 What’s missing?  The Layman – Volume 39, Number 4 – Posted Sept. 19, 2006
As you look at these papers, ask yourself, “What is missing?” I find three crucial things absent. First is any concern to help presbytery officials give pastoral care to a congregation at a crossroad in considering how to continue its ministry in light of the actions of the most recent General Assembly. There is no examination of how Jesus teaches us in Scripture to deal with conflicts personally, as a church or in secular courts. There is no theological reflection on or recognition of legitimate issues of conscience that a congregation could express under our Presbyterian constitution. The papers do not recognize any distinction between those things which are permitted – dissent or the request for dismissal under G-11.0103i – and those which are not – disobedience to constitutional provisions. Instead, the papers advocate ruthlessly cutting off all discussions that may cause trouble in the eyes of Louisville. Also lacking is any shred of advice to try to reconcile with the congregation. The prevailing characteristics of these papers are intimidation, coercion, punishment, and the lack of love for Christian brothers and sisters. The third thing missing from this formidable marshalling of forces from Louisville is any comparable effort during the last 10 years to uphold the ordination standards of G-6.0106b (validated by presbytery votes three times). Indeed, in the past decade, the public advice from the stated clerk’s office has been to confuse and temporize in the face of clear and persistent disobedience of those constitutional criteria by congregations, presbyteries and synods. These newly disclosed papers were prepared for training presbytery lawyers just months before the probable passage of the PUP recommendations to allow evasion of ordination standards. Clearly, the stated clerk anticipated the widespread concern over the adoption of the PUP report and sought to suppress legitimate discussion, advising presbyteries to play what he views as the apparent trump cards of administrative commissions or court battles over property. At the time the stated clerk was piously calling for a “season of discernment,” he was in truth exercising all his powers to quash an expected season of dissent. And, in his just-issued Advisory Opinion Note 19, he goes even further by threatening presbyteries that if they are not rapacious in confiscating local church properties, synods should assume control over the presbyteries. In sum, what the papers lack, from title to concluding sentence, is something of Jesus Christ – his Word and truth, his fairness and justice, his concern and love for individuals and his Church, his grace and graciousness. Peggy Hedden, an elder in Columbus, Ohio, is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Lay Committee. |
||
| Respond
to this article Previous columns by the PLC chair Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives· History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |
||
