Letter to Churches following Friday's actions

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Let us be in prayer for the church. On Friday evening, a group of executive presbyters, general presbyters and presbytery stated clerks met for prayer.

Earlier that day, the General Assembly voted by a slim majority to approve a new authoritative interpretation (AI) of G-6.0108 (on freedom of conscience). When a candidate for ordained office departs from an ordination standard in terms of belief or practice, this AI gives sessions (in the case of elders and deacons) and presbyteries (in the case of ministers of Word and Sacrament), the responsibility of determining if that departure is a serious departure from the essentials of faith and practice. If the determination is that such a departure is not a serious departure, the ordaining body has the right to proceed with ordination if it so desires. What makes this AI controversial is that it says that this applies to ALL ordination standards, both belief and practice, not just to belief, as a recent Permanent Judicial Commission decision ruled. This would include G-0106b, the “fidelity and chastity” standard. Authoritative Interpretations are binding interpretations of the Book of Order and do not go to the presbyteries for a vote.

In our presbytery the Committee on Preparation for Ministry has shared its intent of prayerfully considering departures in the area of belief, but not practice. We do not anticipate that changing. Even then, ultimately it is the presbytery, not the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, who has the final responsibility to examine candidates for ordination for minister of Word and Sacrament and to determine if they are willing to adhere to the beliefs and practices that we deem essential. Recognizing that we may disagree with decisions other presbyteries may make in this area, please remember that no church be forced to call a pastor who departs from any specific practice or belief that they feel is essential.

General Assembly also voted, by a slim majority, to send an amendment to the presbyteries for vote, to delete G-0106b (the fidelity and chastity clause) and replace it with broader language that speaks of officers living in fidelity to all standards of the gospel. We will be voting on this amendment later this year or early next year.

As we gathered for prayer, we shared our impressions of the spirit at work in the room when the vote was taken. One noted that unlike previous General Assemblies where similar issues were debated, there were no tears, no name-calling, and no demonstrations. It was also noted that there was no sense of victory, either. Yet what I felt was a keen sense of the presence of God in our midst. One of the theological underpinnings of our Presbyterian polity is that we believe that we hear God best in conversation with each other, and together, we seek to discern the will of God on any given issue. We do acknowledge that at times we may err in our discerning, however let us show some caution in jumping to that conclusion, and recognize that our immediate reaction may reflect more of an emotional response than a true discerning of God’s will. If we do hold to that theological underpinning, then in faithfulness, we would do well to consider what God might be doing among us.

We don’t know what the future will hold. We do know who holds the future. We do know that because of these actions and recommendations of the 218^th General Assembly, some will rejoice, others will be sad, and others angry, including people within our own presbytery. Yet we need each other if we are to discover what God might be doing in our midst.

Let us talk and pray together. If you would like Executive Presbyter Sue Coller, Stated Clerk Pam Prouty, or any of our General Assembly commissioners or alternates to meet with you and your congregations to discuss the implications of these actions, please let us know and we will arrange for a couple of us to meet with you.

Pray for the church – for wisdom in responding to this action, for a willingness to listen to the Spirit of God who works in all situations, for compassion for those who are bothered deeply by these decisions, and for an ability to respect as brothers and sisters in Christ those who differ with us on these issues.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Sue Coller, Executive Presbyter

The Assembly voted today to send an amendment to the presbyteries that would delete the "fidelity and chastity" wording from G-0106b and replace it with wording that would tie all decisions to our ordination vows. This amendment will be passed on to the presbyteries, and a majority of the presbyteries will need to vote in the affirmative in order for this change to take place.

While some might be upset that the specific wording regarding fidelity and chastity are being removed, others lift up the fact that it specifies all standards of the gospel, and doesn't just lift out a few for special attention. One of the critiques of the current language of G-0106b is that by focusing on just a few specific issues, it sends the message that other sins in the confessions are not as "sinful" as some, and thus we might be tempted to ignore some sins while obsessing about others. I remind people that Jesus didn't rank sin - he didn't say sexual sins are worse than any other. In fact some of the sins we participate in, namely hurtful words and behavior toward brothers and sisters in Christ, are some of the very things that Jesus lifted up as issues of grave concern that call for repentance. Let us take all sin seriously, and remember to deal with the log in our own eye before worrying about the speck in our neighbors.

New Authoritative Interpretation Approved

Let us be in prayer for the church.

