away from Louisville and closer to the congregations.

It does boggle the mind to realize that this gift is 50% larger than the entire GAC budget....

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

PC(USA) - 217th General Assembly (2006) - Atlanta pastor is elected moderator

PC(USA) - 217th General Assembly (2006) - Atlanta pastor is elected moderator:

by Jerry L. Van Marter

"BIRMINGHAM, June 15 — The Rev. Joan S. Gray, a pastor in Greater Atlanta Presbytery who said she doesn’t have many answers for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s problems but is willing to let God lead the way, was elected moderator of the 2.3 million-member denomination’s 217th General Assembly on June 15. ..."

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has chosen a new moderator, favoring the centrist over the two conservative and one liberal candatates. I'm personally hoping that this sets the tone for how the next 10 days go. Joan Gray won on the third ballot with 62% of the vote.

Among other things, Gray believes that "...Jesus is the way, truth and life, but I’m willing to give God a lot of leeway in matters I don’t fully understand." In addition she is unwilling to change ordination standards in light of what she believes to be true.

The photo is by Danny Bolin, one of the photographers at General Assembly.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Is this the Year of the Blog for the PC(USA)?

Two years ago we had the last of the annual General Assemblies, and today the first of the biennial General Assemblies begins.

I have been following these meetings online for about 15 years and have seen how internet technology has developed in providing us with rapid information and even real-time access with streaming video. (or is that "screaming video"?)

Ten or fifteen years ago our choices were limited. There were the official statements of the PC(USA), but they were infrequent and not particularly informative. For too many years, the average Presbyterian heard about actions of General Assembly weeks after the fact. Whatever else you can say about The Presbyterian Layman, they were one of the first independent groups to provide information to rank-and-file Presbyterians. Such other groups as the Presbyterian Forum, The Witherspoon Society, More Light Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Coalition, and others followed suit, and by the end of the 1990s we had more information than we could process. The PC(USA) made serious strides in telling their story, because quite frankly, others were already doing so -- and not necessarily accurately.

The one drawback in all this was that most of the non-official content over the past 15 years has been provided by special interest groups, with their own agendas. One notable exception has been PresbyWeb, which has provided balanced, independent reporting of news around the Presbyterian Church since 1998. Personal web sites were not common enough to have much of an impact outside a fairly limited geographical area.

But that has changed rapidly over the past few years. Blogs, with their easy-to-use editing interface can be updated rapidly, and we have the potential to see even more information and analysis coming now from a greater diversity of people. The Gruntled Center, The Eagle and Child, Dave Ayers, Quotidian Grace, and many others are blogging this week and next on the 217th General Assembly. Some are going to be "on the ground" in Birmingham, and some will be following the action from their home base -- but all of them have voices that deserve to be heard.

For my part, I will do my usual reading of the various traditional sites. I will be relying more on those who blog decently and in order for what I expect will be accurate reporting and cogent anlaysis.

A suggestion -- at the top of this and other BlogSpot blogs is a link to a blog search engine. One button searches JUST the local blog, and the other searches all blogs. The search engine technology is, of course, Google (who owns BlogSpot). They do, however, index all blogs and not just their own. I'll leave formulation of good search expressions as an exercise to the reader...

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Does being Presbyterian matter?

Does being Presbyterian matter?:
by Dave Ayers

"The 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) starts tomorrow in Birmingham, AL. I plan on giving you a view of what transpires from here in Quincy, while Pastor Bakker will be observing on the ground at the Convention Center in downtown Birmingham. ..."

Dave Ayers, who usually blogs at The Orlop, is posting his impressions of GA217 during the next week and a half on the web site of the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, Illinois.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, ga217

Quotidian Grace: The Church's One Foundation

Quotidian Grace: The Church's One Foundation:

"Tomorrow the General Assembly of the PCUSA begins meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.

I have a friend who attended a GA several years ago. He came back shell-shocked from the experience. "There was nothing there that seemed anything like my church back home," he told me. " I told my wife I felt that God had left the PCUSA and was hanging out at the Starbucks on the corner across from the hotel. " He felt mobbed on all sides by special interest groups and besieged like a Congressman running the gauntlet of aggressive lobbyists, as he struggled with his responsibility as a commissioner. ..."

Along with this anecdote, Quotidian Grace has some good perspectives on the PC(USA) and how it chooses to spend its resources.

At least two Youth advisory Delegates of my acquaintance have confirmed the intense lobbying that goes on. One likened it to a tug-of-war with the YADs as the rope.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, GA217

The Gruntled Center Goes to Birmingham

Gruntled Center:

"For most of the next two weeks I will be an observer at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). My particular task will be to follow the ups and downs of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church. ..."

Beau Weston is going to be doing his blog from Birmingham, Alabama.

I look forward to reading his description of what happens, especially as it relates to the PUP.

It has been my impression that the independent voices at previous General Assemblies have tended to be from the fringes of the PC(USA), thus it will be good to hear from Beau Weston, a true centrist.

Bookmark The Gruntled Center and visit it over the next two weeks for what promises to be a fair and well-reasoned view of our 217th General Assembly.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, GA217

PC(USA) life and ministry after downsizing

PC(USA) life and ministry after downsizing:
Presbyterian Outlook (free registration required)

Leslie Scanlon, Outlook national reporter
06/12/2006

So where does the church go from here?

