Welcome to Witherspoon on the Web       

News and networking for progressive Presbyterians

Home page

Ordination concerns

Immigrant rights

War on Iraq

Search Archive
2006 General Assembly Global & Social concerns Election 2008 Israel & Palestine About us Just for fun

News of the PC(USA)

Torture --
It's time to resist!
Other churches, other faiths War on Iran?? Join us! Notes from your WebWeaver

What's Where

Our reports about the
2008 General Assembly

You'll find much more on the GA at JustPresbys -- the shared website of 6 progressive Presbyterian organizations.

ABOUT US

The Spring 2008 issue of
Network News
is posted here
- in Adobe PDF format.

Click here for earlier issues
Adobe PDF  Click here to download (free!) Adobe Reader software to view this and all PDF files.

News of the Society
How to join us
Witherspoon's
Global Engagement Initiative
Dancing with God -- reports from the 2005 Witherspoon conference on mission for peace and justice

SEARCH

CONNECTIONS

Coming events calendar 

Do you want to announce an event?
Please send a note!
Food for the spirit
Book notes

Go to  Amazon.com

LINKS

NEWS of the Presbyterian Church

Got news??
Send us a note!
Women's Concerns
Social and global concerns
The Middle East conflict
The War in Iraq
Hurricane Katrina
U. S. Politics
Election 2008
Economic justice
Fair Food Campaign
Sexual justice
Peacemaking & international concerns
Caring for the environment
Immigrant rights
Racial concerns
Church & State
The death penalty
The media
OTHER CHURCHES, OTHER FAITHS
Do you want regular e-mail updates when stories are added to our web site?
Just send a note!
The WebWeaver's Space
ARCHIVES
JUST FOR FUN
Want books?
Search Now:

 

Facing division in the Presbyterian Church

Locked out, church faithful ponder their future
[10-15-07]

When 50 members of the feuding Londonderry (New Hampshire) Presbyterian Church turned up looking for their Sunday service last weekend, they instead found all the locks had been changed, said Dr. John Mokkosian, a pastor who held service under a tree on the front lawn for the "continuing congregation," the group that wants to stay affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Last month, citing "theological, doctrinal and organizational difference," a group of about 200 members voted to separate from the Presbyterian Church USA, opting instead to associate with the New Wineskins, a more conservative interpretation of the same denomination. They were the ones who changed the locks, according an attorney representing New Wineskins.

For the full article in the Manchester Union Leader, along with a few comments from readers >>

Thanks to Suzanne Sandblom, of Manchester, New Hampshire, for calling our attention to this. In her note she wrote:

I can't really understand what it is all about but many of the Londonderry (NH) Presbyterians were locked out of their church this weekend by the New Wineskins – people that have been going for 30-40 years – this is not Christian and they want to take over- how awful is that!

The other side ...

The Presbyterian Layman has reported on the efforts of the group seeking separation to bring suit against the Presbytery of Northern New England, to gain possession of the church property. Their report states that the congregational meeting, held on September 30, voted by 208 to 86 (out of a total membership of 446) for immediate disaffiliation from the PC(USA), and to join the New Wineskins Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

The Layman report >>
The congregation’s website >>

TURNING OVER IN THEIR GRAVES

A quick look at our Presbyterian "culture wars"    [6-23-07]

The Rev. John Shuck, whose always-interesting blog we’ve mentioned before, has just written a super-condensed survey of the state of the Presbyterian Church (USA), putting our current struggles in clear perspective.

John is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, TN.


Here is a little introduction to church politics in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The so-called "Culture Wars" blaze through various church denominations. I thought I would take this time to introduce you to one of the movements in the Presbyterian Church. It has its cousins in other denominations such as the Methodist and Episcopal churches. On one hand, it is about internal denominational politics. But on the other hand, it is a larger part of a move toward theocracy in the United States.

In 2001, the PCUSA General Assembly sent to its presbyteries (173 or so regional governing bodies) an overture that would not allow clergy to perform holy union services for same-sex couples. It did not pass. A year previous, a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Dirk Ficca, presented a speech at a Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference entitled, Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a Diverse World.

In response to that, the Confessing Church Movement was formed. About 1,000 or so congregations of the 11,000 or so PCUSA congregations signed on to this movement. The Confessing Church Movement (CCM) declared that the denomination was apostate and needed to reform to "biblical" principles. Here they are in a nutshell:

  1. That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the way of salvation.
  2. That holy Scripture is the Triune God's revealed Word, the Church's only infallible rule of faith and life.
  3. That God's people are called to holiness in all aspects of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate.

Let's look at them one by one:

1. That Jesus Christ alone is Lord of all and the way of salvation.

(Meaning: All other religions are false. All followers of other faiths and all Christians who are open to other faiths as legitimate means to the Sacred are headed for Hell).

