You observe that we are already a divided church: we read different books and journals, attend different conferences, support different missions. You conclude that the division should be expressed structurally. We have a different vision. We dare to believe that what feels sometimes like harmful conflict is, in reality, an expression of the theological health of our Reformed Tradition with its historic celebration of freedom and human conscience. We conclude that the theological divisions we all observe are, at least in part, a sign of intellectual liveliness and vigor. We propose that theological uniformity is not open to the moving of God’s Spirit and does not embrace the richness of diversity in the Reformed Tradition.
So we implore you not to leave. The PC(USA) would be poorer without you and your voice, as we believe it would be without us and our voice.
As our Presbyteries have voted on Book of Order amendments it appears that Amendment 10-A has passed. For those of us who have lived with a constitutional prohibition that we sincerely believe to be wrong, and which denies the church the chance to ordain men and women whom we believe God is calling to leadership, it will be a long-awaited blessing.
But we recognize that in the eyes of others whom we respect and love and who are dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, this new amendment will be extraordinarily painful. We implore you to stay in full fellowship with the entire PC(USA) family.
Moreover, we commit ourselves in the future to working to protect the freedom of congregations and Presbyteries to make decisions that reflect an interpretation of scripture that may differ from ours.
These are critical days for our church. We believe our church will be stronger and more faithful if we defend your right to say “no,” just as we are grateful for this day when we can say “yes” to ordain those whom we believe God is calling. And we look forward to working together with you into the future to which God calls all of us.
John Buchanan and Christine Chakoian
Other signatories to the letter
Susan Andrews
Tom Are Jr.
Wes Avram
John E. Barclay
Scott L. Barton
Gene Bay
W. Glen Bell
Hugh N. Blair
Deborah Block
Beth Braxton
John Buchanan
Albert G. Butzer III
Cynthia Campbell
James L. Carter
Christine Chakoian
Karen Chakoian
Gary W. Charles
Joseph J. Clifford
Paul A. Collier
Rob Craig
Vicky Curtiss
Erik W. Dailey
Eric Dillenbeck
Shirley Dudley
Timothy J. Hoyt Duncan
Kate Dunn
B. Gordon Edwards
Alexander W. Evans
John R. Evans
Fairfax F. Fair
Miranda Fontaine
Dean E. Foose
Scott Foster
Adam Fronczek
Lewis Galloway
Edward D. Gehres Jr.
G. Wilson Gunn Jr.
R. Charles Grant
Alison Halsey
Tim Hart-Andersen
William L. Hathaway
Sherri Hausser
Randy Harris
Taylor M. Hill
Kirby Lawrence Hill
William Hoffmann
Leah McKell Horton
Roy W. Howard
Mindy Huffstetler
Caroline Jinkins
Jeremy Jinkins
Michael Jinkins
Sarah Johnson
Scott Black Johnston
Adelia Kelso
Robert R. Laha Jr.
Michael L. Lindvall
Linda C. Loving
Calum I. MacLeod
Robert McClellan
Nancy Chester McCranie
Erin McGee
Sue Ellis Melrose
Brian Merritt
Carol Howard Merritt
Matthew Miller
Amy Miracle
Blair R. Monie
Elise Renee Neal
Corey A. Nelson
Peter Nord
Agnes W. Norfleet
Amy Pagliarella
Thomas J. Parlette
William E. Pauley
Pete Peery
Pendleton B. Peery
Caitlin Foley Phillips
Judye Pistole
Robert M. Poteet
Susan B. Rice
Cynthia L. Rigby
Lisa Rzepka
Gretchen Schneider
J. Barrie Shepherd
Joyce Shin
Ronald L. Shive
Richard E. Spalding
Charles A. Summers
Terry Swicegood
Kate Taber
Molly Blythe Teichert
Mark P. Thomas
P. Alex Thornburg
Louisa Watkins Umphres
David A. Van Dyke
David A. Walker
Jon M. Walton
Randy Weber
Louise Westfall
Barbara G. Wheeler
Edward White
John Wilkinson
Richard R. Wohlschlaeger
Jc Young-Thompson