The recent $9.1 million downsizing of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)’s national staff and the reorganization of what’s left leaves people asking questions.

Among them: In a shrinking denomination with fewer members and less money, but with significant enthusiasm for mission work at the grassroots, what’s the role of the national church structure?

And specifically, where do Presbyterians want to focus their energies in evangelism and international mission work?

Those are big questions. But some of the outlines on the map are as follows:

• The downsizing includes the loss of 75 staff members and 40 missionary positions. Those cuts are provoking unhappiness – but also conversation about how money for international mission work can be raised in different ways, including through a newly-created Presbyterian Global Fellowship www.presbyterianglobalfellowship.org , a networking group established in May. Increasingly, some Presbyterians are pursuing international mission endeavors with minimal involvement of the PC(USA).
• The PC(USA) has ambitious goals for becoming more racially diverse and multicultural. But it’s far from clear how, or if, that goal of becoming at least 20 percent non-white by 2010 will be reached. In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics were available, just over 92 percent of the denomination’s members were white.
• The General Assembly Council does not seem satisfied with the denomination’s current efforts at evangelism. It has instructed the staff leadership team to come to the council’s meeting in September with a plan for “alternative programs that will directly speak to communicating the gospel in clear ways.” ...
  

Leslie Scanlon of the Presbyterian Outlook has posted an analysis of that the recent budget cuts and reorganization of the General Assembly Council will mean for Presbyterians at the local level.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian

PC(USA) - News Service - For men in church, problems start with flowers and lace

PC(USA) - News Service - For men in church, problems start with flowers and lace:

by Kristin Campbell
Religion News Service

"MOBILE, AL — Men don’t need pirates in the pews. Then again, the presence of such swashbucklers might not be the worst thing to happen Sunday morning.

So goes the thinking of David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to
Church.

“We don't have to have hand-to-hand combat during the worship service to get men there,” Murrow said. “We just have to start speaking (their language), use the metaphors they understand and create an environment that feels masculine to them.”

Today’s churches, Murrow argued, just aren’t cutting it. ..."

This reminds me of many conversations I have heard regarding how our language drives certain people away, and how we must take extra pains to ensure that we include everybody.

This article raises an interesting question: Have we driven away the men?

This article makes the point that this is not a particularly American problem, nor is it a modern problem.

I have accepted women's full participation in church governance for pretty much my whole life. It is not an issue for me. I accept the use of inclusive language in conversation, but I don't much appreciate rewriting hymns to conform to some particular group's idea of correctness. And I have always questioned the need to purge our church language of metaphors relating to a struggle or battle. Even Paul used sports metaphors....

We spend a lot of time arguing about the words we use, and not enough time discussing the issues. Can we accept each others' experiences and permit each other to use the language and metaphors that arise from such experiences?

If men are made to feel uncomfortable when they speak out of their experiences, then perhaps we need to engage in a little introspection.

Why Men Hate Going to Church
David Murrow
Thomas Nelson
2005
Amazon.com price $10.77

Technorati tags: religion, christianity, gender

Free, but Not Easy - Christianity Today Magazine

Free, but Not Easy - Christianity Today Magazine:

Why grace is so rare among Christians.
Reviewed by John Wilson | posted 06/08/2006 09:00 a.m.

Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace
by Miroslav Volf
Zondervan
256 pp.; $12.99

"Miroslav Volf, the leading Protestant theologian of his generation, has written a book that might serve as a model for how to do "public theology"—a book that can be read with profit by any thoughtful Christian. Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace is a sustained examination of the scandalous truth at the heart of the gospel: "God's forgiveness is indiscriminate." We've become dulled to this truth, Volf observes. We need to recover it again and again. ..."

This sounds like an interesting book. A little grace can go a long way toward ameliorating the tensions and conflicts in the PC(USA) part of the Body of Christ.

I linked the book title above to its amazon.com listing.

Technorati tags: christianity, theology

PC(USA) - News Service - What are the principles of modern Cumberland Presbyterianism?

PC(USA) - News Service - What are the principles of modern Cumberland Presbyterianism?:

Commentary by Jay Earheart-Brown
President, Memphis Theological Seminary
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Reprinted from Perspectives

"MEMPHIS — I am proud to be a Cumberland Presbyterian. I am not proud of everything we do, and I do know pride can be a dangerous thing. The Scriptures counsel us not to think too highly of ourselves, but they also counsel us not to think less of ourselves than we ought.

As dangerous as too much pride can be, I think the greater danger for us as a church is that we don’t take enough pride in who we are, by God’s grace, and in what God is calling us to do and be in the world. I want to use this occasion to reflect on a few of the reasons why I am proud to be a Cumberland Presbyterian.

In a history of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches by Alan Sell, former executive secretary of that organization, Sell used three words to describe the work of the Alliance. Those three words are good descriptors of our heritage as Cumberland Presbyterians: evangelical, reformed, and catholic. ..."

Here is an interesting article for those interested in learning more about one of our sibling denominations.

Several years ago I had an opportunity to speak with a Cumberland Presbyterian minister who mentioned that the Cumberlands were ordaining women as both elders and ministers in the 1880s -- well before any of the predecessor denominations of the PC(USA). This was not a mandated practice, but rather more of a "local option" sort of thing. For more information, explore this link to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (which also has information relating to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America).

