New Wineskins:
Actions of 218th
GA are 'schismatic'
The Layman
Tuesday, July 1,
2008
The leadership team of the New Wineskins Association of
Churches filed the following statement in response to actions of the
218th General Assembly:
Theologically unhinged
The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has become
theologically unhinged from our Biblical and Reformation foundation. The
actions of this assembly are schismatic. They foster division within our
denomination and threaten the sundering of the denomination from the
world Church of Jesus Christ.
Specifically,
New Wineskins
schedules
Atlanta meeting August 6-7
The New Wineskins Association of Churches leadership will host
meeting for pastors and elders who the association's commitment to
the
Essentials
of the Reformed Faith beginning at noon, on Wednesday, August
6 and continuing until noon on Thursday, August 7 in Atlanta.
Details will be forthcoming. For more information or to register,
contact executive director Renee Guth at
rguth@newwineskinsassociation.org.
The leadership team suggests no more than three representatives from
any one congregation because space is limited.
At this meeting, New Wineskins leaders say they will "seek to
encourage those congregations that stay within the PCUSA to continue
as resistive communities living out the vision of shared tenets and
ethics." |
- The assembly recommends re-writing the historic Heidelberg
Catechism by truncating a quotation from Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9)
in order to remove reference to homosexual behavior as sinful.
- The assembly has asked the church once again to overturn
historic, Biblical standards of sexual holiness for those being
ordained. Previous authoritative interpretations about sexuality and
ordination standards have been rendered void. Presbyteries will be
asked to delete the "fidelity in marriage, chastity in
singleness" clause of G-6.0106b.
- The assembly has authorized creating a special fund to battle
in civil courts congregations which cannot in good conscience
continue to stay in the PCUSA. Such legal action includes not only
disputes over property but, as in the Londonderry case, litigation
against elders. Donations will be sought. However, we are hopeful
that the General Assembly's strong approval of a resolution
encouraging presbyteries to initiate and communicate a gracious
process for dismissal will decrease a rush to civil court on all
sides.
- The assembly has misunderstood and disrespected all three
religions in its resolutions about Judaism, Islam and
Christianity. The assembly calls upon these religions to celebrate
religious holidays together: as if a good Muslim could celebrate the
incarnation of God in Jesus Christ at Christmas, as if a good Jew
could look to the crucifixion on Good Friday for atonement, as if a
good Christian could consecrate himself or herself during Ramadan to
a Unitarian God who is not the gracious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
of the Triune God.
- The assembly declined asking the church to redefine
marriage as between one man and one woman (Mt. 19: 4-5).
Nevertheless, a civil marriage between two men was performed by a
PCUSA minister at the More Light General Assembly gathering. Those
charged with defending our constitution have remained silent on this
breach of ordination vows.
We find these actions repugnant and call upon the denomination to
reject them heartily.
New Wineskins vision
Meanwhile, the New Wineskins Association of Churches continues to hold
to a vision of a church grounded in:
- shared, clear essential theological tenets based on historic
Biblical faith
- shared ethical imperatives derived from Scripture
- relationships of mutual accountability and support
- a polity designed for missional service.
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