Outlook interview: To depart or to divide?

Editor's Note: Little did they know. Having served on the Session of the Southminster Church in South Daytona Beach, Fla., Linda Davis was none too proud when her young adult son, Lloyd, was ordained and installed as elder on the church's Session. The 1990's were approaching. These were booming days in the life of the church in which Lloyd had been confirmed and married--to a bride he had met there in second grade Sunday School. Little did he or Linda know that, on the encouragement of the pastor and a few elders, the Session would soon initiate a process of investigation into the possibility of withdrawing from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Such an action was allowed in the Articles of Agreement (Article 13) that guided the reunion of the northern and southern streams of the church. That process split the church and nearly split their family.   

General Assembly receives Trinity report

BIRMINGHAM -- The General Assembly has voted 282-212 to receive a report on the nature of the Trinity, after an attempt to send the report back for more study and work was defeated by a close vote -- 227 to 240.

Those votes reflect a debate in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over language in the report -- and particularly over what words are acceptable to use to describe the Trinity.

Assembly approves new divestment statement, softens language

BIRMINGHAM -- With remarkably little debate, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted 403 to 91 to approve a new statement on Presbyterian investment in Israel.

The statement -- which some supporters described as a careful compromise -- acknowledges the "hurt and misunderstanding" the General Assembly caused in 2004 by its actions on divestment.

Wagner to Middle East Caucus: be bridges and prophets

BIRMINGHAM - The Christian faith stands against an implacable empire of complex networks--governments, militaries, multi-national corporations, media--and it must stand firm and strong, Chicago professor and Middle East specialist Donald Wagner told the National Middle East Presbyterian Caucus at its General Assembly dinner Sunday night.

The amalgam of secular political, economic, and social forces joined in mutual self-interest with Christian Zionism contributes especially to the deteriorating situation in Israel and Palestine, he said, citing his impressions from a recent trip to Israel and the West Bank. Christian Zionists portray Jesus as an imperial crusader,  "180 degrees opposite the gospel of love for the poor," he pointed out. He called on churches and caucus members not only to be bridges, but also to be prophets in this situation.

Midnight GA session on social justice needs

BIRMINGHAM -- Ann Philbrick, moderator of the General Assembly committee on Social Justice Issues, invited the commissioners to take a late-night trip around the world on the assembly's final evening-- paying attention to concerns ranging from immigration to torture to globalization.

It was late, after midnight by the end, and the commissioners were weary -- but the matters before them were of the kind that matter deeply, night or day.

Montreat history office to close

BIRMINGHAM -- Supporters of the Presbyterian Historical Society office at Montreat, N.C, fought until the end -- but did not prevail.

The General Assembly voted 348-147 on June 21 to approve a plan to close the history office at Montreat, a move that some argued was financially necessary, but others said would be stripping the denomination of an important piece of its heritage.

In the fall of 2005, the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly voted to close the office at Montreat. The plan, as it evolved, was to consolidate the holdings at the Presbyterian Historical Society office in Philadelphia and at Columbia Theological Seminary in Georgia.

Late term abortion statement adopted by GA commissioners

BIRMINGHAM -- The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) voted 402-74-5 to approve a statement on the post viability and later-term abortions after amended it by adding portions of a previously adopted position in 2003.

The original overture was proposed by Redstone (Pa.) Presbytery to the GA's Health Issues Committee.

Assembly approves keeping ‘fidelity-chastity’ provision in PC(USA) Constitution

BIRMINGHAM -- (PNS) The 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian  Church (U.S.A.) voted overwhelmingly June 20 to leave the "fidelity-chastity" ordination standard for church officers in the denomination's Constitution.

The Assembly's 405-92 vote with four abstentions affirmed a recommendation from the Assembly Committee on Church Orders to keep G-6.0106b in the denomination's Book of Order. The provision requires "fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness."

General Assembly approves Theological Task Force PUP report

BIRMINGHAM -- Now the question is: What happens next?

A closely divided General Assembly has voted to try something new -- to try an approach of balancing freedom of conscience while applying national ordination standards that some say has the chance to bring healing to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and others say could help break the denomination apart.

