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| Assembly approves task force to
seek peace, unity and purity of the church
by Bill Lancaster, PNS
LOUISVILLE -- June 13, 2001 -- The 213th General
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Wednesday night approved
with two minor amendments a committee recommendation to form a task
force to lead the PC(USA) in a four-year period of discernment to seek
the peace, unity and purity of the church. This discernment is to cover
issues of Christology, Biblical authority and interpretation, ordination
standards and power, and other issues the task force may choose.
The matter formally came to the Assembly through
Overture 01-33 from the Presbytery of John Calvin. It was referred to
the Assembly's Peace, Purity and Unity Committee, whose moderator, Elder
Jenny Stoner, and vice moderator, the Rev. Charles C. Heyward, reported
their recommendations.
"You will note that the task force's work is that
of a coordinating committee," Stoner told the Assembly in her
presentation, "to develop the process and materials for
congregations and presbyteries [synods were added by amendment] to be
involved in the process of discernment and to report the
responses."
This is not another study to produce a document,
Stoner said, "rather it is a way for the church together to focus
its attention on basic elements of our faith." She called attention
to the paragraph in the recommendation calling for "the church to
unite in a sustained period of prayer and reflection on Scripture and
our confessions, seeking to promote the peace, unity, purity and
mission" of the PC(USA). This "is an affirmation of the power
of prayer and a reminder that resources of Scripture and our confessions
should be our faithful guide," she said.
The task force is to work in partnership with
congregations, presbyteries and synods and develop an instrument to
enable them to respond.
The task force is to be composed of 17 members
"reflecting the theological and cultural diversity of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)." It is to be appointed by the
moderators of the 211th, 212th and 213th General Assemblies (1999, 2000
and 2001), in consultation with the General Assembly Nominating
Committee.
In the preface to the recommendation, the committee
calls for the church to "enter into a season of theological
clarification of our Presbyterian identity.
The task force is to make a progress report to each
General Assembly beginning with the 214th General Assembly (2002) and to
make a final report to sessions, presbyteries and the Assembly by the
217th General Assembly (2005).
The financial implications of the task force total
$180,728 over the four years.
After approving the committee's recommendation on the
task force, the Assembly voted to make the task force recommendation its
response to the following overtures:
 | 00-42 (on establishing a special task force to move
beyond the current impasse); |
| 01-09 (on entering a process of churchwide
spiritual discernment considering the current division within our
denomination); |
| 01-14 (on appointing a special committee to propose
amendments to reaffirm the role of governing bodies on ordination
decisions); |
| 01-20 (on calling all members and ordained officers
to the church to be reconciled by uniting in a year of study and
prayer); |
| 01-36 (on declaring that resolution has been
reached on the matter of human sexuality related to eligibility for
ordination). |
On Overture 00-06 to appoint a special committee to
explore amendments to the Book of Order to permit congregations that
cannot comply with section G-6.0106b to disaffiliate from the church
while retaining real property, the Assembly approved the committee's
recommendation to disapprove the overture with comment. The comment
cites procedures in the Book of Order by which congregations are allowed
to leave.
Moderator Rogers commented on this
action in a press conference.
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