Witherspoon Society charges refuted by '95 General Assembly The Layman Online Thursday, June 10, 1999 The Witherspoon Society, an independent organization that promotes liberal causes in the Presbyterian Church (USA), including ordination of practicing homosexuals, has criticized the Presbyterian Publishing Corp. for agreeing to distribute evangelical books by PLC Publications, the publishing ministry of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. In a lengthy statement issued by its executive committee, the society cites accusations brought against the Lay Committee by former PCUSA Moderator Robert Bohl and others. They sought to have the Lay Committee's newspaper, The Presbyterian Layman, censured. [Until recently, Bohl served as co-moderator of the Covenant Network, the lead organization in encouraging congregations to defy the PCUSA Constitution's ordination standard.] Those accusations by Bohl and others were heard by a 1994 General Assembly Special Committee on Reconciliation with the Presbyterian Lay Committee. The special committee determined that the accusations did not warrant any action against the Presbyterian Lay Committee. In fact, the committee endorsed a document by the Lay Committee which described the framework for its ministry in the PCUSA and its commitment to the Evangelical Press Association's Code of Ethics. The 1995 General Assembly received the special committee's report and voted 517-20 not to censure The Presbyterian Layman. Following are the recommendations of the special committee as published in the minutes of the General Assembly of 1995: Recommendations That the 207th General Assembly (1995) do the following; 1. Approve and endorse the Presbyterian Lay Committee's commitment to the "Determination of Boundaries for Its (The Presbyterian Lay Committee/Presbyterian Layman) Work Within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)," which include the Evangelical Press Association's Code of Ethics, as a step toward God's healing grace and forgiveness (see paragraph 18.024). This recommendation was commended to the assembly committee by the Special Committee on Reconciliation with the Lay Committee and agreed to by the Presbyterian Lay Committee during our deliberations. The text of the Evangelical Press Association's Code of Ethics can be found in paragraph 18.024 as Appendix Two. Include with this appendix a note of reference to Item III.D.1. of the report of the Assembly Committee on Report on Reconciliation. 2. Call all Presbyterians to repentance and forgiveness, and rebuke all divisive people and groups in our church. 3. Direct the General Assembly Council to make it a matter of urgent priority to discuss fully issues about which Presbyterians are in disagreement, and to do everything possible to commend and encourage this discussion in the larger church. 4. Urge the Moderator of the 207th General Assembly (1995) to invite every session in the denomination to communicate with the General Assembly Council their issues of concern in the life of the church, their hopes, and their dreams for the future of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and direct the General Assembly Council to report as assessment of these communications to the 208th General Assembly (1996). 5. Urge the General Assembly Council, through its Congregational Ministries Division and our denominational seminaries, to make it a matter of urgent priority to provide ongoing regional opportunities to discuss matters of theology, practical faith, and spiritual formation, particularly as they are informed by the Scriptures and the Book of Confessions. 6. Thank the Congregational Ministries Division and others for their efforts to promote theological dialogue, and strongly recommend the continuance of these efforts. 7. Dismiss the Special Committee on Reconciliation with the Presbyterian Lay Committee with great appreciation for their work. The Assembly Committee on the Report on Reconciliation has been deliberately brief and obviously nonpunitive, and intends that the assembly shall not take up the topic again.

Statement issued by The Witherspoon Society reported by Presbyweb Committee rejects attempt to limit distribution of PLC Publications June 22, 1999

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