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GA PJC rules against call for special session; says moderator erred in sending January letter

KANSAS CITY — Finally, it's final: the 214th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will not be called back into session.

For months, the denomination has been waiting to hear whether Alex Metherell, an elder and physician from Laguna Beach, Calif., would succeed in his efforts to reconvene last summer's General Assembly to take on an issue which he claims could pull apart the PC(USA) — that of sessions and pastors which refuse to follow the denomination's constitutional standards, which limit ordination to those who practice fidelity if they're married or chastity if they're single.

Presbyterian minister, professor Rolston to receive 2003 Templeton Prize

NEW YORK — Holmes Rolston III, professor of philosophy at Colorado State University, whose 30 years of research, writing and lecturing on the religious imperative to respect nature have established environmental ethics, has been named the 2003 Templeton Prize laureate. The prize, valued at more than $1million, was announced Wednesday at a news conference at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York.

Decision expected this week in case regarding call for a special session of the 214th GA

KANSAS CITY — During an all-day hearing here Monday, one lawyer said this case "will decide the future of our denomination," another said it's a test of whether there's any trust left in the church.

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, the highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is expected to decide later this week whether, after months of high drama, the 214th General Assembly (2002) will meet again — maybe the week before the 215th General Assembly.

Witherspoon Society faces challenge of representing progressive Presbyterians

LOUISVILLE — As the Witherspoon Society — founded in 1973 and built upon the push-for-change energy of the 1960s — celebrates its 30th anniversary, some of its own members are thinking through what it means to be a progressive voice in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with a nation preparing for war and a church divided against itself.

Report of the Pastoral Committee of Northern New England Presbytery

Editor's note — Following is the Report of the Pastoral Committee appointed by the Presbyery of Northern New England to work with Christ church, Burlington, Vt. The report was accepted without change by voice vote at the presbytery's stated meeting on March 8. It is the final report of the presbytery's compliance under the GAPJC decision in the Londonderry case.

Moderator Abu-Akel will be sole defendant in GAPJC hearing on recalling 214th Assembly

KANSAS CITY — The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission will hear a complaint over whether the 214th General Assembly should be called back into session, but with only one defendant — Moderator Fahed Abu-Akel.

The trial is scheduled to begin March 17 in Kansas City. It's not clear whether, if the judicial commission were to rule against Abu-Akel, if there is still enough time to call the Assembly back into session before the next General Assembly — the 215th — opens for business in Denver May 24.

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.

GA court to decide whether to hear complaint regarding unrecalled Assembly

KANSAS CITY ‑- The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission is supposed

to decide by March 3 whether to move ahead with a complaint regarding the refusal of

top Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders to call last year's General Assembly back into

session.

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.

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.

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.