Daily coverage of the 211th General Assembly Committee rejects attempt to limit distribution of PLC Publications By Robert P. Mills The Layman Online Tuesday, June 22, 1999 FORT WORTH – The General Assembly's Pensions, Benefits and Publications committee voted 34-7 against adopting Commissioner's Resolution 99-6, which sought to prevent the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation from implementing an agreement to distribute resources published by PLC Publications, the publishing arm of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. Filed by commissioners Nancy Whiteley and John Bush, the resolution stated: "The 211th General Assembly (1999) directs the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation to stay the implementation of any business arrangement with the Presbyterian Lay Committee until the General Assembly Council or its successor enters into discussions with the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation about the negative effect the Presbyterian Lay Committee continues to have on the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and report back to the 212th General Assembly (2000) for its further direction." Open hearings held Prior to the vote the committee held open hearings on the resolution. First to speak was Eugene TeSelle, president of the Witherspoon Society, an organization that has campaigned against the denomination's "fidelity and chastity" ordination standard. The language of the defeated commissioner's resolution was taken in large measure from a statement issued by the Witherspoon Society. Speaking in favor of the resolution he said "It's unfortunate that this arrangement was proposed by a single organization just as the term of Davis Perkins was expiring. … This backdoor action has already been viewed by many as legitimation of the Lay Committee and its publications." Parker T. Williamson, executive editor of The Presbyterian Layman Parker Williamson, executive editor of The Presbyterian Layman spoke next. Holding up PLC's first publication, Standing Firm, he said, "If we think we have controversy now, there was tremendous controversy over Jesus Christ in 325 AD." He then held up PLC Publications other resources, including Belonging to Christ, a confirmation class curriculum and A Passion for Christ, with essays by Thomas, James, and David Torrance. "Which of these books would you burn?" Williamson asked. "This is the question. It is amazing to me that there are Christians who urge you to do it." Lynne Reade, a retired attorney from Freemont, Calif. spoke in favor of the resolution saying, "The question before you is whether a corporate agency of our denomination should support an organization that has 'undermined the work of the PCUSA.' These are not my words. They are a direct quote from a GA special committee in 1995." Standing Firm; Reclaiming Christian Faith in Times of Controversy Belonging to Christ; Basic Biblical Truths for Discipleship I Believe . . .; The Apostles' Creed for the Third Millennium Ilona Buzick described herself as the pastor of a small but growing urban church in Kansas City, Mo. She said that PLC resources have had a positive effect on her congregation, which had been apathetic but has now become active and committed to the PCUSA. "We've used Standing Firm in Heartland Presbytery, one of the most diverse presbyteries, and it's brought dialogue. We've used Bob Mills' study of the Apostles' Creed as well as Jack Rogers book. And we are now using for an intergenerational Sunday School class Belonging to Christ. I would encourage PPC, which has been weak in publishing Reformed and evangelical material, to continue this relationship." Bill Galvin Bill Galvin, a member of Hope Church in Baltimore Presbytery favored the resolution. "I believe in diversity. I believe in the free exchange of ideas. There's a problem, though, when certain groups consistently and regularly undermine the work of the church and don't do it with integrity but in fact lie." He spoke of money lost by the church, "money that hasn't come to our church because of lies told by The Layman." He added, "That doesn't count the opportunities lost because staff members wouldn't speak fearing lies would be told about them." The last speaker in the open hearing was Robert Howard, chairman of the board of directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. Referring to quotes in the resolution taken from the report of a 1995 special committee, he observed "What is quoted are the charges the special committee brought to the GA. The GA created a committee to hear the charges. That committee declined to adopt those charges." The General Assembly report, which rejected the special committee's charges, was adopted 517-20. Committee discussion Following a break for dinner, the committee reconvened to discuss the resolution and ask questions of several resource people, including Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and PPC President and Publisher Davis Perkins and resolution co-signer John Bush. Bush told the commissioners "I'm not asking you to say 'No, you can never do this,' but to instruct the GAC to confer over the next year over the impact of this, particularly the negative impact this arrangement may have on the life of the church." In response to a question about the origin of the "Presbyterian Pipeline" program, which will distribute not only PLC Publications but the publications of other Presbyterian organizations as well, Davis Perkins told commissioners, "The relationship began last fall. I visited with the PLC at our initiative about reaching out into other parts of the Presbyterian family that we did not serve through our own publications." After the concept was approved by the PPC board, the Presbyterian Pipeline services were offered to exhibitors at this at the last GA, the 50 largest churches, and all Presbyterian seminaries. "We did not and have not at any time offered to subsidize the distribution or publication of any of these entities," Davis said. "We either charge a fee or purchase inventory at a discount. "The enabling account is and was the Presbytery Lay Committee. We identified PLC as having a cluster of resources that would appeal to a portion of the Presbyterian family. " Perkins also noted that PPC currently distributes resources published by UCC, Lutheran and Catholic publishing houses. Committee action After the motion to approve the resolution was defeated, commissioners voted 35-5-1 to recommend that the Assembly not adopt the resolution. Included in the recommendation were comments that the Assembly should not attempt to micromanage the decisions of the board of directors of the PPC and that PPC does not endorse materials produced by any group invited to participate in the Presbyterian Pipeline but is providing a retail service. The recommendation also included a third point, that the recommendation places the General Assembly Council in the role of adversary to the Lay Committee and the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation in the role of defending the Lay Committee – roles that neither wants, and it excludes the Lay Committee from the process.

E-mail your response to Fort Worth We welcome your e-mail response to this story and will display your comments on a TV screen for commissioners and visitors to the General Assembly in Fort Worth. Please keep your response brief. Related articles: Witherspoon Society charges refuted by '95 General Assembly Responses from readers on limiting distribution of PLC Publications Complete list of PLC Publications

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