[Update 6/9/2006]

A quick Google search on "cumberland presbyterian church ordination women" pointed me to this web site:

History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches

It is quite interesting reading.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, history

Science & Theology News - How bioethics leader learned from religion

Science & Theology News - How bioethics leader learned from religion:

By Kevin Ferguson
(June 7, 2006)

"In the wake of staggering news in February 1997 that Scottish scientists has cloned a sheep, President Clinton tapped the Princeton University president to chair the nascent National Bioethics Advisory Commission and weigh the moral significance of the announcement. In preparation for the committee’s report titled “Cloning Human Beings,” Shapiro crisscrossed the country, soliciting input from ethicists, theologians, scientists, physicians and concerned citizens. “I was very struck that the first reaction of people was to ask themselves what their faith might say about this,” he said. ..."

This interview with Harold Shapiro, former president of Princeton University, describes his learning process as he tried to get a handle on the issues of bioethics.

While Shapiro's theology is not particularly well-defined, he does believe that the religious voices need to be heard, and their absence in the early years of the debate deprived the debate of an important point of view.

Technorati tags: religion, bioethics

An Ugly Phoenix Reborn - Christianity Today Magazine

An Ugly Phoenix Reborn
by David Aikman

"...In the middle of the first decade of the third millennium, anti-Semitism in Europe has made a horrifying comeback. One of the most dramatic examples was the February murder in France of Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish cell-phone salesman. This young man was kidnapped, ostensibly because it was thought he would fetch a good ransom (his kidnappers said they thought all Jews were "rich"). ..."

The author of this piece goes on to point out additional evidence of a resurgence of anti-Israeli attitudes and actions that are not distinguished from anti-semitism. Wearing a yarmulke in public often elicits ridicule at best and physical attacks at worst.

"... A prominent British intellectual who has decided that Israel has "no right to exist" is A. N. Wilson, who has written several books virulently opposed not just to evangelical Christianity, but to a theistic worldview in general. In almost every country where anti-Semitism has a major presence, there is a hatred of America and in particular American Christianity. ..."

It seems very odd that the country that gave rise to the Balfour Declaration could give rise to such attitudes.

"..What should not be in doubt is the absolute Christian indebtedness to the Jewish people. They gave us the Scriptures and the prophets, and the Messiah himself. Christianity shorn of its Jewish origins simply would not be Christianity. It would be a collection of milquetoast ethics without a metaphysic, roots, or the semblance of any truth.

Christians may—indeed should—have a variety of attitudes toward the Israeli government. But to Jews as a whole—our "elder brothers," as Pope John Paul II called them—we owe far more than we can ever repay. In the face of Europe's rising tide of anti-Semitism, let us never forget it."

And this may be why anti-Semitic and anti-Christian attitudes seem so inextricably linked. As long as we believe and publicly acknowledge our debt, we expose ourselves to the same hatred that much of the world still has for the Jews. We stood idly by for far too many years while the events leading to the Holocaust occurred. When early indications of a horrible massacre started filtering out, we could not believe it.

Could it happen again? -- Darfur. Rwanda. Iraq. -- There seems to be no shortage of people willing to exterminate others who are of a different religion or ethnic background than themselves.

The outspoken anti-Semites are at least visible, and we know them by their words of hate. What is far more insidious are the subtle ways in which anti-Semitism finds its way into our political institutions, our schools, and even our churches.

The late John-Paul II hit it squarely when he referred to the Jews as our "elder brothers", and to accept that means we share the same parentage. Does this not imply an obligation to act as if we were "family"?


Technorati tags: religion, christianity, anti-semitism

Presbyterian Global Fellowship organized; mission focus

Presbyterian Global Fellowship organized; mission focus:
[free registration is needed to view the whole article]

"Saying that Presbyterians should turn their attention away from denominational struggles and back out towards the world, a group of more than a dozen congregations are announcing the creation of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship (http://www.presbyterianglobalfellowship.org) .

While the exact shape of the endeavor is still being formulated, the new fellowship is intended to connect Presbyterian congregations in pursuing mission work and to encourage them to support the work they consider vital through designated, targeted giving.

Its organizers – who have been praying and talking about this for the last several months – include Michael Walker, executive director of Presbyterians for Renewal; D. Scott Weimer, senior pastor of North Avenue Presbyterian church in Atlanta; and Vic Pentz, senior pastor of Peachtree Presbyterian church, also in Atlanta.

The website also states that the fellowship “will seek wisdom, support and other resources” from groups already involved in mission, such as Presbyterians for Renewal http://www.pfrenewal.org/ , the Outreach Foundation http://www.theoutreachfoundation.org/ and Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship http://www.pff.net/ . ..."

I am in sympathy with the goals of this new organization, as I have been concerned for several years that the internecine fighting in the Presbyterian Church has weakened our mission in the world. I wish them well and hope they can be an effective means of shifting our attention outward.

I have two concerns -- the first is that in their Frequently Asked Questions, they list their feelings on sexuality issues. I hope they don't fall into the trap of focussing in the very thing they (and I) feel is hampering our witness to the world. It might be better to simply mention it briefly, and move on.

