Wednesday, June 17

CHARLOTTE, NC — Declaring diversity "our greatest asset for discerning the mind of Christ," Moderator Douglas Oldenberg named the Rev. James Mead alternate moderator for the 210^th General Assembly.

Oldenberg’s selection of Mead prompted a standing ovation during the plenary session of the General Assembly Wednesday.

Oldenberg said he believed in broad diversity — age, geographical, gender, racial, theological. "In view of that value, I asked Jim Mead to serve as vice moderator."

"I am deeply grateful to Doug, humbled by his love for our church," Mead responded. "I know he is the person God has chosen to be our moderator."

Oldenburg, president of Columbia Theological Seminary and former Charlotte minister, was elected moderator Saturday during the opening of the 210^th General Assembly. Oldenberg had 291 votes on the second ballot. Mead was second with 220.

General Assembly committee denies expansion of PJC power

Three presbytery overtures whose approval would have recast the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) into a "Supreme Court of the Presbyterian Church" failed to gain committee approval. All were rejected in a single motion made before the General Assembly Committee on Church Polity.

Among those who testified against the proposals was Rev. Charles Hammond, Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Philadelphia and a former General Assembly moderator. Hammond reminded the commissioners that the PJC is not a governing body, but a judicial commission of the General Assembly. David Snellgrove, Executive Presbyter of the St. Andrew Presbytery, said the Presbyterian process is based on the fundamental principle of larger governing bodies overseeing the work of smaller governing bodies (cf. G-1.0400). Changing the PJC’s power would place excessive in the hands of sixteen persons rather than the General Assembly in legislative session.

A representative from National Capital Presbytery spoke in favor of the presbytery’s overture (98-35), which would have curtailed the General Assembly’s power to make binding interpretations of the Constitution, a move that would have shifted power to the PJC. That testimony brought a response by Rev. Douglas Pratt, a commissioner from Pittsburgh Presbytery. Pratt reminded commissioners that prior to the 1997 Syracuse General Assembly that tilted the PJC’s membership into the liberal camp, National Capital dispatched overtures calling on the General Assembly to issue authoritative interpretations of the Constitution. But now that the PJC’s balance has shifted, National Capital’s overtures have reversed their direction. "Last year," said Pratt, "you affirmed the General Assembly’s power to make authoritative interpretations. This year you are sending an overture to take it away ... Why these inconsistencies?"

In Pratt’s testimony before the committee he argued, "these overtures are part of a jockeying for position by extremes in our church …The best thing we can do is stay the course." Following Pratt’s comments, the committee voted down all three overtures by a wide margin.

CHARLOTTE, NC — The General Assembly has approved the First Catechism and the Study Catechism drafted by the Special Committee to Write a New Presbyterian Catechism.

An alternate catechism that written by a member of the committee was submitted as a substitute motion but was rejected by a nearly unanimous vote.

The committee also unanimously approved a recommendation to replace the translation of the Nicene Creed currently in the Book of Confessions with the contemporary (ecumenical) version that is already used in the Presbyterian Hymnal and the Book of Common Worship. The one change the Committee is recommending is the removal of the parentheses around the phrase "and the Son" (the filioque clause) in the final section on the Holy Spirit.

In open hearings numerous comments were made for and against the new catechisms. Those speaking against the catechisms argued that they represent a return to an outdated pedagogy and that they reflect a narrow interpretation of Christian faith that is centered too much in the New Testament.

Those who spoke in favor of the catechisms, including Seminary Presidents Tom Gillespie and newly elected moderator Doug Oldenburg, argued that they are necessary to instruct new generations in the basic convictions of Christian faith and are good launching pads for further theological discussion and reflection.

Rick Osmer of Princeton Seminary, the chair of the Special Committee that wrote the catechisms, commented later in the debate that "for so long we have focused on educational process that we have forgotten content." Osmer stated that the catechisms are not final answers to the questions they raise but are intended to introduce new audiences to the basic theological and biblical vocabulary for Christian thought. Osmer stressed that members of the special committee that wrote the catechisms would not agree with everything in each of them, but trust those who teach them to supplement the answers with additional content as they guide their students.

The debate to amend the First Catechism and the Study Catechism centered on minor editorial changes and switching of synonyms. In the First Catechism, the biblical phrase, "God created heaven and earth and all that is in them," in Question 7 was replaced with the phrase, "God created all that is, seen and unseen," borrowing language from the Nicene Creed. In Question 10 sin was redefined from, "we have turned against God," to a softer, "we have turned away from God."

