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| The Rev. Christian Iosso of
Hudson River Presbytery adds this comment:
[5-9-01]
The Advisory Committee on the Constitution (ACC)
claims that the proposed amendment sections of the Book of Order
on individual candidates for deacon, elder, or minister and on calling
bodies are too complicated. It would be hard for the ACC to argue,
however, that an exemption process, on a candidate-by-candidate basis,
is unconstitutional. Here is an example of a possible amendment, based
on the work of a constitutional expert in another context:
G-6.0106c. A nominating committee that wishes to
nominate someone not meeting criteria assigned to 6.0106b for an
office in the Church (G.0103) or the individual involved may request
the presbytery to which the nomination would be made to grant the
individual a waiver of any portion of the foregoing paragraphs of this
section.
The presbytery may grant the request by simple
majority vote of its members present and shall make prompt
notification of its decision in writing to the nominating committee
and to the individual. Its decision may be appealed in accordance with
the provisions for Appeal in a Remedial Case (D-8.0100 et seq.)
This version of a waiver would include Ministers of Word and Sacrament,
Elders and Deacons, and does not contain language about conscience or
theology, trusting that most presbyteries do in fact include such
considerations in all ordinations. The burden on any "out"
candidate would be to explain how their personal position or practice of
faith deals with the anti-homosexual prostitution or
"abomination" texts, in light of the Confession of 67's clear
affirmation that the church must be a big enough tent for differing
biblical interpretations (C_67, para. 9.29). The choice for the
presbytery would be whether they bound or loosed the rules as they
understood them, remembering Jesus' words about having millstones tied
around our own necks.
It would seem that waivers on G-6.0106b, like the waivers that still
permit about 170 congregations not to ordain women, or the "relief
of conscience" that allows ministers who oppose abortion under all
circumstances to have a separate section of the Pension Fund, would be
controversial. But were the Assembly to choose further study or the
"stop talking about it" approach while leaving B in the Book
of Order, it is clear than only waivers would prevent highly divisive
judicial cases and the further discouragement of young people from
considering ministry in our church.
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
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Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New
York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive
New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the
Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian
Church in Flushing, NY. |
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John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive
A Presbyterian minister, currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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