National Assembly called for Confessing Churches The Presbyterian Layman Volume 34, Number 5 Posted July 6, 2001 The Evangelical Network of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery has called for a National Confessing Church Assembly in 2002. The Confessing Church Movement within the Presbyterian Church (USA), at press time, includes 538 congregations representing in excess of 186,000 Presbyterians in 43 states and Puerto Rico – and it’s growing every day. The movement was initiated March 21 by Summit Presbyterian Church in the Beaver-Butler Presbytery. Since then, the movement has experienced phenomenal growth. Paul Roberts, pastor of Summit Presbyterian Church, said 25 congregations are members of the Evangelical Network of the Beaver-Butler Presbytery. He said neither a site nor an agenda has been selected for a National Assembly of the Confessing Church. Because the movement has no official leadership, Roberts said he is inviting pastors and members of the Confessing Church Movement to help plan the conference. Sessions with congregations comprised of as few as six members and as large as 5,400 members have joined the movement to reassert their belief that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, that Scripture is the infallible rule of life and faith and that God’s standards for holiness do not change to accommodate a transient culture. Those three tenets are at the heart of the movement, but there is no single “Confessing Church” resolution. Some sessions are using sample resolutions; some are adopting the “Summit Resolution” that was the first Confessing Church statement; and many are writing their own resolutions to reflect the unique circumstances of their congregations. As the movement continues to grow, it also is attracting more endorsements. The Presbyterian Coalition is the latest organization to support it, joining a list of other organizations including the Presbyterian Lay Committee, Presbyterian-Reformed Ministries International, Presbyterians For Renewal, The Presbyterian Forum and Voices of Orthodox Women. “We fully support our brothers and sisters who are making a Confession of Christ in these days,” the Coalition’s statement says. “The Coalition itself is a confessional body having articulated its theology in the Union in Christ declaration. We urge you to articulate your faith in Jesus Christ.” The Coalition also is “exploring every option by which we can faithfully be the church together in this increasingly post-denominational world,” and will present some of the options at Gathering VI in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 1-3.

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