August 21, 2001 Reverend Jack Rogers, Moderator Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk Office of the General Assembly Presbyterian Church (USA) 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202 Dear Rev. Rogers and Rev. Kirkpatrick, We read with disappointment the public letter, dated August 3, 2001, which you addressed to the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. Your letter reveals an apparent lack of sensitivity to the depth of conviction and conscience evangelicals across the PC(USA) possess about the actions of the 213th General Assembly. The refusal of the Assembly to affirm the singular saving Lordship of Christ is a profound denial of the heart of the Christian faith. Many Presbyterians believe that the statement finally approved by the Assembly was unacceptable. It speaks a message of equivocation, rather than the clear reaffirmation of the message of John 14:6 that so many across the church and in the world needed to hear. We are further concerned that you and others within the General Assembly leadership still do not grasp our conviction regarding the necessity of the "fidelity and chastity" provisions of the Constitution. To contradict Scripture and the confessional standards of the Church through the centuries by eliminating this portion of our ordination standards is not a minor issue. Nor is it a contradiction we could ever accept. Although G-6.0106b is a relatively recent explicit addition to the Book of Order, it has been there in spirit all along. Its explicit insertion was precipitated by a PJC decision that ruled its inclusion necessary in order to enforce the Definitive Guidance and Authoritative Interpretation principles set forth by the General Assembly. Finally, we wish to voice our concern over your public criticism of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, our partners in the renewal movement. Your reproof of The Layman is widely perceived to be an attempt to marginalize those who are seeking to stand where the church has always stood, confessing Jesus Christ alone as Savior and Lord and upholding biblical and confessional standards for ordination. We would argue that The Layman's editorial criticism of the recent Assembly was not without basis, and many within the PC(USA) share the convictions expressed in it for the reasons stated above. We are committed to supporting one another in our ministries and our advocacy for the historic and evangelical Christian faith within this denomination. We will continue together in our belief that the 213th General Assembly wavered in its responsibility when it failed to clearly uphold two non-negotiable distinctives of biblical faith and practice. We humbly advise the two of you, in the spirit of Matthew 18:15, to seek to reconcile your concerns about process with the leadership of the Lay Committee in a private manner. It is our prayer that God will guide you and strengthen you in your ministries to serve the cause of Christ in the PC(USA). Yours in Christ's Service, Rev. Jerry Andrews Rev. Carmen Fowler (Co-Moderators, The Presbyterian Coalition) cc: The Presbyterian Lay Committee

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