Letters to the Editor - Nov/Dec 1999

Letters to the Editor *The Presbyterian Layman* Volume 32, Number 5, Posted November 11, 1999


Covenant Network not a fringe group The leadership of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians includes two former General Assembly moderators of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Albert Winn and Dorothy Barnard), six former GA moderators of the former United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (William P. Thompson, Robert Lamar, Thelma Adair, William Lytle, Howard Rice, and James Costen), and eight former GA moderators of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (J. Randolph Taylor, Harriet Nelson, Benjamin Weir, Isabel Rogers, Herbert Valentine, John Fife, Robert Bohl, and John Buchanan). It therefore strains credulity to say, as you do in your editorial of July/August 1999, that the Covenant Network is a “fringe group.” Just how do you define that term, anyway? Rev. Fred Anderson, Salem, South Dakota Worship of Sophia resized congregation The church I now pastor was a former PCUSA church. The former pastor held communion in the name of Sophia and she appeared to be an active supporter of the ReImagining Conference. By the time I took over, the former pastor had whittled the church down to about 10 very tired and confused members. We have built this rural congregation up to around 250 regular attenders. The answer to our decline was very simple: We have sought to lift high the name of Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and, we have sought to unfold the Scriptures verse by verse. Our church still receives copies of The Layman, for which I am thankful. I was horrified as I read your latest issue by how the enemy of our souls, the Father of lies, has penetrated so deeply this historic church. There is no room for dialogue with those who hold such a low view of Scripture and worship other gods. We have such a short stewardship of days in this life that we each must consider whether or not those days are best spent defending a denominational/political structure or advancing the kingdom. My vote is the latter. Pastor C.J. Alderton, Ignacio, CO Why must church fight sex issue? Why a church has to battle the issue of homosexuality is so perverse that it shocks any Christian conscience. Sex outside the marriage bed is evil as Scripture makes abundantly clear. And God’s call is always toward holiness. Homosexuality is made more malignant because it is also unnatural and unhealthy. Repentance is the only remedy. After much thought, I think this battle is really about money and property. Who will control the immense wealth of the church? I would certainly like to see others speak to this issue. Mark McNeil, Albuquerque, NM It’s time to be ‘God-correct’ An old Georgia country preacher once said, “You can’t split a rotten log.” The PCUSA found this out in the 1970s when the PCA came into being. I am greatly troubled about the lack of concern over what God says in his Word rather that what man (with a little m) thinks or feels. It would appear that the Presbyterian Church is split 49/51 over the gay issue of ordination, and I’m just a wee bit irritated with this whole concept of voices of Sophia and ReImagining god (with a little g)! If the church does not take a stand for what God makes clear in his Word then the words “because you were neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of my mouth” will be heard again. When you hear thunder do not fall asleep under that big oak tree! Judgment begins at the house of the Lord (with a big L)! The leadership of the church needs to be more concerned with “God correct” vs. “politically correct.” David D. Sutton, First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA Is ‘separationist’ leaving the PCUSA? Mark Toone was obviously passionate about the need for a gracious separation. Did he use the forum to announce that he is leaving, then? Where is he going? [Editor: Toone did not announce any plan to leave the denomination.] I’m not challenging his sincerity. In fact, much of what is reported from his presentation strikes a chord with me. I’m simply wondering how he has reconciled the view that says it’s time to go with ... well, with not going. Gordan Runyan, Clerk of Session, First United PC(USA), Tucumcari, NM Add recent decline to top religion stories Re: The top religion stories of the millennium. Please don’t stop at 1948, even if you have reached ten events. Go to 12 or even 15 if you have to. For example, record the general time period when Scripture and the moral curbs of the closely associated creeds were tossed aside wholesale by much of mainline Christianity to popularize the message. I believe the result was a pandering to an eagerness in the educated elite toward the “spiritual freedom” of relativism and universalism. Even so, many left the mainline churches. To convict one of “sin” became “spiritual assault” of a mean spirited origination. Post WWII generations were enabled and encouraged to feel better about seeing themselves as the center of the universe and their intentional worldly behavior as “godly” in their own light. My experience was that it began in the ’50s. By the early ’70s the conversion was nearly complete. The fruits of that “vineyard” are becoming increasingly bitter. Davis R. Dalby, Bayside Presbyterian Church Virginia Beach, VA Only bad polity committed by session The only “bad polity which will serve only to further distrust, intolerance and chaos in the church” I see in this case is that committed by the session of Christ Church (ironic name for a congregation that repudiates the foundational documents – the Holy Scriptures – of Christ’s church, don’t you think?) and the presbytery that permitted it by endorsing Christ Church’s repudiation of G-6.0106b. Rev. William R. Pawson, Pembroke Pines, FL		Let those leave who oppose constitution I would hope that a threat of a large number of members, large money-providing members, would never be a criteria to be used when upholding our constitution, which is based on solid Biblical principles. If there is a faction of members that chooses to have gays and lesbians ordained perhaps