The Obituary Assembly A Commentary By Parker T. Williamson The Layman Online Friday, May 30, 2003 215th General Assembly Denver, Colo. May 24-31, 2003 General Assembly news index DENVER – Yesterday's Denver Post printed its headline article on the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s huge membership losses on a page that faces Denver's obituaries. Post religion writer Eric Gorski says the denomination has been losing 20,000 to 25,000 members a year for several years. "But last year, for reasons unknown, the church lost 40,000 people," he said. Gorski reports on an interview with Keith Wulff, research coordinator for the denomination's General Assembly Council. According to Gorski, Wulff said denominations for the most part "grow for two reasons – by members having kids and by immigration." This observation of old-line denominational patterns reveals a dramatic contrast with evangelical churches whose soaring membership growth results largely from personal decisions to follow Jesus Christ. Gorski says that Wulff sees trouble ahead for the Presbyterian Church (USA) "because, as a wealthy church, its members have fewer children, and the immigration wave of Presbyterian Scots and English to America stopped long ago." He also could have mentioned the propensity of Presbyterian leaders to promote abortion and euthanasia. Neither practice says much for life. But the major distinction between the moribund Presbyterian Church (USA) and growing evangelical communions appears to have more to do with proclamation than progeny. Evangelicals proclaim – clearly and without equivocation – that Jesus Christ is Lord of all and that the gift of salvation comes through Christ alone. But intent on accommodating to a pluralistic culture, Presbyterian leaders find it increasingly difficult to make that evangelical proclamation. In the Denver assembly meeting, for example, a statement affirming the singular saving Lordship of Jesus Christ barely squeaked through a commissioners' committee. The vote on this central Christian affirmation – 24-19, with three abstentions – hardly reflects the kind of conviction that grows a church. The Post's juxtaposition – however unintended – was right on target. Denver may well be remembered as the Obituary Assembly.

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