The catechisms represent a major effort to reintroduce the basic doctrinal content of the Christian faith to new generations of children and generations of adults who are biblically and theologically illiterate. The First Catechism is aimed at children in the third and fourth grades and was retitled, "Belonging To God: A First Catechism" because another published document had already used its original name. It begins with a brief prologue then follows the biblical pattern of creation, the fall, election of a covenant people, Jesus Christ and the church, and a review of the Lord’s Prayer. Its strength is that it provides a good overview of the biblical picture and presents good content about the nature and work of Jesus Christ. Its weakness is that says little about a response of faith to God’s grace or the need for continued growth or sanctification.

The Study Catechism comes in two forms. The full form is intended for confirmation classes, new member training, officer training, use in the home, and general teaching for adults. A briefer form is also available for use in confirmation classes with younger adolescents.

The Study Catechism follows the standard pattern for many other catechisms: the Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. It is strong in reflecting the content of these essential components of the Christian faith. Its main weakness is that it fails to capture the majesty and authority of God, and it has a weak view of the mission of the church. It is universalistic in tone and seems to go to great lengths to avoid saying some people may be excluded from judgment or inclusion in God’s kingdom. Special Committee member George Hunsinger pointed out that the accompanying scripture references should help offset this impression.

The Catechism likewise defines the mission of the church in Question 63 as "to bear witness to God’s love for the world in Jesus Christ," a statement that omits the commands to call the world to repentance, faith, and discipleship in Christ.

CHARLOTTE, NC — In a tumultuous debate the General Assembly Committee on Catechisms and Confessions recommended that the Assembly appoint a nine-member special ecumenical committee to review current translations of the Heidelberg Catechism and recommend its choice for inclusion in the Book of Confessions.

At contention was Question 87 in the Catechism which contains a more complete quotation of I Corinthians 6:9-10 than the original German and includes "homosexual perversion" among the sins condemned by God. The Committee took the view that anything other than a strict rendering of the original text was "bogus," even though many other documents in the Book of Confession and modern translations of scripture employ broader rendering of the original texts.

The estimated cost for a three year study period by a committee of nine members is $90,000. All this will be spent to remove part of one sentence of scripture from the Catechism.

The move is seen by many as a way to undermine the new ordination standard in the Book of Order. A similar overture was defeated by the 209th General Assembly in Syracuse.

The translators of the current version of the Heidelberg Catechism took the liberty to include full renderings of scripture passages that may have been quoted from memory or edited for the sake of modesty by the original writers of the Catechism. The Presbyterian church likewise accepted this rendering of the Catechism without question for decades. It is only in light of the current debate on the ordination of practicing gays and lesbians that this translation becomes an issue.

Bruce McCormick of Princeton Seminary commented that, "if this translation is bogus because it is not historically accurate, then the Westminster Confession and Scots Confession are equally bogus." Likewise the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible often expands gender-exclusive language such as "brothers" to "brothers and sisters" in order to convey the full meaning of the text for modern readers. To apply the translation standards of the Committee on Catechisms and Confessions would to these texts would eliminate any use of inclusive language in modern translations.

Another question about the Committee’ recommendation is whether it is apporpriate to have an ecumenical committee deciding the content of the Book of Confessions for the Presbyterian Church (USA). Charlotte, N.C., June 16, 1998.

CHARLOTTE, NC — Former General Assembly Moderator Marj Carpenter was honored Wednesday during the 210^th General Assembly for her years of devotion and service to the Boy Scouts of America.

At a breakfast sponsored by the National Association of Presbyterian Scouters, Carpenter received a plaque from Paul Winchester, president of that organization. Pointing out that more than 4,000 Presbyterian congregations host troops, Winchester focused on the impact Presbyterians have historically had in the scouting movement, and applauded Carpenter for her leadership and support.

Carpenter said she had done little in comparison to her late father’s work, and that she was sure he was looking down, smiling. She reiterated the denomination’s commitment to the principles of scouting.

Interviewed afterwards, Winchester stated that although the Boy Scouts have been subjected to considerable legal battles for their refusal to admit either girls or homosexuals, no such challenges had yet surfaced within the denomination.

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