David Dobler addresses crowd at Montreat conference
A once-in-a-lifetime gathering of seminary presidents and former moderators brought their impressive brain power and experience together to discern where to go from here now that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly has approved the recommendations of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.
About 270 participants came to meet with 10 seminary presidents (or their representatives) and 16 former moderators at Montreat, NC, to plan for the future. The majority of leaders represented a moderate or left-of-moderate viewpoint. The participants ranged from conservative to moderate to liberal. Missing were the very conservative and the very liberal voices. Also missing, at least from the podium, was the denomination’s stated clerk or a representative from his office.
The main topic was the task force, several of whose members were at the conference. It was assigned the task of trying to find a way for this denomination to move forward in regard to the ordination of practicing homosexuals while keeping the Presbyterian family together. The approved recommendations included one that will allow departures from the Church’s standards on a case-by-case basis when approved by an ordaining body.
The approval of this recommendation by only a 57 percent majority left the Church teetering on the brink of schism. Conservative and renewal groups have already voiced the possibility of separating and have scheduled meetings for later in the year. One new affinity group has been born, the Presbyterian Global Fellowship, to draw together like-minded congregations that want to focus on world missions while maintaining bonds with the PC(USA) overseas partner denominations, many of whom might not approve of the Assembly’s action.
A lot of discussion early on in the conference was focused on affinity groups and their effect on the PC(USA). The conversation later turned to the pain that many individuals and congregations feel as a result of the Assembly vote and how to reach out to those that may be hurting. And finally those assembled drew up specific plans to reach out across divides back home.
Affinity Groups
In the first of four panel presentations, Mark Achtemeier, professor of theology at Dubuque Theological Seminary and a member of the PUP task force, grounded his thoughts in the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity. “Sometimes this is thought to mean there is no ounce of good in anyone,” he said. “Not quite. But no area of human life is immune to sin, even in the course of our best deeds.”
In regard to the state of the PC(USA), “It occurred to me our investment in the Church’s future has been channeled through the work of subgroups. These are by and large the vehicles through which Presbyterians have sought to secure a faithful and hopeful future. Our instinct is to form a new group. But the devil continues to prowl about like a lion, and one of the great ironies is that these subgroups devolve into a failure of becoming the one body of Christ. These subgroups have become the locus of primary loyalties,” said Achtemeier.
He pointed to a New Testament parallel. In Corinth the same situation arose, with some saying, they belonged to Paul, others to Cephas. “Now people say they belong to Presbyterians for Renewal, or to the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, or one of the other groups.” He said that the church of the subgroups devolves into “arrogance.” “Paul launches a sustained critique of theses subgroups. His counter to these is to lift up the cross of Jesus Christ.” Paul asked the Corinthians, ”Has Paul been crucified for you? No. Only Christ.'”
Jack Haberer, editor of The Presbyterian Outlook and member of the PUP task force, said that fear prevails in the church’s life and that different groups fear other groups. “Fear wraps its paralyzing grip around us. Fear of foes does not sit silent. It mobilizes to lash out … against all those people causing all these problems. And like the farm worker yanking both weeds and wheat out of the ground, a reckless band of fear-inspired warriors destroys God’s harvest.’
Of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship, he said, “For some it will be a mechanism to punish national offices. But most people will jump on that for stewardship reasons. National church leaders can lash out, or recognize that such structures keep on board some folks who are ready to jump ship.”
Haberer asked, “How do we conquer fear? The Cowardly Lion would say we need courage. It is not courage, but perfect love that casts out fear. Jesus Christ has commissioned us to love one another. … When we relax into the love embodied by our Lord, we discover that this roller coaster ride of faith is the most exhilarating ride. Let’s get on board.”
Barbara Wheeler, president of Auburn Theological Seminary and a member of the PUP task force referred to the task force’s charge to model “a new way” to the PC(USA). “There is much to do to remold our community life, to mitigate the corrosive effects of the affinity groups. It is time to build a new culture in this denomination that makes a place for everyone and their biblically-formed consciences, where conservatives and liberals can explore the other side without being labeled as turncoats. We need much more faith-seeking-understanding.”
She also offered a personal stand for the future: “I have made myself two promises. I won’t belong to any group that won’t commit itself to building such a culture. I will commit myself to this. We really do share one faith, one baptism and one loving Lord.”
Pain
In the fourth panel presentation, David Dobler, moderator of the 205th General Assembly (1993), broke the ice on the pain that many feel after the Assembly vote. Dobler for 11 years was executive in the Presbytery of Yukon and is now president of Sheldon Jackson College. “In many parts of our church, this is going to be characterized as a time of pastoral care in a time of schism. There is no other word. There are people who will be leaving, people who will be tormented with whether they should go or not. There will be an undercurrent in many of our presbyteries. How do we care for those who have this choice of leaving?” he asked.
And “leaving” is not only a possibility. “Presbyteries are passing resolutions saying they are not like the General Assembly. … The Presbyterian Lay Committee has posted on their Web site that the slide into apostasy cannot be reversed. [Conservative-evangelicals] are holding a gathering later this year in Orlando, a meeting to birth a new organization that has many Presbyterians coming to it. The driving goal is to strengthen mission ties with our overseas partners. To say we are not like the PC(USA),” said Dobler. “All these are our brothers and sisters in Christ. In my own presbytery there are those who are trying to explain away the action of the General Assembly. So in my presbytery and others, in congregations and affinity groups, they are asking, ‘Do we go?’ Take that lightly and I remind you about the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America), or behold the Episcopal Church. In my ministry I have seen the pain of division.
“For many in our fellowship, the approval of the PUP report is not seen as a happy event, but one that has pulled the trigger for them. … It has become the tipping point. The holy option is to define themselves as not us.”
Doug Oldenburg, moderator of the 210th Assembly (1998), rose to respond to Dobler in a question session that followed. “As one who supported the PUP report, I need to say to you that I share the pain that you and others feel about its passage. I was there when the PCA left and remember how it tore up families and people. I am committed to the unity of church. I grieve over what is going to happen.
“My question to you is, short of rescinding the action, is there anything that we can do to reach out to our brothers and sisters in a pastoral way?”
Dobler responded, “Our moderator [Gray] spoke of a reservoir of trust that is exhausted. That reservoir is not going to be filled by silence. For us to get any place, we are going to have to work hard at building relationships. It is sort of like the gut feeling I get when I don’t know what to say but I need to say something. It is imperative. Go and speak and reach out. I’d rather sin loudly than quietly.”
Plans for back home
Oldenburg had previously paid tribute to his late friend and elder Joe Martin of the Covenant Church in Charlotte, who was a senior vice president of Bank of America. Oldenburg called Martin “the conscience of Charlotte”, who urged others to make a weekly commitment to take someone to lunch who was different from themselves. “If you are conservative, take a liberal. If you are liberal, take a conservative. If you are white, take someone who is black. If black, someone who is white. If straight, take someone who is gay. If gay, someone who is straight.”
This commitment became the marching order for the conference when on the last day Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator of the 216th Assembly, led conferees in an hour-long exercise on what they would do back home. The conclusion was to pray, and do exactly what Joe Martin had suggested.
BILL LANCASTER is associate for mission, Foothills Presbytery, Greenville, S.C.