The second concern is another FAQ regarding designated giving, and the perception of non-accountablility at the denominational level. I hope this does not extend to withholding per capita. While it may be "legal" it certainly is not being good Presbyterian citizens. There is a new Mission Work Plan that seems to address those issues in a way that not only moves away from non-accountability, but also places the responsibility for the mission of the PC(USA) at the local and regional level. Let's see how this works out over the next year.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, mission

PC(USA) - News Service - PC(USA) membership declines, giving up

PC(USA) - News Service - PC(USA) membership declines, giving up:

"...Of the 48,474 lost members, almost 35,000 were women. The number of elders, male and female, declined by almost 1,600 to just more than 97,000. The number of female deacons increased by 74, to 47,121, while the number of male deacons declined by 424 to just under 20,000.

Adult baptisms declined by 1,216 to 9,243. Child baptisms declined by 2,889 to 30,727. Church school attendance declined by more than 36,000 to 1,081,084. ..."

Jerry Van Marter has written an analysis of the recently announced membership losses by the Presbyterian Church (USA).

These numbers are broken down into a variety of categories to assist in understanding just where the changes are taking place. Answering the question "why?" was not in the scope of this news release.

The membership loss broken down by type of loss and by age and gender were interesting and to me, fairly pessimistic. Adult baptisms dropped by about 11% and child baptisms dropped by about 9 % -- while the denomination dropped by about 2%.

The figures on where the giving (which is up by 7% in adjusted figures) is going was somewhat of a suprise to me. 71% is going to local mission and program; 16.5% is going for capital improvement; per capita going to higher levels is 1.5%; PC(USA) validated mission is 4.7%; and non-PC(USA) mission is 3.3%. (this accounts for 97%, so something's missing). I had expected that the non-PC(USA) mission percentage would higher.

It does not bother me that the percent of local mission and program is by far the dominant expenditure, since whant makes the Church The Church is happening in local congregations. The PC(USA) is recognizing that, and I look forward to the implementation of the 2007-2008 Mission Work Plan, which has as one of its goals the empowerment of presbyteries and local congregation to carry out the mission of the Church.

Technorati tags: presbyterian, pcusa

Stated Clerk Releases 2005 Statistics

Office of the General Assembly:

Stated Clerk Releases 2005 Statistics
Membership is down, giving is up

"...At the end of 2005, there were 2,313,662 active, confirmed members in the PC(USA), a net loss of 48,474. The total membership was 3,098,842. This includes 318,291 baptized but not confirmed members (mostly children) and 466,889 inactive members. ..."

"...Total giving in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) topped three billion dollars for the first time. Total gifts to the church were $3,073,684,927, an increase of $146,872,634 (slightly over 5%). Adjusted for membership loss, the average church member gave 7% more to the church in 2005 than the year before. ..."

These mixed statistics were mentioned when the General Assembly Council issued its Mission Work Plan for 2007-2008, but the Stated Clerk has now provided figures.

The loss of 48,474 seems a bit higher than in years past, but I don't know for sure. In any case, even if the raw amount stayed level, we'd still be heading in the wrong direction.

At the same time, total giving increased by 5% over the previous year, and this is a sign of hope. We were told at our recent presbytery meeting that much of this increase goes for mission -- but is not passed through Louisville.

Mission IS being carried out, and the GAC and current moderator recognize that the central administration of the PC(USA) is not where it is happening, nor is it where it SHOULD happen.

The PC(USA) is in a crisis on more than one level, and I hope the Mission Work Plan is taken seriously at all levels, and that people work together to "exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world."

Technorati tags: pcusa, presbyterian

Thinking Christian

Thinking Christian:

Here is an interesting blog hosted by the Houston Chronicle. It is fairly new, but the author has posted on a few topics including how we can use The Da Vinci Code to engage others as well as a thoughtful piece on a bit of civil disobedience by Christians that made the news over the past week.

His piece on the Da Vinci Code concludes with this:

"...As a Christian is there anything that we can do about it? To stop it, no. Making a scene about it will only make it bigger. It is up to us to keep ourselves informed about what they are talking about, and informed on what the Bible says. We can't be experts on the Bible, leave that up to the Phd.'s, but if we at least know what is and what isn't in the Bible then we can be better informed to discuss these shows with others when the occasion arises."

I'll be checking back with this blog from time to time. It sounds like it will prove interesting.

Technorati tags: religion, christianity, apologetics

Kentucky Wrestles With Religious Dates in Classrooms - Christianity Today Magazine

Kentucky Wrestles With Religious Dates in Classrooms - Christianity Today Magazine:

by Michael Jennings, Religion News Service

Kentucky's state school board has apparently resolved a spat over historical date references in social studies classes, but not before the state's governor, facing an uphill re-election bid, seized on the issue.
...
Earlier this year, staff at the Kentucky Department of Education proposed substituting C.E. (Common Era) for A.D. and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) for B.C. in draft curriculum guidelines for high school and middle school social studies classes.
...
In April, the statewide education board restored A.D. and B.C. to the guidelines, but only after including both systems — B.C./B.C.E. and A.D./C.E. The school board is expected to take final action in June on the voluntary guidelines, which spell out key concepts students are expected to master in all grades and subjects. ...

This seems like a reasonable solution to the problem. It exposes students to the fact that different cultures look at dates in different ways, yet acknowledges the equally significant fact that there is one standard dating system worldwide, and it is historically based on an event that occurred about 2000 years ago.

