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| In the Tradition of the "Auburn
Affirmation"--
A Movement to "Reclaim the Church" Builds
 This
group has now issued "Affirmation 2001." We offer the group's
press release, and comments from
Witherspoon Society. [5-11-01]
A press release from Presbyterian Partnership of
Conscience
[2-7-01]
LATE
UPDATE: A group will gather in Baltimore over the weekend of
February 9-11, 2001, to consider a possible rewrite of the Auburn
Affirmation.
January 31 2001 - The
sermon "Reclaiming the Church" delivered by David Bos on
September 3, 2000 at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, Rochester,
New York, has sparked a growing movement calling for a second
Affirmation in the tradition of the original Auburn Affirmation.
Hundreds of Presbyterians have come together in cities across the nation
to organize and launch this historic movement to "reclaim the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the principles and person, Jesus
Christ, on which it was founded" according to Bos.
The Auburn Affirmation, written in 1923, rallied
moderate and progressive Presbyterians to successfully fend off the
fundamentalist takeover of the church. That original Affirmation and the
movement it engendered was in direct response to the exclusion from
church office of Presbyterians not willing to subscribe to the
fundamentalist doctrine of that day.
The Auburn movement of the 1920s was successful in
reclaiming the Presbyterian Church, with attention given to the
denomination's historic principles of ministerial
 | Freedom of conscience, |
| Liberty of expression, and |
| Freedom to disagree within broad principles.
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The current movement to reclaim the historic
Presbyterian tradition comes at a time marked by escalating controversy.
Attempts to narrow the parameters of acceptable theological discourse
and the de facto exclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
Presbyterians from the rights and privileges of membership have brought
"scandal to the church and to the Gospel" according to the
movement's spokespersons.
As this movement builds, organizing meetings are being
convened in cities around the country. A writing team has been convened
to develop educational materials surrounding fundamentalist
controversies, the original Auburn Affirmation, ramifications for
today's church, and to draft a new document fitting for the present
crisis of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The movement's coordinating committee is co-chaired by
Bear Ride, Director of the Peace Center at United University Church (Los
Angeles) and David Bos, who issued the movement's call from the pulpit
of Downtown United Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY.
You can find the
text of Bos' sermon at the site of Downtown United Presbyterian
Church in Rochester. For insightful reflections on the Auburn
Affirmation in celebration its 75th Anniversary, check out the
talk by Barbara Wheeler, President of Auburn Seminary.
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Visit
our lively
new website! |
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GA actions
ratified (or not) by the presbyteries
A number of the most important actions of the 219th
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:
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Amendment 10-A,
which removes the current ban on
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as
possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.
Approved! |
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Amendment 10-2,
which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of
Confessions. Disapproved, because as an amendment
to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not
receive that. |
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Amendment
10-1, which adopts the new Form of Government
that was approved by the Assembly. Approved. |
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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
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Click here to send a
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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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