By a very slim majority ( 375/325/4), the assembly voted to approve a new authoritative interpretation (AI) that would require examining bodies (sessions and presbyteries), on an individual basis, to give prayerful consideration to any departure from an ordination standard in matters of belief or practice that a candidate may declare during examination. This AI will allow sessions and presbyteries to allow for exceptions, not only to belief, but to practice, when it comes to ordination standards in the Book of Order. Authoritative interpretations are actions of the General Assembly that are binding interpretations of the Book of Order. They do not go to presbyteries for a vote. This AI reverses a recent decision by the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission that only belief, not practice, can be scrupled.

In our presbytery the Committee on Preparation for Ministry has shared its practice of prayerfully considering departures in the area of beliefs, but not practice. I do not anticipate that changing. Nevertheless, my concern is that this AI will cause great sorrow and pain to some in our presbytery. We have people in our presbytery who feel strongly about this issue, especially since it concerns the possibility of the ordination of self-affirmed, practicing homosexuals, something that until this was passed, was not allowed.

This is something that our presbytery may want to talk about. I know I have a question about the Committee on Ministry’s responsibility in the cases of persons who are ordained after having declared a scruple about belief or practice and then want to transfer into Minnesota Valleys Presbytery. We may also want to talk about responses we might want to make in response to this action.

So pray for the church – for wisdom in responding to this action, for a willingness to listen to the Spirit of God who works in all situations, and for compassion for those who are bothered deeply by these decisions.

Grady Parsons elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

On the first ballot, Grady Parsons was elected. He was the nominee of the Stated Clerk nominating committee. Three others challenged his nomination.

To read about the responsibilities of the Stated Clerk, visit this link: http://www.pcusa.org/oga/leadership.htm

Grady has been very involved in learning about the Uniting Church of Australia process of discernment, which they moved to from Roberts Rules in 1997. Roberts Rules was originally developed to protect the voice of the minority. Yet the process of debate that is characteristic of Roberts Rules has often fostered a style of communication and conversation that has proved less than amicable over the years. My hope is that with Grady’s influence, we can move to a more open and collegial way of communicating and doing business when we are together.

Congratulations, Grady!

Form of Government Revision Proposal

The Assembly voted to refer the proposed Form of Government (FOG) to the Office of the General Assembly for study and consultation with churches and presbyteries by a new FOG task force made up of members of the current FOG task force and selected members of the General Assembly committee on the Form of Government Revision.

The Form of Government Task Force was charged by the 217^th General Assembly to create a proposed Form of Government that was more flexible and missional, that still upheld the foundations of our polity.

This new committee is charged basically to continue their work of consulting with presbyteries and churches, receiving their input, and taking that into consideration for potential action at the General Assembly in 2010. So I expect we’ll be hearing from them sometime in the next 6 months.

Belhar Confession Considered

Assembly voted to begin a study process to consider including the Belhar Confession in the Book of Confessions.

The Book of Order defines the process by which the confessional documents of the church may be amended:

· The first step, if approved at this assembly, is the appointment of a committee of elders and ministers to consider the proposal and report its recommendation to the next ensuing General Assembly (G-18.0201(b)) which would be the 219th General Assembly (2010).

· If the committee recommends to the 219th General Assembly (2010) that the confessional documents of the church be amended to include the Belhar Confession, and if the assembly approves that recommendation, it would go the presbyteries for a vote.

· Two-thirds of the presbyteries would be required to approve the recommendation. Approval would become effective at the 220th General Assembly (2012).

Where to get info on the Belhar confession, including a study guide:

http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship/confession/belhar.pdf

http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship/confession/belharstudyguide.pdf

Proposed Changes to Heidelberg Catechism Translation

The Assembly voted accept proposed changes to the Heidelberg Catechism to reflect a more historically accurate translation of 5 specific sections. The process is for the General Assembly to form a special committee to study the catechism and proposed changes and make a recommendation to the 2010 General Assembly. If that assembly also approves the proposed changes, they will then be sent to the presbyteries for their vote, to be reported to the 2012 General Assembly. 2/3 of the presbyteries would have to vote to approve the changes. The changes would become effective at the 220^th General Assembly in 2012.

At issue – one of the 5 places where the committee recommended a translation that more faithfully reflects the meaning of the original language removes homosexuality from the list of sins that would preclude certain people from “inheriting the Kingdom of God.” The argument against the change was not so much that the current translation is or is not accurate, but that it currently does it where the church is today. The argument for the change is that we are a people who value the historical accuracy of our primary documents, and the replacement is considered to be a more accurate translation from the original languages. Our Book of Confessions says this in its preface: Thus, each confessional document should be respected in its historical particularity; none should be altered to conform to current theological, ethical, or linguistic norms.

