June P. Bucy, treasurer, Shenandoah Presbytery and elder, Massanutten Church, died on Wednesday, June 28, 2006, at her home at Massanetta Springs, Virginia. Her husband, the Rev. Dr. Ralph Bucy, and sons Tommy and Flynn were all with her at the time of her death. June was diagnosed with cancer in March and was under the care of hospice for several months. A memorial service has been tentatively set for Saturday, July 8, 2006, 2:00pm, at Massanutten Church in Penn Laird, Va. No other information is available at this time, but further details will be given as they become available. Your prayers are greatly appreciated for Ralph and for her family at this time of great loss. … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2006
Presbyterians at GA face serious issues, identifying a way forward
Some people who've been around the block a few times have a sense the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- which lost 48,400 members in 2005, it was just announced -- may be in a time of transition. There will be new leadership, perhaps a new approach for sorting out the disagreements over ordaining gays and lesbians. There are questions of how a mainline Protestant denomination, declining in influence, older and less diverse than the surrounding culture, can continue to be a voice worth listening to on issues ranging from immigration to Iraq. There's a lot at stake in Birmingham, according to some Presbyterians. They were coming to Alabama full of both pent-up anxiety and hope -- and with a sense that this assembly could be critical in shaping the future direction of the PC(USA.) To them, things feel a little different this time around. But different how? Build-up of issues First, with the assembly meeting just every other year, there's been a long build-up time -- lots of … [Read more...]
PC(USA) membership down, financial giving up
LOUISVILLE -- Membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) declined by more than 2 percent in 2005, but total giving to the church increased by more than 5 percent, topping $3 billion for the first time. According to figures released June 2 by the Office of the General Assembly, PC(USA) "communicant" membership at the end of last year totaled 2,313,662 -- a decline of 48,474 or 2.05 percent from 2004. Including 318,291 baptized but not confirmed members and 466,889 inactive members, total PC(USA) membership stands at 3.1 million. But Presbyterians are giving to the church at record levels. "Giving to the church is up substantially in every category and at every level of the church's life," noted General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick in a prepared statement released with the statistical report. Total giving to the church rose $146.9 million last year to $3,073,684,927. Adjusted for the membership loss, the average Presbyterian gave 7 percent more to the church last … [Read more...]
Administration and sexual time bombs
The 2006 General Assembly will be remembered as the Assembly that debated two controversial issues. The first was raised in a petition entitled "A Voice for the Local Church." The petition gave expression to a widely shared concern of congregations that recent administrative changes had fundamentally altered the nature of the Kirk, that too much power had of late been transferred from the local church and Presbytery to a few people within the Central Administration. Dr Cairns the petitioner believed-- --that the ending of presbytery representation on the Assembly's Boards and Councils had emasculated the local church's ability to influence decisions and priorities; --that the way in which stipend money is now in-gathered had fundamentally changed the minister-congregation relationship; --that those who contribute the funds that are spent centrally are now effectively denied any say in where their giving goes; --that General Assembly debates are so organised that it is very … [Read more...]
Confessing Christ in the 21st Century
by Mark Douglas. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-7425-1432-3. Pb., 262 pp., $27.95. Years from now, people who take their Christian faith seriously will still be reading and reflecting upon this exceptional work. Mark Douglas has written a book that will surely stand the test of time. Confessing Christ in the 21st Century is one of those rare books that will stimulate discussion and challenge thought for generations to come. The larger hope, however, is that it will serve a useful purpose for us even now. Indeed it does. Having acknowledged the changing cultural landscape of our day, this author returns to the earliest and most basic creed of the New Testament Church--Jesus is Lord. More importantly, he encourages us to embrace this faith for our own in the 21st century. Douglas doesn't argue that Jesus is Lord. Rather, he simply assumes, or affirms, that this creed is central to the Christian church. Page by page, Douglas carefully and consistently explores … [Read more...]
Ordination Standards: Biblical, Theological, and Scientific Perspectives
North Como Presbyterian Church, Roseville, Minnesota. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-595-34155-1. Pb., 588 pp., $46.95. Congratulations to North Como Church for producing the most massive and comprehensive resource to date on the battle over ordination standards in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It is almost beyond comprehension that a congregational task force put together the massive, Ordination Standards: Biblical, Theological, and Scientific Perspectives. I am sure the process of working systematically through the many complex issues was rewarding for the Task Force and for the entire congregation. That their work is now available to the whole church is a gift, but it is a gift that must be received cautiously. Over the past 15 years there have been several calls for congregations in the PC(USA) to study the issues around the ordination of gays and lesbians. The task force from Roseville believed that congregations did not have … [Read more...]
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