Look at the cornerstone of a synagogue, mosque, and a church, and you will see three different dating systems, each based on different historical points in time. To pretend that these cultural distinctions don't exist is to allow ideology to trump reality. Kentucky seems to have chosen well here.

Technorati tags: religion, politics

GA 217 Background from PC(USA) News Service

[May 30, 2006 Added new link]
[June 1, 2006 Added new link]

Here are the first three (of several more, I hope) installments of General Assembly background information written by Jerry Van Marter. When more are issued I will add them to the list and bump this posting to the top of the list.

May 22 -- General Assembly backgrounder: Theological Task Force

May 23 -- General Assembly backgrounder: Ordination standards

May 24 -- General Assembly backgrounder: the Mission Work Plan

May 30 -- General Assembly backgrounder: Abortion

June 1 -- General Assembly backgrounder: Middle East peace and divestment

PC(USA) - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Indonesia Earthquake - May 30, 2006

PC(USA) - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Indonesia Earthquake - May 30, 2006:

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is following the situation in Indonesia following powerful earthquake in the country's Central Java province on May 27, 2006. In the few hours since the quake hit, the death toll has risen into the thousands. Presbyterian Mission Co-Workers Bernie and Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta living in Yogyakarta are okay.

Here is an update of what Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is doing in response to the earthwuake on Indonesia over the past weekend. If you navigate to the page linked above, there are opportunities for giving listed.

Technorati tags: Presbyterian, earthquake

Memorial Day, 2006

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.

-- Katharine Lee Bates, 1904

Today we remember and honor those who lost their lives in military service to our country.

We pray for a day when such sacrifices are vindicated by the end of warfare between nations and factions.

Gruntled Center: A Standard is a Standard Even If Exceptions Are Allowed

Gruntled Center: A Standard is a Standard Even If Exceptions Are Allowed:

"...The main mechanism [of resolving conflicts] is to trust each presbytery to ordain well. That ordination is for the whole church. However, if a minister wants to "labor within the bounds" of another presbytery, he or she must be examined and approved by that new presbytery. The second presbytery can't change an ordination granted by the first one, but it can say, "you may be ordained for the whole church, but you can't work in this corner of the church." This is a long-established tradition of the Presbyterian Church in this country, going back to the first synod in 1729. ..."

Beau Weston, who has written before on Presbyterian conflicts, posted this today. It serves a a timely reminder that adoption of the TFPUP report by the 217th General Assembly will not change things as drastically as some would have us believe.

The Task Force report is by no means a slam dunk. Its recommendation that no overtures relating to the removal of G-6.0106b be passed by this year's General Assembly was met with over 20 overtures that urged just that. All but one of these overtures come from presbyteries with a history of strong opposition to G-6.0106b.

I suspect that peace and unity will be difficult to achieve with both ends of the spectrum urging the rejection of some or all of the recommendations of the Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Presbyterian Church.

But, with God's help, the prayers of the people, and commissioners willing to heed the urgings of the Holy Spirit, things can work out.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, polity

Book Review: The Presbyterian Handbook

The Presbyterian Handbook
Geneva Press (2006)
List Price: $14.95
Amazon.com: $10.17 (as of May 27, 2006)

There was a box of these hip-pocket-sized books at the May 16 meeting of the Presbytery of Missouri Union. I was intrigued, and at $10 a copy I didn't have to think too long about it.

This short volume is written for "...Presbyterian youth, adults, students, families, and all those interested in learning about much of what encompasses life in the church."

Along with such practical suggestions as "How to Stay Alert in Church" (if all else fails, pinch yourself), "What to Bring to a Church Potluck by Region" (tofu is big on the West Coast), and "How to Avoid Getting Burned at the Stake" (one suggestion is to avoid public heresy), there are serious sections on Church and Presbyterian history, including what it is that defines us as Reformed Christians and Presbyterians and those much-maligned and often-misunderstood beliefs about predestination. Here, according to this book, is what predestination is NOT (page 117):

• Fatalism. "It makes no difference what I do if I'm not predestined by God for salvation."
• Determinism. "I have no real choices to make in life and no freedom because my life has been predestined."
• An excuse to live it up. "Since I don't know if I am among the elect, I might as well just do what I want and enjoy myself in life."
• An excuse to coast along. "I'm a member of the church, so I must be 'elect'. I can coast along in life doing as I please, since my salvation is assured."
• An excuse not to spread the gospel. "If God has already determined who will be saved, there is no need to preach the Gospel."

It goes on to describe what predestination IS, and how to explain it to your friends. There is a prominent disclaimer in this section that "it may take multiple readings -- and time -- to understand this concept."

Much of the book is in the form of lists -- ten Bible heroes, sixty essential Bible passages, the five wierdest laws, and so forth.

The list of ten Bible villains contains the usual suspects -- Satan, Judas, Jezebel -- but also includes God's People with this explanation:

"They whine, they sin, they turn their backs on God over and over again. When given freedom, they blow it. When preached repentance by God's prophets, they stone them. When offered a Savior, we kill him. In the end, it must be admitted, God's people -- us! -- don't really shine. Only by God's grace and the gift of faith in Jesus Christ do we have hope." -- page 136

And then there are the five grossest stories.... On second thought, let's not go there. Teenage boys will love it, though. And they will turn to their Bibles.

