Detterick says PCUSA becoming 'house of prayer for fewer people' By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Saturday, May 24, 2003 215th General Assembly Denver, Colo. May 24-31, 2003 DENVER, Colo. – Referring to the theme of the 215th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), "A House of Prayer for All People," General Assembly Council Executive Director John Detterick told commissioners, "I suspect we all share a dream of the Presbyerian Church becoming a house of prayer for all peoples. … Unfortunately, we are becoming a house of prayer for fewer people." According to denominational statistics, the PCUSA is losing members. After losses of about 20,000 members each in 1999 and 2000 and 35,000 in 2001, Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick said the denomination lost 41,000 in the past year. "What's going on? What's God up to?" asked Detterick. He said a look at the denomination's annual statistics show: The trend in baptisms is flat to down. The number of new churches opened is not much greater than those closed. The most consistent losses show up in "other" - a category for "the people who slip out the back doors." He said these people "simply slip away and don't attend anywhere." Constant fighting "We are known too often by our fights," said Detterick. "I'm not saying that the divisive issues are not important. They are – they are very important," but they need to be put in perspective. First and foremost, said Detterick, is to "share the love of Jesus Christ and all else can be done in the glow of that love." Detterick told the commissioners about a meeting he attended with four pastors – two each on separate sides of the divisive issues facing the church. He said the pastors admitted that they would never agree on the divisive issues, but that they did agree to help raise money for the $40,000-million Mission Initiative Campaign. "I want to ask you, the commissioners of the 215th General Assembly, to emulate those pastors as you deal with the issues before this assembly – that we are and can be known for our love of Jesus Christ and our love for each other." Detterick offered four challenges facing the church: 1. Church growth. "Church growth is an indicator of how well we share the gospel. … Let's all just be about growing church, and see where God takes us." 2. Pastoral leadership. "Some say we are in a pastoral leadership crisis." Those belonging to a large church will have no problem finding pastoral leadership, said Detterick, but "if you belong to a small church you probably have a hard time finding pastoral leadership, if you can afford it." 3. Linking justice and evangelism. Detterick said there seemed to be two camps: In one it is all about justice, in the other, all about evangelism. "Why do we argue about which one is more important to the reign of God to come? Justice and evangelism are two sides of the same coin." 4. Spiritual formation. "For people to respond to and live out the gospel, their spiritual formation must be nurtured constantly," said Detterick. Detterick said he offered the challenges to use as a "framework for looking at your business. That we can indeed be about the love of Jesus Christ and the love of each other." He concluded by saying, "Brothers and sisters of Christ, we are part of the family of God called to be in ministry together. … Let us not spend all of our energy and resources on the points that divide us. Only together can we find how God intends to use us."

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