The Rev. Jack Rogers

Question: In the debate about Amendment 0, it has been argued that the recently adopted G-6.0106b reflects "essential" parts of our polity and should therefore be applied to our theology about marriage. What would you say are the "essential tenets" of the Reformed tradition (not just "from the book," but from your own convictions!), and how do they guide you in dealing with G-6.0106b?

Our theology should be developed in response to Scripture as reflected in our Confessions, then applied to questions of polity, not the reverse. The biblical essentials in our Book of Confessions are, first, those matters that have to do with salvation, our relationship to God. Our understanding of the Triune God, and especially of the person and work of Jesus Christ are therefore at the center. In concentric circles around that center are Reformation commitments to justification by grace, through faith, and the authority of Scripture. Still further out would be Reformed doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, election to salvation and service, the covenant life of the community, stewardship of God's creation, the sin of idolatry, and a commitment to transforming society in obedience to the Word of God. These are some of the confessional essentials on which we have formed a consensus called Reformed Theology.

There is no confessional warrant for sexual matters as essentials of theology. Sexuality is not mentioned in the Nicene or Apostles' creeds, nor in the Scots Confession, the Barmen Declaration, or A Brief Statement of Faith. When sex is mentioned in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Second Helvetic Confession, and the Westminster Standards it is to cause us to reflect more deeply, such as the urging that married, as well as single people, should live chaste (disciplined and responsible) lives. To achieve doctrinal status in the Book of Confessions requires a very extensive process involving two committees, three Assemblies and a two-thirds vote of the Presbyteries. That is the process by which we reach a theological consensus in discerning essentials.

Question: In light of recent demands that our GAC affirm Christ as the only way to salvation, how might we reconcile the statements in our confessions that say God's love extends to all people, with other statements that say salvation is only through Christ?

I teach and believe Scripture and the creeds in our Book of Confessions. Jesus Christ is fully human, fully God, come down from heaven for our salvation. I know no other way for me to be reconciled with God than through Jesus Christ. That is what I know. There is much that I do not know. I would not put limits on God's surprising mercy and grace. For that reason I need to stay open to the views of those who differ with me.

Question: The 213th General Assembly will begin with a workshop on racism. Do you believe that racism is a real problem in our Presbyterian Church? How would you move us toward fulfilling the mandates of recent Assemblies to develop more racial-ethnic congregations?

Racism is a fundamental problem in American society. It is imbedded in the history of our nation, and the Presbyterian Church in this country. Presbyterians practiced slavery, supported segregation, and continue to be a more than 90% white church. Racism is in our bones. What makes it so dangerous is that the privileges that we, in the white majority, enjoy are for the most part unnoticed by us. Our predecessors laid a foundation of white racial superiority in this country. We have the responsibility to abolish it and lay a new foundation of racial equality.

I will move toward fulfilling our promise to raise the percentage of persons of color in our denomination by listening to the recommendations of the racial-ethnic caucuses, and supporting them in developing strategies for increasing the number of our racial-ethnic congregations. Additionally, I would encourage the denomination as a whole to consider ways to create intentional multi-ethnic congregations. I live gladly in a state where whites are no longer the majority population and believe that multi-ethnic diversity will enrich our lives.

Question: Questions of sexuality continue to dominate our life as a church. Do you see any creative ways to work through these questions? Is there a "third way" that you would encourage us to follow?

The third way will be the Presbyterian way. We have traditionally focused on beliefs essential to our salvation in Jesus Christ, and allowed freedom of conscience in theological matters on which we do not have a strong consensus. Our salvation is not dependent on our views, or practice, of sexuality. The most often cited text in the debate over homosexual practice, Romans 1, leads to the point that all of us are equally sinful, and are saved only by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The only explicit mention of homosexuality in the Book of Confessions is a 1962 insertion into the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563.

In the 1920s when it appeared that the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. might split, the solution was to study the causes of unrest in the church. We need to appoint a group of wise people to investigate our current tensions, in the light of Scripture and our Confessional standards, and help us re-center on the Presbyterian way for our time.

On the web:  http://www.sftssc.edu/jackrogers.html

E-mail: jbrogers@aol.com

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.

Our three areas of primary interest have been:

If you like what you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice 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 "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to our PVJ Treasurer:

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?