Coalition Gathering IX 'Reclaiming Our First Love' and previewing the 217th GA The Layman Online Wednesday, October 26, 2005 The Presbyterian Coalition said today that more than 300 people have preregistered for the renewal group's 2005 Gathering, which will include a "proactive preview" of the 217th General Assembly and its hot-button issues. The gathering will be held Nov. 7-9 at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Orlando, Fla., a short walking distance from a number of motels. The theme of the conference, officially Gathering IX, is "Reclaiming Our First Love." "In Revelation 2, Christ applauded the church at Ephesus for standing firm in the face of false teaching, yet he also chastised them for having forsaken their "first love," the Coalition says on its Web site. "At Gathering IX, we are determined to focus on our first love: the Lord Jesus Christ whom we serve, seeking his call for the church." The event will also address the final report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Presbyterian Church (USA), "seeking a better way toward peace, unity, and purity in the church." In September, the Coalition's co-moderators, Anita Bell and Jerry Andrews, invited a number of renewal leaders, theologians and ministers to a meeting in Chicago, where they wrote a response to the task force report. Titled "Statement of Presbyterian Renewal Ministries on the Peace, Unity and Purity Report," the response said the report "constitutes a blend of truth and error that, if adopted, will undermine the church's purity and exacerbate the denomination's disunity. Indeed, it will promote schism by permitting the disregard of clear standards of Scripture and the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA)." "For the past quarter century, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has repeatedly expressed its conviction regarding God's will in matters of sexual morality," the renewal statement added. "The Report subverts these core sexual standards of behavior that are grounded in Scripture by substituting sincerely expressed personal opinions for rigorous biblical exegesis that has been confirmed by centuries of church tradition." Originally signed by the participants in the Chicago meeting, the response has gained nearly 250 additional signatures from Presbyterians across the country. Presbyterians are invited to add their signatures by sending an email to info@presbycoalition.org, including your name, affiliation, and contact information. Other issues on the agenda for Gathering IX will be attempts to repeal the denomination's constitutional "fidelity/chastity" ordination standard; the authority of Scripture; the Trinity; the Middle East and the 216th General Assembly's widely criticized resolution calling on the denomination to divest of funds in corporations that do business with Israel; the New Wineskins Initiative; and "relational concerns between governing bodies," including property and per-capita and mission giving. The presenters will be: Jerry Andrews, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn, Ill., and co-moderator of the Coalition. Jim Berkley of Bellevue, Wash., interim director of Presbyterian Action. Jim Edwards, a Presbyterian minister and professor of religion at Whitworth College. The Rev. Iteffa Gobena, president of the 4-million-member Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, a partner church of the PCUSA. Yushin "Joshua" Lee, a professor of animal science at the University of California, Davis, and general secretary of the National Korean Presbyterian Caucus. Jim Heidinger, president of the Good News Movement and publisher of Good News Magazine, a resource for renewalists in the United Methodist Church. David McKechnie, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston and a candidate for moderator in 2004. Mary Naegeli, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Concord, Calif. Andrew Purvis, professor of pastoral theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Terry Schlossberg, the Coalition's executive director and the coordinator of its General Assembly team. David Swanson, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Orlando. For more information about Gathering XI, click the graphic at the top of this story or call Rob Bullock at 407-447-2100.

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