By Aurelia T. Fule

With deep sorrow we have learned that Amendment A has been defeated. Does our church want to be "pure" in the view of a few biblicists however many members we lose? How many times can we go through this heartbreak for those whom we exclude, and heartbreak for all of us who know that God includes them?

I suggest that a small group of people backed by supporters with deep, deep pockets plays a game with us that we must refuse to play any longer. This game is subsidized by people who do not care about the private life of Presbyterians, but who find the sex agenda (women, abortion, homosexuality) the most igniting subject. They want to keep people defending or attacking these issues so the church has no time, energy or resources to look at the world around us, the world created and loved by God.

When it seemed that we were not sufficiently interested to fight this battle endlessly, the same planners discovered interfaith dialogues and congregational confession writing. The first did not draw large enough numbers, the second is scoring but not winning. So back to the old agenda.

How can we stop this game?

Let us take a radical turn: Agree with the anti-Amendment-A group that there be no overtures to the General Assembly on this issue for a number of years for a decade? I realize this suggestion hurts many, but the annual defeat also hurts, and we arc bleeding away.

Rather, on the one hand, let us use More Light, That All My Freely Serve and similar resources to work with individual congregations. The field is wide open. The issue must be before us to discuss and debate. Send speakers around in large numbers, and let us try to invite the opposition to speak with us. Could presbyteries "for" and "against" have a joint weekend and do biblical exegesis together, invite medical experts, one of each side if possible, and hear them out? Lots of possibilities - but no overtures.

On the other hand, let us encourage the church to do the work God gave us to do: "To bring good news to the poor ... release to the captives ... sight to the blind ... and let the oppressed go free." (Luke 4:18).

Most discussion in the PC(USA) on the Book of Confessions starts with the beginning of this church in the 1700s. But our roots are in both Scriptures and the Reformation. In the latter our main teacher is John Calvin, who is hardly mentioned lately. He taught us to "love God by being useful in the world." He taught us that the ecclesial, social, economic realms must be transformed by the Christian community. Not by individuals who choose to do so, but by the community the church. (Read Calvin, or at least H. R. Niebuhr's Christ and Culture.) Calvin was not expelled front Geneva because he prayed too much, but because he and his church meddled with the political structure of the city. We, the church, are commissioned to "meddle" with economic exploitation, issues of war and weapons, weapons in space, human rights, the environment all that is God's creation There is a large field of responsibilities Presbyterians need to attend to, matters that touch on realities of daily living, and also speak to the younger generations.

When the "chastity amendment" was deliberated in the G. A. the then moderator, David Dobler of Alaska, told the church there will be no accusations, no legal cases. "We are not that kind of a church," he assured us. Remember? How many cases have been brought against people, or congregations or presbyteries since that time? Many, at great cost.

Did we notice that no case has been brought against congregations that have no women elders, even 17 years after the reunion? I am told we have 170 congregations without "capable women" to fulfill the office.

In this game only one side throws the book at the other.

Let us get out of this game and pray that God enables the church to undertake a way of caring for God's beloved world.

Aurelia T. Fule
February 20, 2002

The Rev. Dr. Fule is now retired and living in Santa Fe; prior to her retirement she served in the Office of Theology and Worship of the General Assembly.

Dr. Fule has presented her thoughts on "what next," after the defeat of Amendment A.  What do you think?  Please send a note, and we'll share your thoughts here!

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219^th General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries, confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.

We provided resources to help inform the reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.

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