Presbytery joins sessions in asking council to affirm salvation in none other than Jesus By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Online Thursday, November 16, 2000 In a unanimous voice vote, the Presbytery of Shenango has asked the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to "'cure' the 'delinquency' for failing to take action regarding the Peacemaking Conference in its September meeting." It asks the council to: "Adopt the statement of the Executive Committee proclaiming the witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA); and, "direct all entities, agencies, and programs of the 'Presbyterian Church (USA) – including the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program – to be good stewards of the resources provided by working towards the proclamation of that witness." The Nov. 14 letter was addressed to the General Assembly Council Chairman Peter Pizor, the council's Executive Director John Detterick and Congregational Ministries Division Director Donald Campbell. In July, a keynote speaker told a PCUSA-sponsored Peacemaking Conference that Jesus should not be considered the sole instrument of salvation. At one point during his presentation, the Rev. Dirk Ficca asked rhetorically, "What's the big deal about Jesus?" The presbytery's letter read, "By urging youth to 'shift' from what he describes as the 'instrumental view' to the 'revelatory view,' Ficca left the impression that denying the role of person and work of Jesus Christ as savior is somehow consistent with Scripture, the Confessions and the witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It is not so." Shenango Presbytery commended the Executive Committee for making a "strong statement about Jesus' being the way, the truth and the life," but felt that the second part of the committee's response "remains insufficient to address the issues raised by the Peacemaking Conference." Time to take a stand "It's been on our hearts," said Chris Weichman, associate pastor of East Main Presbyterian Church in Grove City, Pa., adding that the discussion is not about sexuality now. "We really are talking about theology … It's time to take a stand." Weichman said the presbytery wasn't trying to stifle Ficca's speech, but "just like you can't run into a theater and yell 'fire,'" there are boundaries to free speech. "We are bound by the Bible, the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order, especially G-3.0300 'The Church is called to tell the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord …'" "We are bound by the gospel to speak the truth," he said. Task force delayed The morning after the presbytery met, the denomination's chief communication officer declared that the formation of a previously announced General Assembly Council task force to study conference planning would be delayed. General Assembly Council Chairman Peter Pizor said any action would be taken at the Feb. 19-24 council meeting in Louisville. If the council fails to respond to the presbytery, the presbytery could pursue the case through the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly, the highest court in the denomination. Shenango Presbytery joins the sessions of Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas and Montreat Presbyterian Church in Montreat, N.C. in requesting action by the council. Highland Park asked the council to "cure a delinquency for failing to correct an irregularity that occurred during the Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference, July 26-29, 2000." Montreat charged the General Assembly Council with a number of "delinquencies" in its response to the 2000 Peacemaking Conference.

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