Panel Appointed to Review College Women's Group By Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service Wednesday, September 23, 1998 LOUISVILLE - General Assembly Council (GAC) chair the Rev. Cathy Chisholm has announced her appointment of the seven-member work group that will review the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW). The five-year-old network came under fire at this year's General Assembly in Charlotte. Commissioners first defunded it and then, after a brief demonstration on the floor of the Assembly on its last evening, reinstated funding for one year but called for a review of the network. NNPCW, which claims 250 participants on 80 campuses around the country, received $50,000 from the denomination in 1998. General Assembly vice moderator the Rev. James E. Mead led the appeal that convinced the Assembly to continue funding while the review takes place. The Assembly directed that Mead and General Assembly moderator the Rev. Douglas W. Oldenburg serve on the review panel. Committee membership Other members, appointed by Chisholm and announced to the GAC Executive Committee Sept. 22, are Lynda Ardan (chair) of Clarks Summit, Pa., who just completed a term as vice moderator of the GAC; Beverly Barr of Lietchfield, Minn., a former high school and junior college teacher who has also worked for an educational research center; the Rev. Jeffrey Bridgeman, pastor of Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church in Solvang, Calif., and a member of the GAC; Miriam Pride, president of PC(USA)-related Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill.; and Dianne Wright, an educator on the staff of New Harmony Presbytery in Florence, S.C. "I was looking for thoughtful, open-minded people who are not afraid to ask hard questions," Chisholm told the Presbyterian News Service in an interview shortly after her announcement. "I want a committee that will work hard and fairly." Asked about the absence of college-aged women on the panel, Chisholm said she attempted to find young women to serve "but all of those who were suggested were too deeply involved in this issue on one side or the other - I didn't want bias one way or the other." She said a number of those appointed "would call themselves apolitical." All appointees were made aware of how politically charged the debate over NNPCW has become, she said, "and they agreed to serve anyway." At least two of the panel members - Mead and Bridgeman - are clearly known as conservative-evangelical Presbyterians. Criticisms leveled Critics of NNPCW charged that some of the group's resources are contrary to scripture, are in violation of the "Book of Order" and promote lesbianism as an acceptable Christian lifestyle. In its September/October issue, "The Presbyterian Layman" also charged, based upon a series of computer links that it traced from the now defunct NNPCW home page on the World Wide Web, that the group promotes pornography. Barry Creech, coordinator for churchwide communication services for the GAC's Office of Communication, told the Presbyterian News Service that the issue of World Wide Web links is complicated. "How far down the electronic chain of links should a group monitor to make sure its links don't lead to an inappropriate place. Some say NNPCW should have gone further or issued a disclaimer because the fact is, after the first link away from the PC(USA) site, you no longer have control over content." Critics such as Williamson said NNPCW should have been more careful in establishing its links to external sites. Chisholm said she expects the panel to meet with both supporters and critics of NNPCW, including members of the group's board of directors and the Rev. Parker Williamson, editor of "The Presbyterian Layman." Williamson, she said, has sent her by certified mail a lengthy report detailing his charges against the group. She said she has not spoken with him directly about his report, even though he quoted her extensively in his "Layman" article. [Layman editor's note: Rev. Chisholm was not quoted in the September/October issue of The Presbyterian Layman. The article does include quotes of letters to her from Curtis Kearns and Harold Kurtz.] Review panel's charge The review panel's charge from the Assembly is "to evaluate the resources, publications and program of the National Network of Presbyterian College Women to ensure consistency with scripture and the constitution and to submit a complete report, including recommendations for future funding, to the 211th General Assembly (1999)." Chisholm said the panel has not scheduled its first meeting yet. |
|
| News from the PCUSA contents | |
| News Updates | |
|
Home,
· Archives,
·
The
Presbyterian Layman - current issue, |
|