Overall I found this book to be engaging, informative, witty, and serious. It could be used well in confirmation classes, but I suspect that many adults would find things in The Presbyterian Handbook that they didn't already know. It is well worth reading.

The Tiger in the Academy - Christianity Today Magazine

The Tiger in the Academy - Christianity Today Magazine:

By Tim Stafford

Tonight, three of the largest Christian fellowships at the University of California, Berkeley, have arrived at First Presbyterian for a joint meeting. Hundreds of students, dressed in running shoes, jeans, and sweatshirts, spill into the sanctuary. A band warms up while students slap hands and hug. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has invited Campus Crusade for Christ and Asian American Christian Fellowship to hear a special speaker.

Excitement like this would characterize a large Christian gathering at Berkeley during any era. One fact, however, would certainly startle earlier generations. About 98 percent of this gathering is Asian American.

At Berkeley, California's premier public university, "evangelical Christian" and "Asian American" are almost interchangeable descriptions. Three trends come together. One is California's demographics: It is 11 percent Asian compared to 4 percent for the nation as a whole. Two is academic prestige: As the oldest and most selective campus of the University of California, Berkeley has an undergraduate population that is 42 percent Asian. (As a general rule, the more selective the school, the higher the percentage of Asian students.) Three is a national fact: Asian students are more likely to show Christian commitment than other ethnic groups, including whites. ...

Here is a fairly long and quite interesting article about Asian-American Christians in higher education. The above excerpt gives a bit of the flavor of this article, which goes on to discuss the factors that characterize this group, not the least of which are the family relationships that are so important in many Asian cultures ("Honor your father and mother" in tension with "I need to do what's right for me").

This also provides us a subtle reminder that European-American Christians are not the center of world-wide Christianity, which is difficult for those of us who style ourselves as "mainline" to accept.

Technorati tags: religion, christianity, asia

PC(USA) - News Service - General Assembly backgrounder: the Mission Work Plan

PC(USA) - News Service - General Assembly backgrounder: the Mission Work Plan:

by Jerry L. VanMarter

“This Mission Work Plan completely changes the way the General Assembly Council does its work,” said GAC Executive Director John Detterick. “It moves us away from looking at our mission administratively and toward looking at our mission directionally — from the minutiae to the big picture.”

GAC member John Bolt of Charleston, WV, who worked on the plan, says two themes characterize the new plan: an emphasis on partnership and strengthening congregations.

PNS has been issuing a series of "backgrounder" reports on what the upcoming 217th General Assembly will be dealing with. This one deals with the new Mission Work Plan, and summarizes the main points.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian

What the Teaching Can Teach Us - Christianity Today Magazine

What the Teaching Can Teach Us - Christianity Today Magazine:

by William Varner

The telephone call came just after we had finished our evening meal at the Knight's Palace Hotel in the Old City of Jerusalem in May 2005. The message instructed me to come now to the library of the Greek Orthodox patriarch if I wanted to see the manuscript. I changed my clothes quickly and scurried through the labyrinthine lanes of the Old City. After entering the Greek Orthodox monastery, I made my way to the library. Soon, the librarian delivered what I had waited years to see—a 950-year-old, 200-page manuscript containing, along with a dozen other early writings, a little work only 10 pages long. Its name is the Didache (the "Teaching," pronounced "didakhay"), short for The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. While no one believes that any of the twelve apostles wrote it, scholars agree that the work is a faithful transmission of the apostles' teaching, intended primarily for the training of Gentile believers.

It is useful to remember that not all the apocryphal writings were rejected from the canon because of false doctrine. The Didache is among the writings that were not held to be canonical, yet it provides a glimpse of what was going through the minds of late first century Christians. Other such writings include The Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistles of Clement, which were held in fairly high repute by the early Church leaders, but were not made a part of the canon. These writings were generally included under the "Apostolic Fathers", and dated from the first and second centuries. Their theology was similar to that which is reflected in the canonical books of the New Testament.

This story in Christianity Today summarizes a few of the teachings, among which is a passage on baptism which lists immersion or pouring among the methods. From the short quote provided, it does not resolve the question whether infants ought to be baptised.

Those who are interested can obtain a translation of the Didache (among other texts) in a book title The Apostolic Fathers in English (Baker, 2006) by Michael W. Holmes.

Technorati tags: religion, christianity, history

PC(USA) - News Service - Linda Bryant Valentine elected to head GAC

PC(USA) - News Service - Linda Bryant Valentine elected to head GAC:

by Jerry L. Van Marter

CHICAGO — A lifelong Presbyterian and corporate lawyer has been tapped as the next executive director of the General Assembly Council (GAC), the national mission program arm of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

By a vote of 41-13 with one abstention, the council elected Linda Bryant Valentine at a special meeting here May 23. If confirmed by the upcoming 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, AL, Valentine will succeed retiring executive director John Detterick on July 1.

Linda Valentine has a challenging job ahead of her, and I hope it goes well for her. The article, among other things, highlighted her involvement with a micro finance network that made over 1 million loans last year in 28 countries. These small loans give hope to many.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian

Georgia to Teach Bible - Christianity Today Magazine

Georgia to Teach Bible - Christianity Today Magazine:

Democrats and Republicans disagreed about what to use as a textbook.
by James Jewell in Atlanta | posted 05/19/2006 09:30 a.m.