No doubt, there are some who have other hopes in proposing this change, and some who have other hopes in preserving the language as it is currently in the Book of Confessions. Let’s name it – that other hope concerns the ordination of homosexuals. If we recognize that is an issue and yet set it aside for the moment – the issues listed in the earlier paragraph, which was the gist of the debate, are both valid. The question is, which will we give the greatest weight to? If the 2010 GA approves the proposed changes, we’ll have a chance in our presbytery to vote on them.

New Sexuality Curriculum

The Assembly voted to direct that the General Assembly Council produce "adolescent human development resources based upon Scripture and the Reformed theological tradition. These resources would explore all facets of adolescent development including human sexuality."

Our denomination currently has no youth sexuality curriculum. There was some debate over this. One of my colleagues said that several years ago there was a survey done of 40 different focus groups, and they were all unanimous that we should have a human sexuality curriculum for our youth. When they were asked what should be in it, there was absolutely nothing the groups could agree on. So we want it - we just can't agree on what it should say, apparently.

The committee that presented this to the assembly for action included this comment:
"We choose to plant the seed of peace. We set aside our individual desires to “win” and to further our own agendas and put our faith in God, and send this overture on without trying to advocate one position or another, trusting not only God, but our fellow Presbyterians to do what is right not only for our children but for our denomination. We send this overture on in the hope that the next step of the process will cultivate the seed we have planted, faithfully stepping out in mutual trust."

A good hope, and one I hope we can all live into.

Churchwide Commitment: Grow the Church Deep and Wide

The GA approved the following:

The 218th General Assembly (2008) strives to help Christ’s Church Grow Deep and Wide under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by:

1. Declaring a churchwide commitment to participate in God’s activity through Jesus Christ in transforming the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) during the 2009–2010 biennium in keeping with Jesus words, “… Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” (John 15:4) and the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18–20, “… All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

2. Encouraging synods, presbyteries, sessions, and all agencies, entities, and networks of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to commit to foster the growth of Christ’s Church Deep and Wide in the following areas:

a. Grow in Evangelism: Share the good news of Jesus Christ. Invite persons to join in the church’s worship and fellowship. Baptize children and adults.

b. Grow in Discipleship: Rediscover Scripture, including daily reading and study. Nurture relationships with Jesus Christ in the context of our Reformed heritage.

I encourage all of our congregations to take this seriously - let's see if we can't have a concerted effort to grow deep and wide! So talk about this at your sessions - what will you do to grow in evangelism, and discipleship?

Overture 07-13 - dismissing churches to other denominations

This is a hot topic - as you may know, our denomiation allows presbyteries to dismiss congregations to other denominations that share our reformed theology and similar polity. Presbyteries cannot dismiss a congregation to independence - that is to be a church that is not part of a denomination that fits the above two criteria. There was some question whether the "transitional presbytery" set up by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church fits the second of the two criteria above. This "transitional presbytery" was set up to make it easier to PCUSA churches to transfer into the EPC and which also has a limited time it will be in existance as a transitional presbytery.

The General Assembly voted to approve advice that says that the presbytery should consider whether the transitional presbytery is "of sufficient permanence to offer reasonable assurance that the congregation is not being dismissed to de facto independence."

Some may ask why it matters whether a church joins another denomination or goes "independent." Our theology is a connectional theology - we take very seriously Paul's view of the church as the body of Christ. We are healthier and stronger when we are together, than when we are apart. The resources that are available for a congregation in a denomination are much more readily available than to those who are independent. We are called to be in community - and that goes for churches as well as individuals. As someone once said - there is no such thing as an independent Christian. I truly believe that.

GA Update: Actions on June 25

Our presbytery had concurred with overture 07-03, calling for the World Council of Churches to investigate the actions and conduct of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) to determine if the EPC is actively pursuing a strategy to persuade churches to leave the PCUSA and move to the EPC. The assembly took action to refer this to the General Assembly Committee on Eccumenical Relations.

I was not there for the discussion of this overture in committee, but I am pleased that they felt that it was important to look into this, to either clear up misundestandings and rumors if the EPC is not pursuing a strategy like this, or to find an appropriate response if the EPC is doing this.

Every individual needs to find the place both where they "fit" and yet also where they can be challenged, and can offer a balancing voice to others, as they follow Jesus Christ. However it is unhealthy for one church (local or denomination) to seek to lure people away from one church to another. It is a matter of respect for brothers and sisters in Christ, even if we don't hold the same beliefs on all things. So we will want to watch what the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations does as it acts on this referral.

