Missionary letters

Missionary views on "A"

One Retired Missionary's Response to "An Open Letter from Our Missionaries"

Written 12-9-01, posted 12-10-01

Retired missionary Bill Hopper writes in response to "An Open Letter from Our Missionaries," in which they express the fear that "If Amendment A should pass, compromising our church's commitment to the biblical and confessional understanding of chastity as faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness, we will put our partnerships with sister Churches around the world in profound jeopardy."

Bill and his wife, Mollie, have served our church in Iran and Pakistan. He was Secretary for Interpretation for the Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations in the UPCUSA, from 1967 to '68. He headed the office of mission personnel with what was then the Global Mission Unit, 1989-90.

It seems a tad presumptive to address an Open Letter from "Our Missionaries" as if this self-designated group were speaking for all missionaries; they are not. Many of us could list an equal number of missionaries with the opposite conviction. As a former missionary in two countries and for a brief time the head of the office of mission personnel for our denomination, I know that a number of these signers were never missionaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Having said that, the point that this group of friends and colleagues make is important, and their particular view should be heard. They are concerned about the important matter of our denomination's relationships with other Christians around the world, and we all should care tremendously about these ties.

It is surprising, therefore, that this group seems to denigrate the caliber of biblical interpretation and theological insight of these other churches. Our partner churches are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves in their own culture and context how the Bible, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, speaks to them about all issues of sexuality. It is almost unconscionable that we American Presbyterians should interject our internal biblical disagreements upon them.

Our discussions on Amendment 01-A are polity issues, not biblical, as some try to suggest. Amendment 01-A would return our Constitution to what it was from 1729 to 1978, the period when most of our ecumenical relations were established so that those with whom we had comity arrangements then would relate to us just as they did previously. It is a scare tactic for "Our Missionaries" to assert that the passage of Amendment A would "compromise our church's commitment to the biblical and confessional understanding..." of anything. It would do no such thing.

They further charge that the passage of Amendment A would show that we have succumbed to cultural pressures. Rather, 60% of the members our recent General Assembly came to see that the biblical message of God's love, grace and mercy must be extended to all persons, each of whom has been created in God's image. It is the culture that discriminates in all kinds of ways; the proponents of Amendment A are sharing the good news that it is almighty God who liberates, frees and redeems.

An increasing number of churches around the world are now reviewing their stands on divorce and the ordination of women, in part precisely because our denomination changed its understanding of Scripture and God's inclusive love, and took the lead in demonstrating that inclusive readings of the Bible are possible and proper. It is quite likely that other churches will some day praise the Presbyterian Church (USA) for rejecting cultural taboos, hates and discriminations for an inclusive and merciful reading of Scripture. May God grant wisdom to us all as we seek to be faithful to our mission task here and abroad!

William H. Hopper, Jr.
Duarte, CA 91010