Daily coverage of the 211th General Assembly PLC Publications remains in PPC Pipeline Robert P. Mills The Layman Online Monday, June 28, 1999 FORT WORTH – It took one of the closest votes of the Assembly, but commissioners decided against removing PLC Publications, the publishing arm of the Presbyterian Lay Committee from the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation's Presbyterian Pipeline. PLC Publications' resources include books, Bible studies, and a newly released confirmation class curriculum, Belonging to Christ. The Presbyterian Pipeline is a retail service offered by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) to distribute the resources published by Presbyterian-related organizations and institutions. Two commissioners oppose PLC participation John Bush, minister from North Alabama Presbytery and Nancy Whiteley, minister from Shenendoah Presbytery, introduced a Commissioner's Resolution asking the Fort Worth Assembly to direct PPC "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 (U.S.A.) and report back to the 212th General Assembly (2000) for its further direction." The language of their resolution was taken in large measure from a statement issued just before GA by the Witherspoon Society, a pro-gay-ordination activist organization. By a vote of 35-5, the Assembly Committee on Pensions, Benefits and Presbyterian Publishing urged that commissioners disapprove the resolution. Their rationale included "that the resolution as written places the General Assembly Council in the role of critic of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and places the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation in the role of defender of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. These are not desirable roles for either the General Assembly Council or the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Further, the resolution excludes the Presbyterian Lay Committee from the consultation." The committee also noted that "the 1993 General Assembly deliberately established the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation as a separate Corporation, it is inappropriate for the assembly to micro-manage the decisions of the Board of Directors of that Corporation." A minority report After committee moderator David Lambertson moved the committee's recommendation to disapprove the commissioner's resolution, Larry Spencer, minister from Grace Presbytery, moved as a minority report a slightly amended version of the Commissioner's Resolution. Speaking for the committee, Lambertson told commissioners "We believe it is in the best interests of the General Assembly and the church to hear from everyone in the church." He added that the agreement "does not include publication of the Layman magazine. Spencer called the minority report "a friendly substitute." Following customary procedure, both motions were deemed "perfected," then commissioners began to debate whether to substitute the minority report for the committee's recommendation. Jessica McClure Committee debate echoed The ensuing discussion largely echoed the pros and cons voiced in the committee debate. Davis Perkins, PPC's president and publisher, said that PPC "has indeed extended a number of invitations [to participate in the Presbyterian Pipeline] to various organizations in the Presbyterian family," including all Presbyterian seminaries, the 50 largest churches, and all exhibitors at this year's General Assembly. John Bush, co-signer of the original resolution, spoke in support of the minority report. "I've been asked why I'm bringing this to the floor of the Assembly," he noted. "That's because this is the only place to bring it. PPC is not accountable to any other organization in the church." He added that PPC distribution of PLC Publications could have "potential negative impact by blurring the lines between what we have endorsed and what we have not." In response, Jessica McClure, Youth Advisory Delegate from Washington Presbytery said that "The question here is all about censorship. Allowing only certain organizations to use the Pipeline would not be inclusive. It would be an act against what our denomination believes." The decision By a vote 260-263-3, the motion to make the minority report the main motion was defeated. The committee recommendation to disapprove the Commissioner's Resolution was then adopted by a vote of 330-189-4. Perkins describes Presbyterian Pipeline In response to a question about the origin of the “Presbyterian Pipeline” program, which will distribute not only PLC Publications but resources of other Presbyterian organizations as well, Davis Perkins, president and publisher of Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, discussed the origin of the program with Assembly commissioners. “The relationship began last fall,” Perkins said. “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 and the last Assembly, 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.

Related articles: Committee rejects attempt to limit distribution of PLC Publications, The Layman Online, June 22, 1999

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