 PLC Chair  The Presbyterian Layman Volume 32, Number 5, Posted November 11, 1999
A Message from the PLC Chair The two recent Permanent Judicial Commission decisions from the Synod of the Northeast provide guidance in our denomination’s search for “the nature of the unity we seek in our diversity.” Both decisions uphold the duty of presbyteries and sessions to obey our constitution.Those who yearn for unity in our badly fractured denomination often speak of the need to find “common ground.” The synod commission has reminded us that we already have a common ground. It is called the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Constitutional government articulates for its people both the ethos and the structural framework that make their communal life possible. Some observers were surprised that a commission from this region of our country – most of whose presbyteries vigorously opposed the adoption of our ordination standards – would have voted so strongly for two rulings that rejected attempts to undermine those standards. The commission made it clear that whatever an individual’s views may be on issues of personal morality, disobeying the constitution is not an option. People of integrity – both liberal and conservative – readily recognize the necessity of constitutional government to provide reasonable unity in a free society. Our denomination’s constitution, which includes the Book of Confessions, also establishes the common ground within which we explore the implications of our faith. “People of faith” has become a trendy label in our liberal culture. Its vagueness appeals to those whose ultimate value is “inclusiveness,” for – as we witnessed in the General Assembly Council’s “Women of Faith Award” ceremony last summer – people who wear that label can believe anything. The Presbyterian constitution does not allow for such nonsense. Presbyterians do not believe that all ideas are equal. We do not accept the premise that one view of God is as good as another. Our Book of Order puts it this way: “No opinion can be either more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon a level, and represents it as of no consequence what a man’s opinions are” (G-1.0304). The constitution identifies our common ground as follows: “It is necessary to the integrity and health of the church that the persons who serve in it as officers shall adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith and polity as expressed in the Book of Confessions and the Form of Government … in becoming a candidate or officer of the Presbyterian Church (USA) one chooses to exercise freedom of conscience within certain bounds. His or her conscience is captive to the Word of God as interpreted in the standards of the church so long as he or she continues to seek or hold office in that body …” (G-6.0108a-b). The synod commission rightly upheld the duty of officers and church courts to honor and obey our constitution as the essential prerequisite for maintaining unity in our diversity. Robert L. Howard |
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