Check back for updates as additional items are received (Last Update 5/3/06)
5/3/06:
“Unaligned” PC(USA) pastors support P.U.P. Task Force Report
More than fifty pastors, currently serving congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA), have expressed gratitude and support for the work of the General Assembly’s Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.
The pastors, almost all of whom serve relatively large congregations, have affirmed the work of the Task Force, saying that, “because the twenty members of the Task Force represent a wide range of views and backgrounds, the resulting unanimous report may be a sign that God’s Spirit is leading our church in a new direction.”
In a signed statement, the pastors note that they have been involved in the great debates that currently affect the denomination. They also recognize that they are pastors to people who have been hurt by the debates. As ministers bound by the Constitution of the denomination, and as disciples of Christ, the signers have varying opinions on the debates. The signers have not officially aligned themselves with any of the groups seeking to influence the outcome of the controversies.
Those signing the statement join the Task Force in asking members, congregations, sessions, and presbyteries of our denomination to carefully, prayerfully study the report. They specifically encourage the commissioners to the 217th General Assembly to adopt the report and its recommendations.
4/16/06:
AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN THE PCUSA:
As we grow nearer to the time of the General Assembly, we the undersigned pastors, speaking only for ourselves, express our deep concern for the most troubling implication of the Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force report – the adoption of a new Authoritative Interpretation regarding standards for ordination creating “local option.” Further, we grieve the continuing decline of our denomination on multiple levels. Something is deeply flawed at the core. We yearn and pray for a new day for the PCUSA. While longing to retain our unity, we are ready for a redefinition of that unity and the structural realties that hold us together. God help us.
| Jerry Andrews | First Presbyterian Church — Glen Ellyn, IL |
| Hubert Auburn | Bay Village Presbyterian — Bay Village, OH |
| Peter Barnes | First Presbyterian Church — Boulder, CO |
| David Berry | First Presbyterian Church — Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| Joe Bettridge | St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Tuscon, AZ |
| Mark Brewer | Belair Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, CA |
| Jim Capps | Southport Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, IN |
| John Crosby | Christ Presbyterian Church, Edina, MN |
| Bill Dudley | Signal Mountain Presbyterian, Signal Mountain, TN |
| Scott Dudley | First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, WA |
| Rob Eyman | Whitworth Community Presbyterian Church, Spokane, WA |
| Scott Farmer | Community Presbyterian Church, Danville, CA |
| Doug Ferguson | Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX |
| Doug Fletcher | Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX |
| Woody Garvin | Valley Presbyterian Church, Paradise Valley, AZ |
| David Henderson | Covenant Presbyterian Church, West Lafayette, IN |
| John Huffman | St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, CA |
| Bruce Humphrey | Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego, CA |
| Gareth Icenogle | The National Presbyterian Church, Washington D.C. |
| David Joynt | Presbyterian Church of Toms River, Tom River, NJ |
| Richard Kannwischer | First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, TX |
| Ron Kincaid | Sunset Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR |
| Mike McClenahan | Solana Beach Presbyterian Church, Solana Beach, CA |
| Rick Murray | First Presbyterian Church, Yakima, WA |
| Vic Pentz | Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA |
| Doug Rumford | Colonial Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, MO |
| Ron Scates | Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX |
| Jim Singleton | First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs, CO |
| Tim Snow | University Presbyterian Church, Seattle, WA |
| Gary Stratman | Covenant Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX |
| David Swanson | First Presbyterian Church, Orlando, FL |
| Mark Toone | Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, Gig Harbor, WA |
| William Vanderbloemen | First Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX |
| Henry Wells | Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, Fair Oaks, CA |
3/20/06:
A Statement in Support of the Theological Task Force Report
We are two pastors who care deeply about the witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and for our church’s future. We have observed with deepening concern conflict in our church intensifying. We have come to believe that the Final Report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, offers a hopeful way through the conflict. Therefore, it is our hope that the church will study the report and that the 217th General Assembly will adopt it.
The Task Force based much of its work on the history of the church and traditional Presbyterian polity principles that served to unify our church in earlier difficult times. The report offers a biblically based, theologically sound rationale for the church to remain together even in times of serious disagreement.
