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 News
and Views
about the
Presbyterian Church (USA)
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Archived stories and links
June 2003 through December 2003 |
Earlier stories are indexed:
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The latest issue of Perspectives, the PCUSA on-line journal,
is now available.
[12-18-03]Perspectives offers an exploration
of issues facing the church as well as some reflective analysis of our
life together as a denomination through the lens of scripture, our
Reformed theology, and a constitutional and confessional framework.
Click on the link below to enjoy new articles in the December
Perspectives.
http://www.pcusa.org/oga/perspectives/index.htm
"A Church of All and for All"
World Council of Churches
"A God's Eye View"
Susan R. Andrews
"Geography"
Gradye Parsons
"Christmas Message"
Konrad Raiser
Click here for a
glimpse of this issue's contents. |
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Presbytery
panel recommends withdrawing validation of Parker Williamson's ministry
[12-11-03]
Presbyterian News Service reports on the COM vote in the
Presbytery of Western North Carolina, recommending that the Presbytery not
validate the ministry of the Rev. Parker T. Williamson as chief executive
officer of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and editor in chief of its
publications.
This vote would not, as suggested by earlier reports in
The Layman Online, strip Williamson of his ordination. It would place him
on inactive status, and if his validation were not renewed in three years,
would revoke his ordination.
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Task force of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina recommends that
Parker Williamson, Layman editor-in-chief, be placed on inactive
status [12-5-03]
The Layman Online reports that a task force of the Presbytery
of Western North Carolina has recommended that Parker T. Williamson, chief
executive officer of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and editor-in-chief of
its publications, be denied validation as an active member of the
presbytery. If the presbytery's Committee on the Ministry and the full
presbytery concur with the task force's report, Williamson would be
demoted to inactive status and no longer be granted voice or vote at
presbytery meetings. |
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Connecting
Diversity in Community:
Race, Class, Gender, Religion
A new ACSWP video encourages congregations to become
involved connecting diversity and seeking justice in their communities.
[11-10-03] |
| A gathering
in Chicago [11-6-03]
A few individuals from various groups -- right and left --
in the Presbyterian Church gathered in Chicago recently at the invitation
of the Stated Clerk and the GAC Executive Director for 48 hours of
conversation and reflection. Witherspoon president Kent
Winters-Hazelton was among them, and offers his perceptions of the event
-- which differ a bit from those recently put forth by the Layman
OnLine. |
| Lay Committee urges Presbyterians to consider
redirecting gifts [10-29-03]
In what may be its clearest move in a long line of
recommendations that conservative Presbyterians give their money to
anything but the denomination, the Presbyterian Lay Committee has adopted
a "Declaration of Conscience."
The statement opens with a declaration that "spiritual
schism exists within the Presbyterian Church (USA) because of a deep and
irreconcilable disunion among its members over the person and work of
Jesus Christ, the authority of God's Word written, and God's call to a
holy life. We are two faiths within one denomination." The statement
concludes that "without systemic change, the PCUSA will collapse."
In light of the coming collapse, the Lay Committee urges
"those who remain committed to reform and renewal of the PCUSA and those
who are seriously studying new forms of our connectional life ... to work
together for the glory of God and the strengthening of His witness in the
world."
The concrete way of doing this, of course, is the tactic
that the Lay Committee has pressed for years: encouraging Presbyterians to
use their dollars for anything but "the General Assembly per-capita budget
or the unrestricted mission budget of the PCUSA."
Click
here for the full text of the Lay Committee statement.
You may want to read the
Layman Online report, too. |
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Presbytery declines to file heresy, other charges; Martin installed at
First church, Palo Alto [10-29-03]
Presbyterian Outlook reports
that W. Robert "Rob" Martin has been installed as pastor of First
Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto, Calif.
That looked uncertain for a while, because the
ever-vigilant attorney Paul Rolf Jensen accused Martin of heresy. Martin's
presbytery at the time, Western North Carolina, decided not to bring
charges against Martin, after the case was investigated by a committee
that included three retired seminary professors and two elders, both
elders in congregations which have joined the Confessing Church Movement. |
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Synod review committee backs the decision of Baltimore presbytery
judicial commission in rejecting complaint by Paul Rolfe Jensen against
Rev. Don Stroud [10-21-03] Both
Presbyterian
Outlook and the
Layman Online have posted reports on this decision - yet another
decision that yet another complaint by Mr. Jensen has no merit. The
Layman also carries
the full text of the decision. |
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Celebrating lives completed
[10-21-03] Two
long-time, faithful, justice-seeking members of Witherspoon have recently
finished their course.
Gene
Huff died on Oct. 16 in San Francisco, and
Margaret Strodtz of Twin Cities
died in Geneva, Switzerland, while attending a seminar on the ecumenical
movement sponsored by the PC(USA)'s Worldwide Ministries Division. |
| The conservative Presbyterian Coalition
held its national gathering in Portland, OR,
October 6-8, 2003
Click here for an index to our
reports (and others) from that important event. |
| We are already posting early
reports looking toward the 2004 General Assembly.
[10-1-03] |
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GAC picks 4 major priorities
[10-1-03] The General Assembly Council
affirmed four major areas of emphasis for the mission work of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) for 2005 and 2006 during its meeting at Montreat
during the last week of September. The four priorities are spiritual
formation, justice, evangelism, leadership. And ... well, "miscellaneous." |
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Eily Marlow accepted by Milwaukee Presbytery as candidate for ministry
[10-1-03]
The Layman Online, always ready to share good news, reports
that Elisabeth "Eily" Marlow has been approved as a candidate for
ministry. As an out lesbian, she has been involved in many groups and
activities working for justice in our church's ordination policies. |
| Let's speak up on the
review of the Stated Clerk. Others will!
