by Jerry Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- 11-August-2000 -- In response to numerous questions and complaints about remarks attributed to the Rev. Dirk Ficca of Chicago in Presbyterian News Service accounts of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference, conference officials have issued the following statement. The Presbyterian News Service will publish a follow-up story on the controversy next week.

A Statement Regarding the Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference

At the 2000 Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference, July 26-29, in Orange, California, some 600 people explored what it means to live as Christians in a world that is increasingly multi faith and multi-cultural. Through worship, workshops, plenary sessions, and conversations with leaders of different faith backgrounds conferees identified ways of building bridges. Guided by the teachings of Jesus, participants were encouraged to discover how our reformed beliefs and practices can guide us in overcoming seemingly insurmountable barriers to living in community and peace with one another. One of several conference speakers, the Rev. Dirk Ficca of Chicago, reflected the conference theme of living faithfully in a diverse world by addressing ways in which we approach people of other faiths. In doing so, he spoke about God's revelation in Jesus Christ, our response to that revelation, and how in God's sovereignty God does the work of salvation. News accounts of this presentation have led some people who were not at the conference to question some of his reported statements concerning salvation and, in turn, to raise questions about the scope and content of the conference itself.

The 2000 Peacemaking Conference reflected the Reformed understanding of salvation, which is that God alone is the author and source of salvation which we experience through Jesus Christ. This affirmation was a basic premise in planning for this peacemaking conference. A further stated goal of the conference was "to explore and ground our own Christian experience in our biblical and reformed roots." At no time did the conference or its speakers present the Christian faith as an option among many. In keeping with our church's interfaith policy participants were reminded that, as Presbyterians, we acknowledge that people of other faith perspectives have different views, to which we must listen respectfully and with which we must engage in meaningful dialogue. "Respectful Presence: An Understanding of Interfaith Prayer and Celebration from a Reformed Christian Perspective" was suggested reading for conferees. "Respectful Presence" is a document and study guide developed to help Presbyterians in their relationship with people of other faiths and was commended to congregations for study by the 209th General Assembly (1997).

The 1999 Peacemaking Conference, "Who Do You Say That I Am?", which focused on Jesus' ministry, purposely preceded this conference to help Presbyterians become more grounded in their Christian beliefs before entering into interfaith dialogue. It is by grounding ourselves in our own biblical and reformed roots that we can with integrity enter into dialogue with those of other faiths with whom we share our existence as a part of God's creation. The issues of living faithfully in a religiously diverse world will only grow more important in the years ahead. The 2000 conference represented one more step the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has taken toward that end. For additional information about the Peacemaking Conference, please visit the conference Web site at: http://horeb.pcusa.org/peace2000/live/.  

For more information about the Office of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, please visit: http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa/wmd/eir/ 

For resources and guidance for engaging in further discussion on living with people of other faiths, please contact the Office of Interfaith Relations at 888-728-7228, ext. 5304 or the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program at ext 5784.



Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and Office of Interfaith Relations

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!

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

Got more blogs to recommend?

Plan now for our 2010 Ghost Ranch Seminar!

GHOST RANCH SEMINAR

July 26-August 1, 2010

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