YADs meet with NNPCW representatives a second time By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Thursday, June 24, 1999
Following the GA plenary meeting on Wednesday night, NNPCW representatives and task force members (whose review of the controversial group will be considered later in the week) spoke to the YADs for 10 minutes, then answered questions for approximately an hour. YADs who "wanted to sleep" were offered an opportunity to leave the meeting after the ten minute presentation. Approximately half of the YADs did. The back of the YAD's meeting room was filled by observers from Presbyterian Women, special interest groups of the church and PCUSA staff.
The first NNPCW presentation to the YADs was Monday night. On Tuesday night, Parker T. Williamson, executive editor of The Presbyterian Layman, spoke to the YADs about the controversies surrounding the NNPCW, including links from its website that led to pornographic sites. Williamson had earlier filled out a written application specifying that he would speak about NNPCW. The application was approved by the YAD council, which then issued an invitation to Williamson to address the group. Following the talk, GA staffer Roger Nishioka vigorously protested Williamson's presentation. Nishioka's objection was punctuated by comments from a handful of YADs who complained that Williamson had "violated trust" with the YADs by speaking about NNPCW. Shortly thereafter, the YAD council voted to invite NNPCW representatives to make a second presentation. They're back "We are thrilled to be invited back here," said an NNPCW representative, who was not wearing a nametag and did not identify herself. "This is an issue about young adults." She said the attacks on NNPCW had been painful "because my belief in Jesus Christ has been questioned by parts of the church." On the issue of the NNPCW being a "gateway to pornography," she said. "You know any wesbite can be six clicks away from pornography. ... It's absurd to say we promote pornography." "They have also said we worship goddesses. This is untrue," she said. Gusti Newquist, an NNPCW intern, said that the organization's controversial curriculum Young Women Speak, which made no reference to Jesus Christ but did include prayers to Sophia, was "not an issue because it is out of print. Everyone agrees it needs to be revised." Review of NNPCW Task force member Jeff Bridgeman said the task force reviewed the material of NNPCW. "We saw all of it but the website," he said. The NNPCW website suddenly disappeared from the web shortly after last year's General Assembly. But before it was erased, members of the Layman staff made documented copies of its contents, showing links to a lesbian dating service and pornographic websites. Williamson sent certified copies of the material to 210th General Assembly Vice-Moderator James Mead and a letter describing the contents of the material to Cathy Chisholm, chair of the General Assembly Council. Bridgeman said he believed in "redemption, and we are worth redeeming." He said with new guidelines and a healthy and right course we can move forward. "They made a mistake," said Bridgeman, "and we are trying to correct it." Despite finding that the NNPCW "clearly violated the policies of the PC(USA), being inconsistent with the church's confessional standards, lacking in Biblical and theological foundation, and failing to provide balanced, accurate resources for study or further discussion," the task force recommended that the Assembly give the Network a new lease on life and twice as much money. Money and membership When questioned about the money the Network receives and its membership, representatives said the group currently gets approximately $50,000 and the recommendation approved by an Assembly committee calls for that to be increased to $96,000, which includes funding for a staff position. "The numbers are broad," she said referring to membership. She said there was 650 names on the national mailing list; 350 individual student members; 100 campus affiliates; and 20 specific groups. "We've been struggling to get the word out," they said. Because of the publicity of the past year, said Newquist, "we have grown substantially. In the next several years we will become a strong, booming organization." Offended by laughter Referring to the previous meeting, a YAD told the NNPCW representatives that he found it "offensive how you had the gall to stand here and laugh while you said 'We were six clicks away from pornography.'" He added, "pornography is not a laughing matter." A NNPCW representative explained the laughter by saying that she believes pornography is damaging and that she finds it hard to believe that anyone would believe the accusations. "I have not seen the pornography. No one has ever seen the links," she said. "They were not intentional and if we had known they would have been gone in seconds."
"If you read the book of Ester you don't see the word God," she said. "Just because you don't see the Christology doesn't mean we don't have Christian values." As the evening's last question, a YAD asked the NNPCW representatives, "Who is Jesus Christ to you?" The question went unanswered Other articles on the NNPCW: NNPCW quickly rewrites communication to commissioners GA committee backs NNPCW; requires theological oversight of materials Committee warned that backing NNPCW could have funding consequences College women's resources studied by woman minister Documentary on college women's group mailed to commissioners Index of articles on the NNPCW |
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