The 2014 General Assembly overwhelmingly approved adding the Belhar Confession from South Africa to the Book of Confession of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – a statement on justice and reconciliation written under the shadow of apartheid that some contend could speak a strong voice in today’s divided, multicultural world.
Following the lead of the General Assembly Committee on Theological Issues and Institutions and Christian Education (Committee 13), the assembly voted June 18 to add Belhar to the Book of Confessions, and also approved the commemoration this year of the 500th birthday of the Protestant reformer John Knox, and considered presentations on the Directory for Worship and the Committee on Theology Education (COTE).
Belhar approved
The Belhar Confession was written in South Africa in 1982; was adopted as a confession of faith by the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in South in 1986; and has since been adopted by other denominations as well.
Susie Krivencko, a ruling elder from the Presbytery of Elizabeth in New Jersey, spoke in favor of the PC(USA) including Belhar in its confessional statements, hoping Presbyterians could use it “as a platform for conversation and education” and “to open conversations within our denomination about racism in our society.”
Laurie Hartzell, a teaching elder from Lake Michigan Presbytery, also spoke in favor, noting that at a time when unity in the denomination is precarious, the voice of reconciliation can be a gift. Perhaps, she said, this confession will mentor the people of the denomination through the power of the Holy Spirit into a new day.
The original proposal coming to the assembly included a letter to accompany the Belhar Confession. The committee had recommended removing the letter – expressing concern that its inclusion might pose difficulty for some presbyteries considering Belhar’s approval.
In plenary debate, one commissioner questioned this action, to which committee moderator Quinn Fox, a teaching elder from National Capital presbytery, noted that the letter would still be made available as a resource in educational materials and on the Presbyterian Mission Agency website, but would not be included in the printed Book of Confessions.
The assembly vote 86% in favor of adding the Belhar Confession (551 – 87). Of note, 100% of Theological Student Advisory Delegates voted in favor of approving the confession.
Next, the denomination’s 172 presbyteries will be asked if they approve adding Belhar. For that to happen, two-thirds of the presbyteries must vote approval over the next year.
The PC(USA) has come close to adopting Belhar before: with the 2010 General Assembly voting for its adoption, but the measure falling eight votes short of the two-thirds majority vote required of the presbyteries.
Revised Directory for Worship
Although the revision had already won approval on the consent agenda, David Gambrell, associate for worship in the PC(USA) Office of Theology and Worship, offered a short introduction to the revised Directory for Worship. The directory has been revised keeping in mind diverse contexts, new worshipping communities and the flexible needs of worship leaders. To achieve this, the revised directory has retained its Reformed nature but it has been simplified, reorganized to make elements easier to find and significantly shortened (reduced from 27,000 to 17,000 words).
Gambrell told the assembly these adjustments seek a stronger focus on the work of the Holy Spirit, and are intended to be more helpful to the local church. An online version with links to Scripture and confessional resources will be available before July 1, 2014.
“Now we need to hear from you and the whole Presbyterian Church,” invited Gambrell. Churches have one year to provide comments by email before a new draft will go before the 222nd General Assembly (2016).
COTE Presentation
Kathy Wolf Reed, chairperson of the Committee on Theological Education, introduced two awardees for the COTE Excellence in Theological Education awards: Cynthia Campbell, former president of McCormick Theological Seminary, and Jack B. Rogers, former vice-president of San Francisco Theological Seminary and a former General Assembly moderator. Campbell and Rogers accepted awards and spoke briefly about the improvements in theological education they have witnessed.
