San Diego opposes PUP recommendation; eyes future ties with PCUSA By John H. Adams The Layman Online Wednesday, March 22, 2006 The Presbytery of San Diego voted 114-3 Tuesday to ask the 217th General Assembly to eliminate recommendation 5 (lines 1048-1072) from the report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity. The Rev. Bob Davis, associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Escondido, Calif., said the vote against recommendation 5 was "as unanimous a decision as I have ever witnessed in a deliberative body. San Diego Presbytery is virtually univocal in its opposition to the Task Force's recommendation that the General Assembly usurp the authority of the Constitution to create local option by fiat." The commissioners also approved a resolution that could bring into question the future relationship of the presbytery to the Presbyterian Church (USA). In the event of a significant change in the denomination's "current standards related to (a) ordination and sexuality and/or (b) connectional polity," the resolution says the presbytery moderator "will appoint a task force which will present a plan to address these questions at the September 2006 Presbytery meeting." The questions are: a. Does the change create a constitutional crisis? b. Does the change create a state of Biblical and confessional defection? c. Has the covenant that binds our congregations and presbyteries together been breached? d. Have the changes minimized or eliminated our covenantal obligation to abide by the polity and discipline of higher governing bodies? e. Have the changes damaged or compromised the PCUSA's ability to exercise governance over its presbyteries? f. What will be the future relationship between the Presbytery of San Diego and the PCUSA? g. What future steps will the Presbytery of San Diego take to address our concerns with the PCUSA? The resolution also reaffirmed a previous document approved by the presbytery, Essential Tenets and Reformed Distinctives, which was in June 2003. The list is guide for considering the ordination of candidates for minister, elder and deacon. It focuses on what have long been regarded as essential beliefs for Presbyterians. The list has been criticized by some non-evangelicals as being too Biblically orthodox. Bob Davis was one of the leaders of the group that wrote the original resolution about the presbytery's response to the General Assembly. That proposal was defeated. But in a posting on his Web site of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Davis said the new resolution is strong because "it is the result of the entire presbytery working on it together for six months." The following are the texts of the overture to the General Assembly and the presbytery's resolution: Overture Approved by San Diego Presbytery March 21, 2006 The Presbytery of San Diego overtures the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): To receive and accept the report of the Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity, with the elimination of recommendation #5, on page 35, (lines 1048-1072) and its attendant Authoritative Interpretation; in order that we preserve the standards in G-6.0106. Approved: 114 yes, 3 no. Resolution of the San Diego Presbytery Adopted March 21, 2006 In response to the report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Presbyterian Church (August 2005), and in light of the continuing dialog within our denomination regarding sexuality and ordination issues, the Presbytery of San Diego hereby resolves: 2. To pray continually that the PCUSA be restored in peace, unity, and purity through: a. Fidelity to its own constitution b. Faithfulness to its Reformed heritage c. Unity in its biblical and confessional identity and mission 3. To deepen our connectional bonds within the presbytery as brothers and sisters in Christ as we affirm our Presbyterian polity, commitments, and heritage and to renew our commitment to Essential Tenets and Reformed Distinctives (Adopted by The Presbytery of San Diego June 2003) 4. To abide by the standards of the whole church as defined by the Constitution of the PCUSA (The Book of Order and Book of Confessions), particularly in regard to G-6.0106b and to reaffirm our church's traditional teaching, constitutional standards, ordination requirements, and definitive guidance concerning human sexuality. 5. To extend the grace of Jesus Christ to all persons regardless of sexual practice or sexual brokenness, and to call the whole church to sexual wholeness as defined by our constitution and Scripture. 6. To consider immediately the following questions in the event of a significant change in the PC(USA)'s current standards related to (a) ordination and sexuality and/or; (b) connectional polity. By July 15, 2006 the Moderator will appoint a task force which will present a plan to address these questions at the September 2006 Presbytery meeting. a. Does the change create a constitutional crisis? b. Does the change create a state of biblical and confessional defection? c. Has the covenant that binds our congregations and presbyteries together been breached? d. Have the changes minimized or eliminated our covenantal obligation to abide by the polity and discipline of higher governing bodies? e. Have the changes damaged or compromised the PC(USA)'s ability to exercise governance over its presbyteries? f. What will be the future relationship between the The Presbytery of San Diego and the PC(USA)? g. What future steps will The Presbytery of San Diego take to address our concerns with the PC(USA)? 7. To renew our commitment to our Long-Range Plan (adopted May 2005) which calls for: a. Building healthy congregations b. Building transformational churches c. Collaborative mission efforts d. New church development

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