$150 million donation to PC(USA) announced; Questions arise

Compiled from several Outlook reports

A Denver businessman announced June 15 a $150 million gift to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) -- saying he is tired of watching the continuing decline of the denomination he loves and challenging Presbyterians "to reverse all negative trends. We can grow." Then on June 21 questions arose regarding his ability to fulfill that pledge.

The money from the new Loaves and Fishes Church Growth Fund would be used for grants to presbyteries -- from $250,000 to $1 million apiece. Presbyteries would have to apply for the funds and match part of it. The money would be used for church growth, mission work and theological education.

Presbyterian Women told God at work in chaos

LOUISVILLE -- Former General Assembly moderator Susan Andrews, during the opening plenary of Presbyterian Women's Churchwide Gathering July 7, spoke of God being at work in the chaotic places -- in the messiness, in the disorder, in so many Bible stories where people were curious or defiant or reckless or brave.

With Mary, God spoke "out of the turbulent confusion of a maiden's womb," Andrews said. In his ministry Jesus entered chaos joyfully, creatively -- turning water into wine, healing the sick, welcoming questions, bringing new hope out of the "chaos of crucifixion."

Jesus, she said, "was recreating the cosmos."

Hernandez shares stories of immigrant crisis;
exhorts PW gathering to speak out against injustice

LOUISVILLE -- At Manos de Cristo, a Presbyterian social service agency in Austin, Texas, 1,500 children come each summer for a back-to-school program. They are given clothes and school supplies, treated to some fun, introduced to stories from the Bible. The organizers hope to plant "a small seed that will grow and one day lead to complete transformation," said Lydia Hernandez, a Presbyterian minister who's the agency's executive director.

That's what Hernandez hopes for Presbyterians everywhere too: complete transformation.

Robins encourages PW gathering to “value diverse spiritualities”

LOUISVILLE -- Diversity is one of the daily themes of Presbyterian Women's 2006 Gathering, meeting July 7 to 11 in Kentucky. But how Christians -- who teach that faith in Jesus Christ is central to salvation -- should interact with those of other religious traditions is not something on which all Presbyterians agree.

Kikanza Nuri Robins, a Presbyterian minister from California, https://www.kikanzanurirobins.com  spoke from her own personal experience during the morning plenary session on July 8 -- and she encouraged the 3,000 women at this gathering to bring to the table those from other religious traditions and to value diverse spiritualities.

Robins, an organizational development consultant, is the author of the 2007-2008 Bible Study for Horizons on the gospel of Luke. She also has been a consultant to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s national staff on issues of cultural proficiency.

Advisory Opinion: Discernment in Examining Bodies

Since the 217th General Assembly adopted the Authoritative Interpretation proposed by the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, the Stated Clerk's Office has been asked by many Presbyterians to issue an Advisory Opinion (Standing Rule M.2.b.2).

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Joan S. Gray elected Moderator of the 217th General Assembly

Joan Gray, a pastor from Atlanta, Ga., is the new moderator-elect of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She was elected June 15 at the beginning of the 217^th PC(USA) General Assembly. She will serve a two-year term along with vice moderator-elect Robert Ervin Wilson of Huntsville, Ala.

Photo credit line(s) Presbyterian Outlook photo(s)

BIRMINGHAM -- The 217^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has elected as its moderator Joan S. Gray -- a pastor from Atlanta who spoke of God making a way "where there was no way" and said her experience ministering to congregations in conflict would help her build bridges in a deeply divided denomination.

Gray, 53, was elected on the third round of balloting, winning 307 votes, or 62 percent of the votes cast. She prevailed over three other candidates, all of them pastors: Deborah Block of Milwaukee, who earned 152 votes on the final ballot (31 percent); H. Timothy Halverson of Cape Coral, Fla., with 20 votes (4 percent); and Kerry Carson of Conrad, Iowa, with 19 votes (4 percent).

In the first round of balloting, Block drew the most votes -- 143 (28 percent), compared with 139 for Gray (28 percent), 113 for Halverson (22 percent), and 109 for Carson (22 percent).