Menaul School faces April funding deadline

Menaul School, a PC(USA)-affiliated secondary school in Albuquerque, N.M., is facing an economic crisis which must be resolved by April.

To continue operation, the school is seeking $550,000 in loans — $450,000 from the General Assembly and $100,000 from Southwest Synod. [Note — School officials had earlier told The Outlook that the GA request would be for $900,000. It has since been reduced.] The good news for the school is that the synod has approved a $200,000 loan. On the other hand, the GA committee that must recommend the larger loan does not meet until April 1.

GA PJC upholds ordination of lesbian minister

KANSAS CITY — Katie Morrison got a lot of people's attention when she told reporters that she's lesbian, that she lives in a committed relationship with a longtime partner, and that to her way of thinking, chastity is not at all the same thing as celibacy. But Morrison, who was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in California in October 2001, told Redwoods Presbytery, when it was considering her ordination that fall, that she could comply with the requirement in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Constitution that those being ordained practice fidelity if they are married or chastity if they are single.

Task force focuses on what the Bible means to Presbyterians

DALLAS - Mark Achtemeier, a theology professor from Iowa, talked 

about the dangers of "cut-and-paste" biblical interpretation - taking what

 you like, tossing out the rest.

Ordination issue finally surfaces before PC(USA) task force

DALLAS – The elephant finally ambled into the room at the fifth meeting of

 the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). But it hasn't kicked anybody yet.

Dieth resigns as president of Montreat

Emile H. Dieth Jr., president of the Montreat Conference Center since 1998, resigned Tuesday, Feb. 18, according to a Montreat news release.

In a message addressed to his staff and board colleagues, Dieth wrote, in part, "I take pride in the many achievements and accomplishments which have been concluded during my administration."

Presbyterians divided regarding attacking Iraq

It's the subject weighing on the heart and conscience of almost every American, the one pastors know is troubling people but about which they aren't sure what they should do. Should the United States attack Iraq? And, facing that prospect, what is the Christian response?

At some Presbyterian churches, members pass out "Peace is Patriotic!" signs and gather in candlelight vigils for peace, along with sympathetic new friends who may be Quaker or Muslim or Catholic or of no faith tradition at all.

Complaint against GA officials may be headed for hearing in Kansas City

General Assembly Moderator Fahed-Abu Akel, says he won't call the 214th Assembly back into session, but a challenge pending in the church courts could bring a different result.

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, the denomination's highest court, is scheduled to meet Feb. 28 in Kansas City. During that session it may consider a remedial case filed against Abu-Akel and others involved in the decision to not recall the Assembly.

Presbytery rejects church’s call of openly lesbian minister

The denominational battle over ordination standards came to Rockville church, Rockville, Md., when the church's Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) decided to call Alice Anderson as pastor.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, National Capital Presbytery's Committee on Ministry (COM) said it could not confirm Anderson's call because of a "significant" minority opposition within the 241-member congregation to calling the openly lesbian minister.

Louis Zbinden, pastor of First Church, San Antonio, announces retirement effective June 1

SAN ANTONIO — Louis H. Zbinden Jr., 66, senior minister of 3,066-member First church, San Antonio, since 1971 and a leading figure among conservative evangelical Presbyterians, has announced to his congregation that he will retire effective June 1, 2003. His last Sunday in the pulpit will be May 25.

Zbinden told the session of the church about his retirement at its monthly meeting Monday night, Jan. 27. The church mailed a letter to the congregation that same day.

Moderator Abu-Akel says he will not call 214th GA into special session

LOUISVILLE — Saying he wants the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to focus on mission and ministry, Fahed Abu-Akel, moderator of the denomination's 214th General Assembly, announced Monday morning that he will not call the Assembly back into session.

He told a news conference that 13 commissioners who signed a petition asking the Assembly to reconvene — six ministers and seven elders — indicated they wanted their names removed.