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Don's Discourse 
What is
taking place in Western North Carolina regarding Parker Williamson and
The Presbyterian Layman is absurd, hypocritical, and wrong. Other words
come to mind like intolerant, unjust, and inhospitable, but those terms
seem to have been given new meaning these days in our church.
To briefly fill some of you in on this story,
the Committee on Ministry met and voted
on Dec. 9th to recommend that the Presbytery of Western
North Carolina "not validate" the ministry of Parker T.
Williamson as chief executive officer of the Presbyterian Lay Committee
and editor-in-chief of its publications. Williamson became editor of
The Layman in 1989 and has been a member of the presbytery for 29
years. In November, the Lay Committee Board of Directors issued a Declaration
of Conscience that expressed concern over the divisions
within the PCUSA and encouraged others to redirect per capita funds.
Per capita is what churches give to finance administration and General
Assembly.
I have often thought that when the divisions and debates within
this denomination reached people's pocketbooks, then the crises would
swiftly attain to heightened levels; that appears to be happening. While there are those who openly
promote immoral behavior and call it anything but sin, others who teach
doctrine that goes against Orthodox theology, and many who defy the
Constitution of the PCUSA, little to nothing is done regarding
discipline. However, report
stories about these events, write opposing views, and state reasonable
'calls to action', and you become marginalized, outcast, and invalidated.
Such seems to be what is happening with Williamson and The Layman.
Many others have written great
articles on this story. I will end my comments and encourage you to
check out their statements as well. Perhaps collectively our voices and
actions will make a difference. I especially recommend Jim Berkeley's
comments posted Dec. 9th: http://pfrenewal.blogspot.com/
Presbyweb -
http://www.presbyweb.com/2003/Archive/1210.htm
Visit the Presbyterian
Layman...
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