Good morning, everyone!

This afternoon, the business meetings of the 218th General Assembly being. The assembly will be debating everything from starting the process for recommending a new confession be added to the Book of Confession (Part I of our constitution – the Book of Order is Part II), to eliminating the “fidelity and chastity” amendment from the Book of Order, to the proposed new Form of Government, to a new social creed for the denomination, and many, many other recommendations.

Because the assembly hall is blocked from the internet, I won’t be able to do any updates on our blog until the meetings end each night – typically they are scheduled to end about 9:30 pm. So check back each morning for updates on the actions and tone of the General Assembly. A reminder – you can find our blog by going to our homepage www.minnesotavalleys.org <http://www.minnesotavalleys.org> and clicking on the GA blog link on the right side of the page. You can also add your comments to the blog at the end of each topic. You may have to register a Google address to do so. That’s the price of a free site!

We already know that some of the recommendations have people very passionate on each side of the issues, and in some cases, those feelings run so high that people on each side are afraid that churches and/or individuals will choose to leave the denomination if “their” position doesn’t succeed. We know from previous years that some very nasty and hurtful things can be said in these debates – and I’m not really talking at the General Assembly meetings, but in our churches as the debate moves out.

Knowing that, let me say this:

My prayer for all of us is that none of us leave the conversation before it is over. We need ALL voices in the conversation. One of the KEY tenets of our reformed theology is that we believe that we hear God best and have the best opportunity to understand God’s will when we talk with each other and listen prayerfully and humbly to each other. We begin and continue these conversations with respect for each other, believing that even though we may differ hugely on any given issue, even though our theologies may seem worlds apart, that nevertheless, we are all people for whom Christ died, individuals whom Christ has called to follow him, and people who are seeking our best in faith to seek out and represent God’s will to the church and the world. If we cannot see each other in that light, and treat each other with the kind of love Christ has for each of us, then we should humbly recognize our sin and come before God and each other seeking, and giving, forgiveness. Grace, not anger or arrogance, should mark our relationships and conversations with each other.

The theme of this General Assembly comes from Micah 6: “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Let us embody that in our prayers for the General Assembly, and in our conversations as we consider the actions and recommendations that will come out of this General Assembly.

Amen.

Overtures and commissioner resolutions brought to the General Assembly are first assigned to a General Assembly committee to consider.

Sometimes those items are disapproved, they may be approved as is, they may be amended, or, as if sometimes the case where there are many overtures on the same issue, the committee may craft a new recommendation that takes the others into consideration. Those actions are then all brought to the full assembly for consideration, debate, possible amendment, and ultimately approval or disapproval.

Changes that change the Book of Order or the Book of Confessions are then sent on to the presbyteries for consideration. In the case of the Book of Order, if a majority of the presbyteries vote to approve the recommendation (called an “amendment” by this time), then it becomes official approximately one year after the General Assembly adjourns.

Changes to the Book of Order require a 2/3 approval of the presbyteries.

We have 173 presbyteries in the PCUSA.

Beginning at 2:30 pm, California time (2 hours earlier than Minnesota), the official business meeting begins. You can follow along with the business at www.pc-biz.org. Click on “sessionsync” and your computer should automatically have on your screen the business being considered at that time.

Sue Coller

~ Rooted in God

~ Open to Grace

~ Filled with Joy

GA Church Orders and Ministry Committee

Each of our commissioners serves on a General Assembly Committee. I've created a post for each of those committees so those commissioners or any of our alternates can post their comments and reflections on the work of those particular committees. Each of our commissioners are very busy with their work, so they may or may not find time to post anything here. But if they d0 - this is where you'll find it!

Chelsea Crowell is our youth advisory delegate on the Church Orders and Ministry committee.

GA Church Polity

Each of our commissioners serves on a General Assembly Committee. I've created a post for each of those committees so those commissioners or any of our alternates can post their comments and reflections on the work of those particular committees. Each of our commissioners are very busy with their work, so they may or may not find time to post anything here. But if they d0 - this is where you'll find it!

Colby Anderson is our commissioner on the Church Polity committee.

GA Youth Committee

Each of our commissioners serves on a General Assembly Committee. I've created a post for each of those committees so those commissioners or any of our alternates can post their comments and reflections on the work of those particular committees. Each of our commissioners are very busy with their work, so they may or may not find time to post anything here. But if they d0 - this is where you'll find it!

Celeste Lasich is our commissioner on the Youth committee. She is also the vice-moderator of the committee.