[9-24-03] We recently received a
note suggesting that people may want to contribute their thoughts to
current performance review of our Stated Clerk, the Rev. Clifton
Kirkpatrick. Included is information on
where to send your comments. |
| Jensen suit against former Moderator Abu-Akel
dismissed by California court [8-30-03]
The Orange County (California) Superior Court has ruled in
favor of the Reverend Dr. Fahed Abu-Akel, Moderator of the 214th General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The court dismissed the
slander lawsuit brought against him by Paul Rolf Jensen, for lack of
"subject matter jurisdiction over the allegations of the complaint."
Details from
Presbyterian News Service |
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Houston pastor is 1st candidate for moderator
[8-27-03]
The Rev. David Garth McKechnie, pastor of Grace
Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX, has become the first candidate for
moderator of the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The Presbytery of New Covenant voted unanimously to
endorse his candidacy on Aug. 23. His presenter, the Rev. Gerald Hurst,
pastor of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Missouri City, TX, called
McKechnie "one who will work with both sides of the aisle toward the
peace, unity and purity of the church ... (and) the healing and
reconciliation of the church."
Check
out the Presbyterian News Service report. |
Theological
Task Force convenes again [8-12-03]
We offer links to a few of the reports |
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Presbytery committee vindicates Abu-Akel
[7-9-03]
Former moderator the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel was accused of
slander in May of 2003 by Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen.
In response, he asked his own presbytery of Greater Atlanta
for vindication against those charges. The presbytery named an
investigating committee, which has announced its conclusion that "Rev.
Fahed Abu-Akel has not committed the offense of slander and bearing false
witness against Mr. Paul Rolf Jensen."
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The Stated Clerk and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church have
recently posted their occasional open letters to the PC(USA).
[7-9-03]
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, reflecting on his recently visit to
Albania in connection with his World Council of Churches responsibilities,
affirms that "nothing can separate us from the love of God."
Moderator Susan
Andrews shares a theme she emphasized before and during the 2003
General Assembly: a call "to imagine ourselves as a collective offering to
God, carrying forward our whole lives as a gift of hope for the church [by
joining in] a season of graceful growth--in gratitude, membership, and
mission." |
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Black caucus convention examines justice, spirituality and African
connection [7-9-03]
Presbyterian News Service reports that the National Black Presbyterian
Caucus drew some 700 participants to its 36th annual convention in
Baltimore, from June 25 - 29.
Caucus president the Rev. Curtis Jones was praised for
his leadership in "transforming the convention from a gathering in search
of meaning into a driving and visionary force for the ministry of
African-Americans." He has recently been named as the first full-time,
paid executive director of the NBPC.
The convention focused on African-American church
growth, the NBPC's historic traditions of devotion to racial and social
justice, and re-affirming the group's mission connection to Africa and its
commitment to helping ease the spread of AIDS there. |
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Two progressive congregations - one in
New York City and one in
Baltimore - are currently
seeking pastors for very interesting positions. [7-5-03] |
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A New Fundamentalism?
San Diego Presbytery issues "guidelines" for
examining candidates
[6-25-03]
On June 17 the Presbytery of San Diego adopted a
document entitled
Essential
Tenets and Reformed Distinctives. It describes itself as
"guidelines for preparing and evaluating candidates through the Committee
on Preparation for Ministry, directing [sic!] incoming ministers through
the Committee on Ministry and the Presbytery of San Diego, and educating
and training."
Witherspoon Issues
Analyst Gene TeSelle takes a careful look at these "guidelines," examining
the conservative -- or more accurately perhaps, fundamentalist --
interpretations given to many of the "essential tenets" and the "distinctives"
of the Presbyterian Church.
He concludes that this
document seems likely to be put forward in other presbyteries as well, and
expresses concern "that it will be used
precisely as a "blunt instrument" to condemn those who fail to use the
shibboleths that prevail in some circles but are by no means an adequate
expression of the Reformed faith and its confessions." |
Rev. Steve Van Kuiken ousted over gay marriages
[6-17-03]
The Rev. Stephen Van Kuiken, pastor of Mt. Auburn
Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, has been removed from the ministry by
the Presbytery of Cincinnati, in an action taken Monday evening, June 16.
More Light
Presbyterians has issued a statement commenting on the precipitous
nature of the presbytery's action, and offering it support for Van Kuiken
and the congregation.
Van Kuiken
has sent us the full text of his ten-minute statement to the presbytery,
prior to their vote.
The Rev. John
Shuck sent us, earlier on the 16th, his helpful summary of
what led up to the presbytery's decision, and his own commentary on it.
That All
May Freely Serve offers a good selection of reports on its home page.
And
click here for the AP report. |
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Affinity group reports for 2002 are now posted
[6-10-03] The 2000
General Assembly directed the Office of the General Assembly "to request
that all affinity groups that use the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in
their name provide information to assist commissioners in understanding
the goals of each affinity group and whom they represent." The 2001
Assembly changed the amount of information requested, and made compliance
with the request voluntary.
A number of Presbyterian organizations are not even
asked for such information - including the Presbyterian Lay Committee,
parent of The Presbyterian Layman. A number of others receive the
request but have not responded.
The responses that have been received are
posted on the PC(USA)
website, all in PDF format.
The information requested is so limited, and many of the
responses are so vague, that you won't learn a great deal. But there are
some interesting tidbits among them. |
Earlier stories are indexed:
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries,
confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.
We provided resources to help inform the
reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.
Our three areas of primary interest have been:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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