Paul Jensen and Alex Metherell are both active members in good standing of this congregation, and I have warm, personal friendships of almost 25 years with each of them.
Although I share with both men a common concern that there be full compliance with our constitutional and theological standards, neither alerted me or the session of St. Andrew’s before they initiated their individual and separate actions. I and the session of St. Andrews have already disassociated ourselves with the methodology of Mr. Jensen. And I have shared in private conversations with Mr. Metherell my personal opinion that a recall of the [214th] General Assembly is not only unwise but could be counterproductive to our constitutional procedures.
I do not see what such a meeting could accomplish other than to bring greater confusion and frustration to matters concluded by the decisive defeat of [last year’s] Amendment A in the presbytery ratification process.
I stand in solidarity with the stated clerk, Clifton Kirkpatrick; the moderator, Fahed Abu-Akel; and the two additional moderatorial candidates [from last year], Laird Stuart and Jerry Tankersley; along with many others in calling for compliance to our constitutional standards while deeming a special meeting of the General Assembly to be unnecessary. This is the time to concentrate our efforts on carrying out the Great Ends of the church and to move forward in our General Assembly mandated “Mission Initiative” while expecting, in the due course of time, that the judicial process will enforce compliance.
