Evangelism group rejects study

Building Community Among Strangers shows early signs of becoming quite controversial. At the September General Assembly Council meeting, the 44-page "churchwide study document" came under fire from the Evangelism Subcommittee of the National Ministries Division.

 by Alan F.H. Wisdom

 Members of the subcommittee, having just received and read the document for the first time, were alarmed that it seemed to undermine the church’s evangelistic mandate to proclaim Christ as the Lord and Savior of all humankind. In trying to build community with people of other faiths, "the implication is that you need to lay aside your belief that Christ is the only means of salvation," said the subcommittee chair, the Rev. Jeffrey Bridgeman of Solvang, Calif.

Another subcommittee member, the Rev. David Bleivik of Anchorage, AK, expressed concern that the paper could have the effect of dividing the church. "We don’t need things that divide us," Bleivik told the Presbyterian News Service. "There are some parts of the document I really like, but unfortunately, there are at least two parts that are so contrary to Reformed theology that they accomplish nothing good. [It] says things about my Lord which are troublesome."

The Evangelism Subcommittee adopted a resolution commenting on the study paper: "While there are considerable elements within the document that we would want to endorse and support, there are within it serious contradictions to our Reformed understanding of the Gospel. Therefore we do not recommend this material for further use in the PCUSA." This resolution was incorporated in the minutes of the National Ministries Division.

The task force is accepting comments on the paper through Dec. 31, 1998. In May 1998 it will begin to draft a policy statement based on the paper and responses to it. That policy statement would be sent to the 1999 General Assembly for approval.

Those wishing to comment upon the document may order a copy (item #68-600-97-001) from Presbyterian Distribution Services, 800-524-2612. It is also available at www.pcusa.org.