General Assembly Briefs 'Jesus-first' motion defeated By John H. Adams The Layman Online Sunday, June 10, 2001 LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Jesus-first movement was rejected June 9 by 80 percent of the commissioners during the opening plenary of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). A two-thirds majority was required for approval of the motion, which sought to have the General Assembly consider as its first order of business after committee meetings whether, as three overtures propose, Jesus alone is Lord and Savior of all the world. Proponents of the motion said they wanted the denomination to re-establish the credibility that Jesus Christ is unrivaled Lord of all before an expected bitter fight over ordination standards is on the agenda. But the commissioners decided to follow the normal routine -- first having the Committee on Theological Issues and Educational Institutions report its recommendations on the three overtures. Opponents of the motion said they could not predetermine whether the committee would complete its business in time for the Jesus-first issue to be placed at the top of the agenda. The committees begin their deliberations Sunday night, June 10, and are scheduled to complete them by 6 p.m. June 12. The full General Assembly will begin hearing committee reports at 2 p.m. June 13. A MORE EXCELLENT WAY? -- Instead of an up-or-down vote on whether to amend or delete G-6.0106b, a number of General Assembly leaders want to buy time -- four years -- and divert the stormy issue to the care of a commission. Among those calling for the establishment of a commission are Syngman Rhee, moderator of the 2000 General Assembly; newly-elected Moderator Jack B. Rogers; Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick; and John Detterick, executive director of the General Assembly Council. They call their strategy "a more excellent way," appropriating the phrase that introduces St. Paul's well-known love chapter in the first letter to the church at Corinth. Invariably, they commend the love chapter as the model for unity in diversity. Kirkpatrick read the love chapter to the delegates in an effort to sway them toward "a more excellent way." But neither Kirkpatrick nor others favoring a four-year commission study made any reference to the issues the Apostle Paul addressed in earlier parts of the first letter to the church at Corinth -- including sexual sin. On that matter, Paul does not advise his readers to fast-forward to I Corinthians 13. Instead, he argues, in a not-so-politically-correct manner, that the church at Corinth should deliver a man who cohabitated with his mother-in-law "unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh." Paul also condemns fornication, prostitution and homosexual activity before he reaches the love chapter. He does make a plea for unity that is shaped by shared obedience to God. COMMISSION -- Whatever duties it might be assigned in its examination of the ordination question, a proposed four-year commission would have far-reaching authority both to begin the process and to "conclude" it, according to the Book of Order. "A commission is empowered to consider and conclude matters referred to it by a governing body," G-9.0502 states. A number of passages in the section dealing with commissions include the phrase "in its absolute discretion" -- a power far greater than that which is allowed for committees and task forces. By being empowered to "conclude" a matter, a commission could bypass the General Assembly and submit directly to the presbyteries a proposed change in the denomination's constitution. "The decision of an administrative commission shall be the action of the appointing governing body from the time of its completion by the commission and the announcement, where relevant, of the action to parties affected by it," G-9.0505 states. THE NO-SEX OVERTURE -- Advocates of Overture 21 -- which would support new church development and redevelopment -- have been distributing a list of 10 reasons to support their cause: 10. Overture 21 has nothing to do with sex. 9. Overture 21 has nothing to do with opera. 8. Overture 21 puts our money where our mouth is. 7. Overture 21 will help increase mission giving. 6. Overture 21 will give struggling churches hope and new churches a fair chance. 5. Overture 21 will encourage presbyteries to get involved with struggling churches. 4. Overture 21 will embolden presbyteries to plant new churches. 3. Overture 21 has not been attacked or endorsed by The Layman. 2. Overture 21 will never have anything to do with sex. 1. You can go home and honestly say this General Assembly accomplished something good, important and worthwhile. Overture 21 would allocate at least 5 percent of the unified mission contributions for new church development and redevelopment beginning in 2002. Advocates say past General Assemblies consistently made bold commitments to evangelism and new church development, but without enough money.

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