News release from Montreat Conference Center, Montreat, NC
[5-10-06]

"The Hope of the Church: Celebrating Common Ground" takes place July 5-8 at Montreat Conference Center in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina.

An unprecedented gathering of church leaders and laity, the conference follows on the heels of the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Birmingham, AL, and is being promoted as a timely and important consultation about the future of the denomination. The conference will bring together 15 General Assembly moderators and 11 Presbyterian seminary presidents, as well as pastors, elders, deacons, seminarians, Christian educators, and concerned lay people from across the nation.

When asked why he chose to participate in the conference, Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator of the current General Assembly, replied simply: "This is a critical time for the church to gather together our best wisdom about who we have been in the past and to propel all of us into a new way of 'being church' in the future." He went on to refer to The Hope of the Church as being a "pivotal moment" in which he hoped the large group of Presbyterians participating in the conference would move into "a far more vibrant way of living the fundamental values of Jesus Christ."

Ufford-Chase's comments mirrored similar responses from other participating moderators. "What a once-in-a-lifetime experience!" stated the Rev. Susan Andrews, moderator of the 215th General Assembly. "[It's] an opportunity to get a 'big picture' conversation going," she continued. "I wouldn't miss it, following a pivotal General Assembly." She added that people coming away from General Assembly will need to reflect upon and discuss what they have heard. "An arena," she said, meaning Montreat and The Hope of the Church conference, "will already be set up to process it."

The Rev. John Buchanan, conference participant and moderator of the 208^thGeneral Assembly, agreed. When asked what he hoped to see accomplished through The Hope of the Church consultation, he said, "I would like to see us articulate a vision of a church that is both faithful and united, inclusive of a variety of positions, but remaining at its very heart, faithful to Jesus Christ and its commission to the world." He went on to say, "If a collection of moderators can do this [at Montreat], it would be great."

The conference format will include worship, panel presentations, and table discussions that will provide opportunities for informal dialogue with conference leaders. Four key questions will be addressed:

Braced for impassioned debate at General Assembly over a number of politically and spiritually charged issues, Presbyterians are poised for a variety of responses, including the possibility of a split in the denomination. When asked about the potential for schism, John Buchanan initially replied, "Of course it's sometimes inevitable." He went on, however, to say, "I can't bring myself to say that it's good ever. What's better is finding a way in the name of Jesus Christ, to live together and to be a model to the world. And that's what breaks my heart. A schism is a failure. Always. I think it breaks God's heart, too." Rev. Andrews agreed. "It's an issue of purity of law versus purity of love," she said. "Paul in the early church came up with a both/and solution. We have to honor the law, but the purity of love supersedes the law."

"Schism is an option, but only as a last resort," added the Rev. Doug Oldenburg, moderator of the 210th General Assembly. "Avoid it by learning from each other, respecting each other, affirming the dignity of differences, affirming the common ground." He went on to emphasize a perspective shared by many of the conference participants. "[We need to] get beyond the [gay and lesbian] ordination issue and focus on other issues - peace, environment. There's a broad middle in the church. They want to look ahead to other pressing issues. This issue is important, but not the only issue."

"I don't think it's possible to calculate the institutional energy that we've expended fighting each other," said Rev. Buchanan. "My hope is that we'll find a way to live with one another graciously, and that it will liberate all this resource of energy and imagination and love that we've invested in contention - liberate it for proclamation and mission."

"Our goal with The Hope of the Church is to quickly move beyond the 'lightning rod issues' of General Assembly," explained Montreat's Vice President for Program Development and Marketing, Merri Bass. "The Peace, Unity and Purity report will not be our focus, although I have no doubt that it will be a topic of discussion at this conference. By utilizing the experience and vision brought to the conversation by fifteen moderators, by tapping into the wisdom of seminary presidents who truly know the concerns and dreams of our future leaders, by hearing and acknowledging the voices of church members at every level, The Hope of the Church consultation has the potential to take us beyond divisive issues that drain our energy and stifle our true ministry in the world."

All participants in The Hope of the Church conference will be asked to be in covenant with one another to:

"Healthy debate has always been a part of being Presbyterian," said George F. Barber, III, president of Montreat Conference Center. "This conference, however, is an opportunity for our denomination to take the conversation to a higher level, to set the tone for respectful dialogue and visionary discernment throughout the Presbyterian Church (USA). The environment here at Montreat Conference Center is one that will nurture that process." Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase agreed. "For decades, Montreat has been the place for the most committed stakeholders of the church to dream together. Why should this moment be any different?"