This is the time for called meeting of General Assembly Response to James R. Tony's "Constitutional Medicine for constitutional ailment" By Alex Metherell Monday, November 18, 2002 We are grateful that Rev. Tony acknowledges the gravity of Baltimore presbytery defiance in his article posted on PresbyWeb on November 16. Bob Davis, the executive director of the Presbyterian Forum, has declared that Baltimore Presbytery is in schism following the revelation last week that Baltimore had last June past a resolution instructing its Investigative Committees and PJC not to prosecute cases involving defiance of the ordination standard in G-6.0106b. This would explain why, following Paul Rolf Jensen's accusation against the Rev. Stroud, the investigative committee decided not to file charges against Rev. Stroud who has repeatedly stated his defiance of the ordination standard and has admitted – even advertised the fact – that he is a practicing homosexual, and why the Baltimore PJC refused Jensen's appeal of that decision. It is unfortunate that Rev. Tony did not point out that, while it has come to light that Baltimore is now doing this overtly, there are numerous other presbyteries in which the rest of the 20 allegations made against 19 ministers and 1 elder have also not resulted in any charges being filed. These other presbyteries are covertly engaging in the same practice of protecting defiant ministers and sessions that Baltimore is practicing overtly. In the case of the defiance in Hudson River Presbytery, we are unlikely to see the Synod of the Northeast exercising any effective administrative review in view of the fact that they have declared themselves to be a "More Light" synod. It is even more unfortunate that Rev. Tony compares the behavior of the Baltimore Presbytery to the call for a Special Called meeting of the General Assembly. In his article Tony states:- "Disappointment (or disillusionment) misleads Paul Rolf Jensen to conclude that the only remedy for Baltimore's failure to deal with Don Stroud's defiance is a called General Assembly." And, " … Baltimore's failure should not be compounded by the reconvening of the 214th General Assembly." The implication that seeking a called meeting of the GA is as wrong as Baltimore Presbytery's defiance of the constitution is illogical and absurd. Where did the idea of a called GA meeting come from but the constitution itself? The Book of Order specifically provides for a special meeting of the General Assembly to be called and defines what is required to call one. Thus, Rev. Tony's suggestion that we are seeking to remedy a constitutional crisis by unconstitutional means is disingenuous. We are rigorously following the constitutional requirement in this case. There has never been a time in the history of the denomination where there has been such a widespread disregard of the constitution as is now occurring. Rev. Tony hopes that the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic will remedy the situation in Baltimore Presbytery. I share his hope, although I realize that those wheels will grind slowly and we are unlikely to experience any relief for many months. But Mid-Atlantic is only one of sixteen synods, and incidents of defiance that parallel the Stroud case are occurring in many of them. This is a General Assembly-wide problem, spanning multiple presbyteries in multiple synods. A problem of this magnitude requires a General Assembly-wide solution. It cries out for action by the General Assembly. If it is wrong – as Rev. Tony suggests – for a special called meeting to consider the problem, it is equally wrong for the 215th, 216th or 217th GA to considered it! Only a special called meeting of the General Assembly will provide the forum and environment, free from the distraction of committees and mountains of other business that is ubiquitous at regular meetings of the GA. Only a special GA has the ability to focus its entire attention on this one area of business where all of the commissioners will have full and complete input in the debate, and have an equal hand in crafting the optimum solution for the crisis in the church. It is for such a time as this that the Book of Order has provided the procedure for the calling of a special meeting of the GA. This proposed special meeting is not only constitutional; it is essential at this time. Alex Metherell Elder Commissioner, 214th General Assembly Los Ranchos Presbytery, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii

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