Does the grass no longer wither and the flowers no longer fade? By John H. Adams Commentary Special to The Layman Online Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Mark Achtemeier was once considered an ally of the evangelicals in the Presbyterian Church (USA). In a denomination whose seminaries are dominated by liberalism, he seemed to be a promising and scholarly voice for orthodoxy. He had good genes: Mom (deceased) and dad (retired) were highly respected evangelical scholars at Union Theological Seminary. So, Mark was the proverbial acorn that didn't fall far from the tree. This learned young scholar delighted evangelicals. He got a number of gigs and honoraria because he stood apart from the left's theological pack. He won bonus points in 2001 when he applauded the Confessing Church Movement. "The sessions that form the nascent 'Confessing Church Movement' … have declared themselves in accordance with the faith that has been believed, taught and confessed by the overwhelming majority of Christian churches in every corner of the globe across nearly two thousand years of church history," Achtemeier said at the one and only national meeting of the movement. He took that stand in the face of a theological tsunami generated by denominational leaders who condemned Confessing Church pastors and elders for declaring that Jesus alone was Lord and Savior, the Bible was the authority for faith and practice and God's commandments against homosexual behavior, adultery and fornication had not been voided. But Achtemeier's voice began to crack. Full-throttle opposition Today, Achtemeier is full-throttle in opposition to the denomination's constitutional "fidelity/chastity" ordination requirement. This time, Achtemeier literally sprinted to the gate of renewed controversy and acrimony. On Feb. 11, the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) upheld the "fidelity/chastity" ordination requirement – no ifs, ands, buts, or "local option" loophole, as was narrowly approved in an authoritative interpretation by the 2006 General Assembly. On Feb. 15, Achtemeier asked John Knox Presbytery to approve an overture to the 2008 General Assembly. On Feb. 22, the presbytery did Achtemeier's bidding. It also named him the overture advocate. (A brief aside: It should not be surprising that the presbytery went along with the professor. It was one of 26 percent of the denomination's presbyteries that voted in 2001 – the last of three national referendums – to repeal the "fidelity/chastity" standard.) Achtemeier wants the 2008 General Assembly to render null and void the GAPJC ruling by adopting a new authoritative interpretation. That interpretation would allow ordaining bodies to consider "any departure in matters of belief or practice. …" By "consider," that means, in unveiled language, that sessions and presbyteries could decide contrary to the constitution. The only departures not tolerable, according to the overture, would be "a candidate's inability to perform the constitutional functions unique to his or her office (such as the administration of sacraments)." In other words, according to Achtemeier's overture, function is essential; belief and practice aren't. Straying from the evangelical fold So, when and how did Achtemeier stray so far from the evangelical fold? That's hard to pinpoint, but there are clues along the trail. For one, he began to speak more frequently of "unity" as the highest calling for Presbyterians. While serving as a member of the Theological Task force on Peace, Unity and Purity, Achtemeier played a key role in writing a mid-term report for the General Assembly. As a warning to evangelicals, the report included a chilling statement, which, many believe, was contrary to Scripture and Reformed theology: "The implication of the Biblical teaching is clear: Christians cannot even entertain the notion of severing their ties with sisters and brothers in Christ without also placing themselves in severe jeopardy of being severed from Christ." What happened to "perseverance of the saints?" What happened to St. Paul's confidence that, "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus?" What happened to the Lutherans and Calvinists during the Reformation? What's happening today as Presbyterians leave the denomination to align with more Biblical and evangelical – as well as Reformed – bodies? Are those Presbyterians past and present losing their salvation because they seek to worship and serve where there is greater unity? Wisely, the severance clause was scuttled before Achtemeier and other members of the task force wrote their final report. But they had already damaged their credibility. Other inklings There were other inklings. On Jan. 17, 2005, Achtemeier created a buzz at Dubuque University when he purportedly told a seminary class that his then-latest position on homosexuality was a departure from Scripture and church tradition. The Layman contacted students in the class to verify that information, and they confirmed that Achtemeier had made the statement. The Layman published a story – and Achtemeier exploded. He denied that he had said what he was quoted as saying. Furthermore, he denied that he told students that there they were under a covenant not to talk about what was said in class. But Achtemeier's position on the issue today is precisely what he denied in 2007. Maybe he explained himself in 2007 when he was speaking at a colloquium at Austin Theological Seminary. "Human existence, as the Bible portrays it, is fundamentally oriented toward intimate communion with another as the good gift of God," Achtemeier said. "This creation of nuptial fellowship with another person is not a choice that could simply be unmade or undone. It is deeply inscribed in our nature as the good gift of our Creator. Now I would submit that a proper Biblical description of homosexuality has to acknowledge this orientation toward life with another – this good gift of the Creator – and it has to concede that this gift has not been done away with or overruled in gay and lesbian people. It has been shifted toward persons of the same gender." Why did Achtemeier use the passive voice – has been shifted? Could it be that he was unwilling to say whether God changed the decree or humans merely accommodated it so that sin is no longer sin? Does the grass no longer wither, the flowers no longer fade, and the Word of God no longer stand forever? John H. Adams, a longtime observer of the Presbyterian Church (USA), retired in 2006 as the editor of The Layman.

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