 Next Year in Jerusalem  The Layman – Volume 37, Number 3 – Posted August 10, 2004
It was only as an adult that I learned that the toast was not personal to the Franks, but has been part of the Jewish seder for close to 1,900 years. But for some years, at the close of yet another frustrating General Assembly, I have said, “Next year in Long Beach ... or Columbus ... or Denver,” with a hope of seeing a change in the PCUSA’s course toward self-destruction by fuzzy thinking about Scriptural teaching on Jesus, abortion, mission, discipline and sexual morality. However, at the end of this Richmond assembly July 3, I am not looking forward to the prospect of the next gathering, which for the first time in 219 years will be two years away – 2006 in Birmingham. The recently concluded 216th assembly showed every sign of determinedly marching along the same path that, for 39 years, has caused us to lose almost half of our membership. The commissioners defeated changes in our denomination’s pro-abortion policy (which approves late-term abortions for almost any reason), accepted without much fuss the news of the loss of 46,568 members, and barely prevented the repeal of the PCUSA’s understanding of Scripture and the confessions that homosexual behavior is sinful. The substantial majority by which they re-elected Clifton Kirkpatrick for a third term endorses his stance of “neutrality” in the constitutional crisis of defiance that has been brewing for most of the last four years of his tenure. The freight that the meeting in 2006 must haul is massive, for that assembly will receive for action the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church formed in 2001. The task force’s mandate is to lead us in “spiritual discernment of our Christian identity” on issues of “Christology, Biblical authority and interpretation, ordination standards and power.” At all levels of governing bodies and in the pews, we Presbyterians have been discussing these issues for a quarter of a century and more, as people have perceived a huge divergence between what our confessions say and what so many church leaders say and do. Many people who are disturbed by this divergence have been patient; many are giving the PCUSA a last chance in 2006 to present these foundational issues clearly and in congruence with the plain teaching of God in the Bible. We cannot continue limping between two opposite understandings. G. K. Chesterton put it this way: “Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” Joshua put it another way: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. ...” (Joshua 24:15a). We will know the recommendations of the task force in the fall of 2005 when their report is due. If the task force fails to lead as mandated, many will ask, “Why bother with next year in Birmingham?” Peggy Hedden, a ruling elder in Columbus, Ohio, is the chairman of the board of directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. |
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