2. That holy Scripture is the Triune God's revealed Word, the Church's only infallible rule of faith and life.

(Meaning: All texts in the 66 books in the Protestant canon are the "Word of God" and all on a par with one another. Forget historical criticism of texts. Regardless of what the texts say, they are infallible. This means of course that the most horrific texts are often used as standards for all others).

3. That God's people are called to holiness in all aspects of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate.

(Meaning: No homos in the pulpit. All sexual activity in heterosexual marriage=good. All sexual expression outside of heterosexual marriage=bad, regardless of the quality of the relationships).

There you have it. Three dogmas:

1) Our religion is right and the only.

2) The Bible is the infallible Word of God (which to them gives divine and absolute authority for positions #1 and #3).

3) Homosexuality (which is what it is all about) is wrong, sinful, and no clergy who are gay and happy with that should be ministers.

OK, so you call it harmless fundamentalist, homophobic nonsense. I agree. However, what I find especially insidious is the name of this movement. The Confessing Church was a brave movement by Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others who resisted the Nazis prior to and during World War II.

The Nazis, among their other atrocities, exterminated Jews, gays, and others. If you read the Barmen Declaration of 1934 you will find a strong emphasis on the lordship of Christ as opposed to the lordship of the Fuhrer. No emperor can claim to be God. As opposed to Empire and its values, the Barmen Declaration lifted up Christ and his values.

But that in no way meant the superiority of Christianity over other faiths, heterosexuality over homosexuality, or an insipid reading of the Bible as literal truth.

This modern movement among PCUSA fundamentalists is nothing less than using the name of a critical important resistance to Empire to further a narrow theocratic, homophobic agenda.

If Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Niemoller, and Rudolph Bultmann knew what was happening in their names, they would turn over in their graves.

My thoughts on the matter,
john
_______

Posted By John Shuck to Shuck and Jive at 6/22/2007 09:30:00 PM

Letter, resource material to combat information from New Wineskins
[6-15-07]

Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE – June 14, 2007 – In an effort to address material from the New Wineskins Association of Churches (NWAC) that "mischaracterizes" the convictions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), top officials with the denomination have sent a letter and resource material out to middle governing body leadership.

General Assembly Council Executive Director Linda Valentine and stated clerk the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick jointly penned a letter to executive presbyters and stated clerks, available at www.pcusa.org/mgbconnect, in an effort to deal with information presented by NWAC in its document, "A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven: Report of the Strategy Team of the New Wineskins Association of Churches."

The New Wineskins’ document, posted on the association’s Web site, raises questions about the faith and mission of the PC(USA). NWAC is a conservative movement in the PC(USA) that seeks partnerships with Presbyterian churches that hold similar views of biblical standards.

Accompanying the letter from Valentine and Kirkpatrick also is the document "The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord," developed by the PC(USA)’s Office of Theology and Worship.

The full text of the letter, dated June 12, 2007:

Dear Executive Presbyters and Stated Clerks:

We are grateful for the leadership you provide to your governing body and to the whole church. We are also grateful for the ways we in the General Assembly Council and the Office of the General Assembly are able to work with you in the ministry and mission of the church. One way we can be of service to you is by providing resources that may be helpful, especially as you deal with congregations in conflict.

The New Wineskins Association of Churches has circulated material that mischaracterizes central convictions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s faith and life. This material appears on the NWAC web site, as well as in direct communication with some congregations. A number of presbytery executives and stated clerks have asked us to outline the church’s position on these matters.

We attach a document, "The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord," prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, that sets forth the church’s convictions. This document, which will also be posted on the PCUSA web site, beginning with www.pcusa.org/mgbconnect, is in two parts: a one-page summary and an expanded commentary.

We recognize that most of our congregations are not focused on New Wineskins or the statements being made about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We are simply making this resource available for those who seek to interpret accurately the positions of our church. Please feel free to distribute it as you deem helpful.

We encourage your comments, feedback, and questions – especially your thoughts about how we can be helpful to you and the whole church as we seek to reach out to those who believe that the church is moving in troubling directions. Please send your comments to taw@ctr.pcusa.org.

We are grateful for so many Presbyterian leaders who are working hard and faithfully in this time of confusion and conflict. You are in our prayers.

In Christ,

Linda Valentine, Executive Director, General Assembly Council

Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk


Two or three notes from your WebWeaver:

The New Wineskins document to which this letter refers can be found on the New Wineskins website >>

You might want to look at some of our own earlier reports and comments on the New Wineskins Association >>

And we are interested to note that once again, an important letter is being issued by the top leadership of the PC(USA), but the current Moderator has apparently chosen not to join with them.