Each of us has come to conclusions on the difficult issues that have faced our Church and these have not always been identical positions. The report does not offer everything that either of us hoped for. On the important issue of the church’s identity and future however, the report suggests that there is a “third way’ to move forward if we listen to one another, respect one another, disagree with integrity, and embrace all that we have in common, including our tradition’s theology, history, polity, confessional heritage and, most of all, the centrality of scripture.
We are encouraged that 20 Presbyterians, representing a wide spectrum of diversity in our church, have come together to issue this unanimous report. We are moved, in spite of our occasional different conclusions on particular issues, to join them in hopes that our church may begin to live out its calling in a new way.
| M. Craig Barnes is Pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh and Meneilly Professor of Leadership and Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He previously served as Pastor of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. | John M. Buchanan is Pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago and editor/publisher of The Christian Century. He served as Moderator of the 208th General Assembly (1996) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) |
12/19/05:
General Assembly Moderators Support the Report of Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church
Each of us was extremely honored and privileged to be elected Moderator of the General Assembly. During our tenure as Moderator, we saw many signs of the “best of Presbyterianism,” but we also saw destructive conflict that was harmful to the mission of the church. We have prayed daily that God’s Spirit would lead our church to a new unity and commitment to Jesus Christ. We believe God is now answering that prayer.
We believe the Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church reflects the “best of Presbyterianism.” The way this very diverse group of twenty people with convictions across the theological spectrum came together with mutual respect and unanimously produced this report is surely the work of the Holy Spirit. They have modeled for us the gift of unity that is given to us in Jesus Christ.
We believe their report also reflects the “best of Presbyterianism.” They strongly urge us to “stay together in one body.” They call us to follow their example and engage in “discernment groups” with diverse views that meet for worship, study, community building, and theological reflection. They encourage us to study together the theological basis of their report in the Prologue. And they invite us to reclaim the long established principles of Presbyterian polity: having denominational standards for ordination, yet allowing ordaining and installing governing bodies to apply them after rigorous examination of candidates, “deciding whether a candidate has departed from essentials of the Reformed faith and practice.”
We urge prayerful study and discussion of their report and its recommendations. With the task force, we believe it “offers the church ways to live together that may demonstrate to a violently divided world the peace, unity, and purity given through Jesus Christ.”
Names of Moderators who support the report:
Rev. Silas Kessler: 1963, 175th GA-UPCUSA
Rev. Robert C. Lamar: 1974,186th GA-UPCUSA
Dr. Thelma C. D. Adair: 1976, 188th GA-UPCUSA
Elder Jule C. Spach: 1976, 116th GA-PCUS
Rev. William P. Lytle: 1978, 190th GA-UPCUSA
Elder Sara Bernice Moseley, 1978, 118th GA-PCUS
Rev. Albert C. Winn, 1979, 119th GA-PCUS
Rev. Howard Rice, 1979, 191st GA-UPCUSA
Rev. John F. Anderson, 1982-83, 122nd & 123rd GA-PCUS
Rev. Harriet Nelson, 1984, 196th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Benjamin Weir, 1986, 198th GA-PCUSA
Elder Isabel Wood Rogers, 1987, 199th GA-PCUSA
Elder Price H. Gwynn, III, 1990, 202nd GA-PCUSA
Rev. Herbert D. Valentine, 1991, 203rd GA-PCUSA
Rev. John M. Fife, 1992, 204th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Robert W. Bohl, 1994, 206th GA-PCUSA
Elder Marj Carpenter, 1995, 207th GA-PCUSA
Rev. John M. Buchanan, 1996, 208th GA-PCUSA
Elder Patricia Brown, 1997, 209th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Douglas W. Oldenburg, 1998, 210th GA-PCUSA
Elder Freda A. Gardner, 1999, 211th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Syngman Rhee, 2000, 212th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Jack Rogers, 2001, 213th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, 2002, 214th GA-PCUSA
Rev. Susan R. Andrews, 2003, 215th GA-PCUSA
Elder Rick Ufford-Chase, 2004, 216th GA-PCUSA