Georgia recently became the first state to call for elective public high-school courses about the Bible. The new bill, passed overwhelmingly in late March and signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue in April, allows for the state school board to develop a curriculum by February 2007.

State Sen. Doug Stoner, a Democrat, said, "Students need to know the Bible to understand Western civilization and Western literature."

Democrats had proposed using The Bible and Its Influence as the course's textbook. But Republicans—who control both houses of the Georgia legislature—required that the Bible itself be used. Local school districts, teachers, and even students will decide what version of the Bible to use as a textbook.

It really isn't a matter of great controversy that Biblical literacy is a great adjunct to understanding history, literature, and the United States form of government. The question is how will the Bible be taught and how will this be carried out without the government "endorsing" a particular religion.

This is a year evenly divisible by two -- that means U.S. Congressional elections, and for most states, statewide and local elections. This may account for the fact that Georgia Democrats and Republicans are promoting their two options in an exclusive sort of way. At least it isn't a year evenly divisible by four. ...

The textbook in question being proposed by the Democrats was written to stay within the bounds set by the U.S. Constitution, and at the same time teach how the Bible influenced many spheres of human endeavors. Many Evangelical Christians support this book, and are more than happy to see it used in such a way. But the Republicans have a valid point, too -- the Bible itself should be part of the currcular material.

If teachers and students use the textbook by itself, then they might learn only what the textbook has to say about the Bible. If the Bible is the sole text, then they are deprived of important perspectives on how Biblical themes influenced authors, poets, and politicians.

Why not use both? Use the textbook, but allow students to bring their own Bibles to class. Have some Bibles on hand for those who don't have one at home. Don't worry about versions. The important thing is to encourage students to go to the source when given the opportunity. And I imagine there will be plenty of opportunities in such a course to refer to the Bible itself.

Technorati tags: religion, bible, education

PC(USA) - News Service - Bequest will fund jeopardized mission co-worker positions

PC(USA) - News Service - Bequest will fund jeopardized mission co-worker positions:

Woman's unrestricted gift saves 15 missionaries' jobs
by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE — A large unrestricted bequest from a Presbyterian woman will be used to maintain the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s overseas missionary force at its current level, General Assembly Council (GAC) Executive Director John Detterick said today (May 19).

The bequest comes on the heels of a May 1 GAC downsizing and restructuring that reduced the PC(USA)'s full-time missionary staff from 275 to 235 and threatened to shrink it further. The 40 positions were eliminated by attrition without pulling any missionaries from the field.

When it adopted the May 1 reorganization in late April, the GAC announced that the missionary force would have to be further reduced by at least 15 persons unless additional funding was found.

Wow!

No further comment is necessary, except to urge you to read the full article.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian, mission

PC(USA) - News Service - Survey: Protestant pastors, laity differ on spending priorities

PC(USA) - News Service - Survey: Protestant pastors, laity differ on spending priorities:

by Preetom Bhattacharya
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON — A survey of Protestant ministers and churchgoers shows significant differences in the ways the groups would spend an unexpected surge in income in their churches.

The top priority for ministers was to improve church facilities. About half as many laypeople agreed, but they would also want to retire church debt and help the needy....

Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, said the differing priorities were a reflection of perspective, with “the typical layperson (having) very little idea of what it takes to run a ministry, and ministers sometimes (losing) sight of what’s important to people in the congregation.”...

It's interesting that there is this wide a gulf between ministers and congregation members. In the Presbyterian Panel surveys, which are generally broken down between members, elders, pastors, and specialized clergy, the big difference is generally between the two minister categories.

But one important lesson is that our perspectives are perhaps a little narrower than they should be. The one that affects me the most is the difference in viewpoint between the Finance and Mission committees.

Is this all bad? I don't think so. This kind of tension between viewpoints is healthy, and leads to responsible stewardship and effective mission (as long as both sides are willing to be flexible).

There are other tensions that are not so healthy -- ones that do not lead to strengthing the Body -- ones that are NOT characterized by Christian love and forbearance on either side. These are issues where nothng less than total victory of one side or the other is acceptible (to the winners, at least). Yet the PC(USA) seems to spend an inordinate amount of time, energy and resources dealing with issues that are not resolvable. (And before you jump to conclusions, there is more than one issue that can be described in this way...)

We are a diverse denomination, but there is far more that unites us than divides us. Let's spend more time on our unity.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian

Is The "Disconnect" Narrowing?

For a number of years the word "disconnect" has been used to describe the relationship with the people in Louisville and the people in the congregations. A common complaint has been "Louisville just doesn't get it!"

After having had the opportunity to listen to Rick Ufford-Chase (moderator, 216th GA) earlier in the week and representatives of GAC, presbytery and synod at yesterday's meeting of the Presbytery of Missouri Union, I believe that the folks in Louisville and the members of GAC are starting to "get it".

Several positive impressions:

• The existing "silos" are being eliminated in favor of a structure built around the eight mission objectives GAC adopted earlier this year. Previously, there were four divisions: Congregational, National, and Worldwide Ministries Divisions as well as a Mission Support Division. There were turf struggles, and I suspect some duplication of efforts. These four divisions are being eliminated in favor of a flatter organization.
• The GAC is going from 72 to 39 voting members over the next few years (as terms expire), and they will shift focus from adminstering program to providing vision for the PC(USA). The members will also not be separated into particular areas, with little awareness of what the other areas are doing and thinking.
• There is a recognition that our denomination needs renewal, and that renewal in incapable of being initiated from above. It must occur first at the local levels. When congregations are strengthened, then the whole denomination is strengthened. GAC seems to see their role as enabling the more local entities to be the Church.