it is better that they form their own church and that we who stand on God’s Word wish them well and continue praying for them in earnest. If we truly believe that God will provide for us everything that we need, we should not ever consider compromising our beliefs, as long as they are based on the teachings found in the Bible. Mavis Kimball Better preparation of elders needed Amen to the stronger training and more rigorous exams for elders. I’d suggest that presbyteries may need to provide a team to come do the exam to overcome the shyness of many ministers and elders to be rigorous. This would make exams more uniform throughout presbyteries. Terms of six years may be too long. In any event perhaps the elections should be spaced at two year intervals. Gale B. Dougherty, Elder, 47 years Before communion, baptism should occur Why should it take so long to give an answer to the question raised by this overture on admittance to the Lord’s Table? The answer ought to be simple. Though we need not guard the table from persons not baptized into Christ, we ought not to make statements that would confuse the meaning of Holy Communion. Communion is for those who belong to Christ. If a person not yet baptized desires to partake, then let him ask first to be baptized. (This is so much simpler and more to the point than this overture.) And why would someone who has not yet been baptized desire to participate in the communion? Glen T. Eason Presbyterians have a double standard Our denomination appears to be less concerned with the slaying of conservative Christians than with the slaying of other groups. It is outrageous and unspeakably tragic when anyone is killed because of hatred and bigotry, but in liberals circles, and in much of the PCUSA, it seems it is definitely less outrageous for conservative Christians (like Southern Baptists) to be killed than for Jews or Muslims to be killed. This discrimination among people whom God loves is very, very sad to me. I have heard Presbyterian clergy make jokes and unkind comments about Southern Baptists or Pentecostals, which, if they had been made about Jews, Muslims, or “mainline” Christians, might conceivably have resulted in having charges of bigotry brought against the person who uttered these comments. We have a double standard! The truth is, almost none of our denomination’s ecumenism (except sometimes at the local level) is in relation to conservative, evangelical, or charismatic Christians. As a friend of mine put it, most of our ecumenical efforts are with other “oldline” dying churches. When Jesus, in his high priestly prayer in John 17, prayed for all believers to be one (as he and he Father are one) so that the world might believe that the Father sent him, he did not specify that we become one only with other liberal, non- fundamentalist, or “mainline” (read, “oldline”) Christians! He wants all who call upon the name of Jesus to be one! Winfield Casey Jones, First Presbyterian Church Pearland, TX Tallying the losses: a pitiful way to count It is a pity that we measure our gains in the PCUSA by number of members we lose. The concerned members don’t have to take a poll to find out what is wrong; all that is required is to look at the Presbytery of Louisville. This information should be sent to every member of the church. The pastors won’t mention the problem. We have become an extension of the liberal wing of the Democrat party. Ben W. Brewer Year-end ‘Epiphany’ may still be worthwhile I am 16 years old and VERY conservative. I mean, I am against instrumental solos and stuff like that. Anyway, your article about the PCUSA’s year-end youth “Epiphany” on the Internet (www.layman.org) raised very good concerns. I have been worried about the same things you have mentioned. But I am still seriously thinking about going. Even with all the liberal stuff being pushed into the Dawn, it should still be a worthwhile experience. I personally might be infuriated with some of the workshops, but I will try to just have a good time and maybe speak my mind about it, but not let it ruin the entire trip. I don’t believe there is some conspiracy through the singers to turn kids away from evangelical beliefs though. I find this illogical, for Jars of Clay is probably going to go for the more non-conservative kids, although some conservatives would still listen to that group. Steven Curtis Chapman, recently added, might appeal to the conservatives more though. I do believe the gathering in Indiana will be very liberal, but there will be conservative points it looks like. It is not all horrible, although I agree that we should be very concerned. ... and, like you, I hope kids won’t buy into the liberal garbage that will be peddled, but I am afraid they will. Most kids don’t think seriously about theology or church issues. I am a very strong five-point Calvinist and let’s just say, most kids even in the PCUSA wouldn’t have a clue what that is. Roy Waggoner Seminar leader ‘unashamedly evangelical’ I am one of the presenters for a seminar at the year-end youth event in Indianapolis. My seminar falls under the category of “Relationships and Evangelism,” one that I find appropriate. My seminar is titled “Relationship Evangelism: Building a Bridge and Then Crossing It.” It is designed to teach young adults and youth leaders how to develop relationships with our target audience (the nonbeliever), and then to make use of the trust built up to share the Gospel of Christ. This philosophy is common in organizations such as Youth for Christ, where I worked for several years before entering seminary. I am unashamedly an evangelical in a liberal denomination and feel that this conference opens up an opportunity to teach youth leaders, in particular, what they really need as they reach out to the young people within our society – the skills for evangelism. I don’t agree with many/most of the other seminars that I have heard about, but I know that there will be at least one at that conference where the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ will be plainly taught and presented. Rev. Randy Jenkins, Bethany Presbyterian Church Wilmington, NC



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