PC(USA) leadership writes to congregations about apparent intent of some congregations to leave the denomination    [2-3-07]

Clifton Kirkpatrick, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, and Linda Bryant Valentine, Executive Director, General Assembly Council, have sent a joint letter to all PC(USA) congregations, declaring their regret at the apparent intent of a few congregations to withdraw from the denomination, and affirming that "we are better together than we are apart."

Their cover letter to pastors >>
Their letter to all congregations >>


January 29, 2007


Dear Pastors,

Those of us at the General Assembly have been thinking of and praying for you regularly, always grateful to God for your faithful ministry.

Included in this envelope is a letter we are asking you to read to your congregation. The letter informs them of the possible intention of a few of our churches in Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to leave the denomination. While we do not believe this will be especially large in number, it saddens us, nonetheless, and we want to respond accordingly.

We especially want you as a church leader to be informed in advance of this, so as to be able to respond to questions.

It is our firm belief that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is better when we faithfully commit ourselves to be in mission together. We hope that you, too, share that vision and will communicate that to your congregation. Most of all, we want to encourage you as a leader to stand strong in encouraging the people in your ministry not only to stay with us, but to bring and welcome others to be a part of the ministry that God has entrusted to us.

Finally, know that we appreciate all you are doing and we thank God for the ways in which your vital work is helping the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) carry out the mission and work of Jesus Christ. We invite you to be in touch with us if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns about this or any topic at any time. Our email address is together@ctr.pcusa.org.

". . . be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your work is not in vain." (1 Cor. 15:58)


Sincerely in Christ,


                      

Clifton Kirkpatrick                                            Linda Bryant Valentine

Stated Clerk of the General Assembly               Executive Director, General Assembly Council

 

 
 

January 29, 2007

Dear Presbyterian sisters and brothers in Christ,

We are writing to you in advance of news you may read in the coming days. We have heard that a few Presbyterian congregations may soon announce their intention to leave the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

We are deeply saddened by this news for several reasons. First, any church’s departure is difficult and painful for the congregations involved and the wider church. Fractures within the body of Christ diminish our witness of God’s grace and mercy to the world—unfortunate in these already divisive times. And, the PC(USA) will miss the gifts and perspectives of these brothers and sisters in Christ.

Among the reasons of those wishing to leave are perceptions of particular actions of the 217th General Assembly last summer. These perceptions include concerns that our ordination standards have changed and that the PC(USA) no longer believes in the Trinity. Neither of these is true.

It is our deep conviction that we are better together than we are apart:

· We are better followers of Jesus when we stick together, mutually encouraging one another in the work of discipleship.

· We are better together and more effective in confronting the enormous problems in the world—dire situations like Darfur, HIV/AIDS in Africa, and ongoing human tragedies in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

· We are better together because the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as one expression of the whole body of Christ needs all of its parts in order to function well (1 Cor. 12).

· We are better together because our resources of time, talents, and treasure have a larger and farther reach.

· We are better together because our discernment and deliberations on tough topics need our many perspectives to reach the most faithful decisions.


Our confidence in the strength of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its people is unwavering. More than 11,000 PC(USA) congregations are, day in and day out, engaged in remarkable ministries that include proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, breaking the bread and sharing the cup, challenging injustice, and exhibiting the kingdom of God to the world. As the apostle Paul wrote, "I am confident … that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

In over three hundred years of American Presbyterian history, we have never agreed 100 percent on any issue of the day. But, in the end, we are better together in Christ’s unity.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

              

Clifton Kirkpatrick                                       Linda Bryant Valentine

Stated Clerk of the General Assembly          Executive Director, General Assembly Council

 

 

A major
Ghost Ranch event this summer!

July 28 - August 3, 2008

Paths toward Peace and Justice:

Spirituality, Earth-Care, and the Prophetic Word in a time of Violence

More info >>

 

If you like what you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep this website going ... and growing!

Please consider making a special contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve this service.

Click here to send a gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.

Or send your check, made out to "Witherspoon Society" and marked "web site," to our Witherspoon  Bookkeeper:

Susan Robertson  
9650 Clover Circle
Eden Prairie, MN  55347

 

An index of our reports from

 

 

 

BECOMING NEIGHBORS:
An Invitation
to Global Discipleship

A Witherspoon conference
on global mission and justice

September 16 - 19, 2007
Louisville, Kentucky

 

Check out our report from the Conference
on
Terror, Torture,
and Security

 

To top

© 2007 by The Witherspoon Society.  All material on this site is the responsibility of the WebWeaver unless other sources are acknowledged.  Unless otherwise noted, material on this site may be copied for personal use and sharing in small groups.  For permission to reproduce material for wider publication, please contact the WebWeaver, Doug King.  Any material reached by links on this site is outside the control and responsibility of the WebWeaver and The Witherspoon Society.  Questions or comments?  Please send a note!