Mixed news:

• Overall giving, adjusted for inflation, is up about 4 %, while the flow of funds from the congregations upstream is down by a significantly greater percent. Mission is being done at greater levels; the change is that mission dollars are not all flowing through PC(USA) channels.

Ongoing concerns:

• 75 employees lost their jobs with most of them coming into work May 1 and learning that they would not be returning Tuesday. The generous severance packages help, but this was a major blow to all concerned. Whatever opinions I have over individual terminations (and yes, I do have a few opinions), I choose not to second-guess GAC on this. I really do not have the knowledge to make an informed assessment. I do feel that Christian compassion and prayer is in order here.
  
• There is still a bit of a mixed message being put out. GAC has made it clear that evangelism and witness to Jesus Christ in the world is a major part of the PC(USA) mission, but we are on the verge of losing 55 overseas mission workers. Joining Hearts and Hands has as one of its goals the funding of mission personnel, but its performance has been disappointing. People are confused as to where we are headed with this.

I think that is enough for now. I feel that things are moving in the right direction as far as our understanding of our mission is concerned. I hope that the changes taking place in Louisville and the GAC will result in more focus on doing what God calls us to do.

A Fine Day at Presbytery

Here are two photos from today's Missouri Union Presbytery meeting. Mike Kruse (GAC, Kruse Kronicle) was there, along with John Williams (Synod of Mid America Executive) and John Detterick (GAC Executive Director, via phone link) were there and spoke effectively on the recent GAC budget, mission plan, and layoffs.

Two bloggers meet at Presbytery -- A dangerous combination...

Mike chats with two presbyters after the GAC presentation

I'll post more later; I need to eat and head to Session for another two hours of doing it decently and in order.

[Later]

One of the great joys in serving on my congregation's Candidate Care Committee is participating in the processes of helping members clarify their calls from God. One of our inquirers was examined for candidacy at Presbytery, and is now a candidate. He will be doing an internship over the summer in the Dominican Republic and a pastoral internship this coming academic year. He will also complete his final year at Princeton.

I gave a report to Session on the Presbytery meeting and especially the changes taking place in our denomination. Tomorrow I will try and summarize my impressions.

Presbyterian Outlook: Downtown Disintegration

Downtown Disintegration:
Presbyterian Outlook -- free registration required to read the full article

"...Who’s to blame for the downward spiral in Louisville?

Well, as pink-slipped General Assembly staff members begin their search for new jobs, and as remaining staff try to regroup and reorganize their work, they all can find plenty of culprits to blame. Fund-withholding churches have starved the budget. Exaggerated reporting from a hostile press has incited such withholding. Missteps by a handful of national staff have thrown red meat to the reporters. GA commissioners have adopted provocative policies. Localists in the pews have adopted the ecclesiology of congregationalism in place of Presbyterian connectionalism. And self-absorption, the spirit of our age, has lured churches into cultural captivity...."

Jack Haberer gives his assessment of the current budget problems with the PC(USA) and provides some ideas for how to reverse what he calls a "downward spiral". Haberer is blunt, but has ideas worth considering.

Technorati tags: religion, presbyterian

Sunday Lunch With the Moderator

A group of Mission Committee members from my congregation went across town to have lunch with our counterparts at the other Presbyterian Church. The Moderator of General Assembly, Rick Ufford-Chase was there and we were privileged to hear him speak. He made some brief remarks and then opened things up for questions and dialog.

Ufford-Chase is a personable, articulate and effective advocate for Mission, and his comments were devoid of "sugar-coating". It was a breath of fresh air, if not particularly comforting. Our denomination has a tough row to hoe and we are going to do it with fewer personnel and a smaller budget.

Since the attendees were mostly members of the two congregations' Mission Committees, the "hot button" issues that most people associate with the PC(USA) were not even raised. Instead mission issues dominated the discussion. That, too, was a breath of fresh air.

Here are some of the things Rick Ufford-Chase covered (to the best of my recollection) in his remarks and answers to questions:

• One of the many factors in the dwindling dollars flowing to Louisville is the lack of trust that congregations place in GA, but neither has GA trusted the lower judicatories and congregations to do their job properly. Trust is a two-way street.
  
• Giving overall is up, but less of it is sent upstream. Mission is being done; just not necessarily at the denomination level.
  
• 20 years ago 80% of funds at GAC's disposal were undesignated; today only 15% are undesignated. These designations are honored, but it complicates the budget process.
  
• There is not only a disconnect between what congregation members believe, and what people in Louisville believe, but there is also a disconnect beween what we say and what we do -- one example is our emphasis on witness to Jesus Christ, and the cutting of 55 mission worker positions, which is happening at the same time that "Joining Hearts and Hands" is attempting to fund additional mission workers.
• GAC is looking at mission in terms of (1) what NEEDS to be carried out at the denominational level; (2) what is enhanced by denominational involvment; and (3) what is best done at the lower levels.
  

I was pleased to hear our moderator's strong advocacy for mission, both locally and worldwide, and I hope the PC(USA) can get behind mission as effectively as Rick.