Lawyer describes self, wife as a renewal team By Paula R. Kincaid The Layman Volume 36, Number 1 Posted February 17, 2003 Wayne E. Naro, one of the newest directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee’s board, grew up in the Southern branch of the Presbyterian Church and, out of the seven members of his family – four brothers and his parents – is one of only two that remain Presbyterian. Wayne E. Naro “Everyone else has left and gone to other denominations,” he said. “My family is representative of what has happened to the PCUSA.” Naro is a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Neb., a Confessing Church within the PCUSA, where he is an active elder, chair of the personnel committee and an adult Sunday school teacher. Confessing church member He was on the session in the summer of 2001 when it voted to join the Confessing Church Movement. While he said there was much debate concerning joining the movement, “We felt we had to state publicly where we stood.” As a confessing church, Covenant Presbyterian affirmed: That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the only way of salvation. That Holy Scripture is the Triune God’s revealed Word, the Church’s only infallible rule for faith and life. That God’s people are called to holiness in all aspects of life. Naro cited several issues that were confronting the denomination in 2001 as reasons for joining the movement, including “the General Assembly that came out and could not firmly confess Jesus Christ as Lord for everyone, and continuing attempts to subvert Biblical and confessional standards.” And it was his involvement with the Confessing Church Movement that led to his becoming a member of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. In August 2001, Covenant Presbyterian was the host for a regional forum on the Confessing Church within the Presbyterian Church (USA). Speakers included the Rev. Dennis Okholm, professor of theology at Wheaton College in Illinois; Robert L. Howard, chairman of the Presbyterian Lay Committee; and Andrew Loudon, an attorney and former president of the student body at the University of Nebraska. Naro and his wife, Peggy, volunteered to house one of the speakers for the weekend, which turned out to be Howard with his wife, Joanne. Naro said the two couples visited and talked over the weekend, and, about a month later, he received a call from Howard, who said “We want you on the Presbyterian Lay Committee.” “I admired The Layman and their faithfulness to our Reformed faith. It was not hard to say yes,” Naro said. He attended his first Lay Committee directors’ meeting in September in San Diego. While he said there was a lot of debate, “I was amazed at their unanimity. … These people are of one mind. It was a wonderfully refreshing experience.” Naro and his wife are also volunteers with Presbyterians for Renewal’s congregational renewal events. The four-day event is designed to launch an ongoing season of renewal in the life of a congregation. It focuses on preaching, teaching the Word and shared testimonies from members and elders of other Presbyterian congregations. Naro said the event was basically “a revival,” and called the first one he attended in Norfolk, Neb., “a highlight of my life.” He and Peggy are now committed to participate in the events a couple of times a year. He and Peggy are “just team members. … Our role is to give our testimonies and lead discussion groups designed to make people more aware of their faith and in renewing that faith.” Naro is general director of labor relations at Union Pacific Railroad, where he has been employed for 29 years. His responsibilities include administration of labor contracts, arbitration and grievance handling. He received his bachelor of arts degree and juris doctor from the University of Memphis. He and Peggy live in Omaha, Neb., and have two children, Michael and Amanda.

Respond to this article

Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives · History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links