Legal
'hierarchical' claims
contrary to PCUSA history
By John H.
Adams
The Layman
Online
Friday, October 20,
2006
When denominational and
presbytery lawyers go before the civil judges and argue that the
Presbyterian Church (USA) is a "hierarchical" denomination and
that its presbyteries are, in effect, "bishops," they're not
heeding the court's requirement that they tell the truth and nothing but
the truth.
The "hierarchical" claim is one of the recommendations of the
"privileged and
confidential" PCUSA legal strategies – the "Louisville
Papers." It is intended to convince judges that the civil courts
are not entitled to rule against the PCUSA's claim to own the property
of congregations that don't subscribe to the denominational leaders'
self-proclaimed of concept of hierarchical ownership.
For many Presbyterians – and not only evangelicals – the very
word "hierarchical" grates. The Reformers were
anti-hierarchical in their renunciation of the Roman Catholic Church,
and more recent documents reflect that same sentiment. Even the 2006
General Assembly's authoritative interpretation that allows sessions and
presbyteries to ordain men and women who violate the constitutional "fidelity/chastity"
clause is anti-hierarchical.
Some other key documents that reflect the anti-hierarchical strain are:
*
"Historic
Principles, Conscience and Church Government," which was
adopted by the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
as a guiding document for the reunion of the former Northern and
Southern mainline Presbyterian bodies.
On page 5 under the subhead B. Human Sin, "Historic Principles"
describes the danger of hierarchical power.
- Another theological principle which lies at the root of
Presbyterian polity is also derived from Scripture. It is the clear
understanding that all are sinners. Any individual entrusted with
very much power may well misuse that power. Individuals may only
represent the governing bodies of the church in order to carry out
the instructions or directions of the body which empowered them to
speak or act, and they are always responsible to the church body
they represent.
- Our emphasis on principles tends to differentiate Presbyterians
from those in other Christian communions. Presbyterians find the
locus of the church neither in the local congregation, as in a
congregational polity, nor in a hierarchy of authoritative
individuals, as in episcopal polity. Presbyterians believe, of
course, that God calls individuals to faith; but we believe that the
corporate life of the church is best expressed by our system of
representative governing bodies in which ordained officers act on
behalf of the church.
*
"The
Successor to Peter" was published in 2000 and presented to
the General Assembly in 2001. Framed around discussions with the Roman
Catholic Church, the paper emphasizes the difference between Catholic
hierarchialism and Presbyterian government – and the reasons for
that difference. One of the major points is that institutions
(hierarchies) err.
- Even in relation to these bodies we have considerable reserve.
Our Form of Government, following the Westminster Confession of
Faith (The Book of Confessions 6.109), states that "God
alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the
doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to
his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith and worship." (Form
of Government 1.031) The text continues, "Therefore we consider
the rights of private judgment, in all matters that respect
religion, as universal and inalienable...." (Form of Government
1.0301)
- The Westminster Confession further affirms: "All synods and
councils since the apostles' time, whether general or particular,
may err, and many have erred." (The Book of Confessions,
6.175) From time to time individuals rise up to speak prophetically
against the excesses and errors of the ecclesiastical community.
Presbyterians developed a republican model for leadership in the
Church, above all to guard against the consequences of human –
and conciliar – fallibility. We generally rejected hierarchy
and episcopacy on the one hand, and the pure democracy of
congregationalism on the other. There is no room here to recount the
historical events and circumstances surrounding these decisions. But
it is worth remarking that for much of our history episcopacy has
been associated in our minds with ecclesiastical establishment and
sacral monarchy. Strife between Presbyterian Scotland and the claims
of certain kings of England is part of our history. An antipathy to
episcopacy remains in the Presbyterian ethos.
* The 2001 General Assembly's
Committee
on Ecumenical Relations discussed "Successor to Peter"
and PCUSA talks with the Vatican. Its report re-emphasized the
distinction between hierarchical and Presbyterian government.
- Since the Second Vatican Council of the Roman Catholic church,
there have been international and national dialogues involving
Christians of the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition, including the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with the Roman Catholic church. In this
context and in specific response to the gracious invitation of Pope
John Paul II to engage in a dialogue on the forms in which his
ministry of unity "may accomplish a service of love recognized
by all concerned" (Encyclical Letter Ut unum sint,95), the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) developed a paper entitled "The
Successor to Peter." A first discussion of this took place when
Edward Iris Cardinal Cassidy, then president of the Pontifical
Council for Promoting Christian Unity visited the PC(USA)
headquarters in Louisville, on December 7-8, 2000. The discussion
continued with the new president of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, Walter Cardinal Kasper, when a PC(USA)
delegation visited Rome, from March 18-23, 2001
- From this discussion and other dialogues, we find that there are
many aspects of faith and practice that we share in common, such as
belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Redeemer, and in
the Trinity. We have also faced, with candor, the differences that
still remain among others, in our understanding of the nature of the
church and the locus of its authority, the often negative judgments
made against one another in history, and particularly, the
differences in our understanding and practice of episcope. We agree
that the contemporary ecumenical spirit is part of a new situation
that enables us to address in new ways the issues which have
separated us.
* Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers (Second Edition)
© 1986, by Joan S. Gray and Joyce C. Tucker, Westminster/John Knox
Press, Louisville, Ky. Gray, the moderator of the 2006 General Assembly
and a former member of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial
Commission of the Presbyterian Church U.S., is considered a policy
expert. Her book has been widely used by Presbyterian seminarians. She,
too, makes a sharp distinction between a hierarchical church and
Presbyterian government. She compares three types of church government.
- Congregational Polity. Direct government of the church by the
people who make up the congregation characterizes the congregational
style of polity. The final authority on any question is the vote of
a majo9rity of the members of that particular congregation. Each
local church is autonomous; it functions without any outside
control. Pages 3, 4.
- Episcopal Polity. This form of government takes its name from the
Greek word episkopos, literally "shepherd." While
congregational polity gives virtually all authority to the
congregation, in episcopal polity power is lodged in the highest
ranking bishop and is delegated downward through the clergy. Pages
4, 5
- Presbyterian Polity. The name of our church, "Presbyterian,"
refers not to our doctrine or beliefs, but rather to how we govern
ourselves. Presbyterian polity takes its name from the Greek word
for elder, presbuteros. "Presbyter, an English word derived
from the Greek term, refers both to ministers of the Word and
Sacrament and elders as officers in the church. Each of our
congregations is governed by a group of presbyters elected by the
congregation and known as the session.
|