 Covenant Network leaders have key posts in PCUSA By John H. Adams The Layman Online Friday, June 25, 2004
Among those making reports to the General Assembly Council were the Rev. Robert Bohl, one of the co-founders of the Covenant Network, and Joanna Adams, a current co-moderator of the Covenant Network. Bohl is the president of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation and Adams is the major gifts leader in the denomination's $40-million campaign for new church development and world missions. Bohl, who recently resigned as pastor of Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, Kan., used his time at the podium to read from a book exhorting unity over doctrine – a common theme in the Covenant Network's advocacy of ordaining practicing homosexuals. He also cited a new book on definitive guidance and its forward by Jack B. Rogers, another Covenant Network leader and the moderator of the 213th General Assembly. The denomination's 1978 definitive guidance on the ordination issue declared that homosexual behavior is sinful and that practicing homosexuals should not be ordained as church officers. Rogers opposes that guidance, and the Covenant Network has announced that it will lobby against it. The 216th General Assembly, which will begin its eight-day meeting on Saturday, will consider proposals to nullify the 1978 definitive guidance as well as overtures that would ask the denomination's presbyteries to repeal the constitutional "fidelity/chastity" clause in the Book of Order. Bohl said the book on definitive guidance reflects the kind of work the denomination's Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity has been doing – "talking with each other instead of just drawing lines in the sand." Bohl said the publishing corporation "lost money in 2001 and 2002. The market went bad. We lost all of our reserves. We found ourselves on the brink of not knowing whether we would be able to continue as a corporation." But since his return to the board of directors, he said, "We were able to get caught up. We owe no one anything. We ended the year 2003 with a $856,000 surplus." Since Bohl retired as pastor of Village Presbyterian Church, that congregation – which once claimed to have more than 7,000 members – has removed thousands of inactive members from its rolls. Adams, who recently resigned as co-pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago – a congregation that reports having about 4,500 members – stuck to fundraising during her presentation and did not address the Covenant Network's plans. She talked about "exciting developments" in the campaign – namely the employment of professional fundraisers, the help of 14 voluntary fundraisers and the completion of campaign material, including a video. "This is a campaign to renew the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in growing our church nationally and sending more mission personnel around the world to spread the news that Jesus Christ is Lord," Adams said. The PCUSA and its predecessor denominations have lost members every year since 1966, including 46,683 in 2003. The 2003 loss was the highest since before the reunion of the former Northern and Southern denominations in 1983. "It is and will be a campaign for the whole church," she said. "In 2007, we will ask every Presbyterian to contribute to the campaign. We're now in the major gifts phase." In its last financial statement, filed during the first quarter that concluded on March 31, 2004, the campaign, called "Joining Hearts and Hands," reported cash gifts totaled $600,000 less than campaign expenses. However, the campaign said it also had $7.4 million in pledges, with $3.5 million from presbyteries for new church development. "Specifically, funds raised within the presbytery to be used within the presbytery," Adams said. Normally, presbyteries raise money for new church development whether or not there is a denominationwide campaign. But "Opening Hearts and Hands" will get credit for it this time. "We have many tasks already accomplished," Adams said, making no reference to any major new donors. "Many goals, we are confident, will be met." "It's a privilege to be a part of raising what I know will be $40 million," she concluded. "So let's go, let's go, let's go." In another report to the General Assembly Council, Robert "Bob" Leech, president of the Presbyterian Foundation, said there was good news. "Regardless of your political affiliation, the economy is growing," Leech said, "and our investment performance has been very good." He said the foundation was on the track to increase its assets by $50 million this year. And, with a smile, he did his best to bring in additional life annuities through which people enhance their retirement income and also provide gifts to the denomination upon death. "We discovered that people who buy annuities from the foundation live longer than people who buy annuities from someone else," he said – tongue in cheek. |
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