The leaders of the New Wineskins Association have responded to the events of the 218th PCUSA General Assembly, and needless to say they aren’t impressed. Their statement deserves to be quoted in full:
Theologically unhinged – The 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has become theologically unhinged from our Biblical and Reformation foundation. The actions of this assembly are schismatic. They foster division within our denomination and threaten the sundering of the denomination from the world Church of Jesus Christ.
Specifically,
· The assembly recommends re-writing the historic Heidelberg Catechism by truncating a quotation from Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9) in order to remove reference to homosexual behavior as sinful.
· The assembly has asked the church once again to overturn historic, Biblical standards of sexual holiness for those being ordained. Previous authoritative interpretations about sexuality and ordination standards have been rendered void. Presbyteries will be asked to delete the “fidelity in marriage, chastity in singleness” clause of G-6.0106b.
· The assembly has authorized creating a special fund to battle in civil courts congregations which cannot in good conscience continue to stay in the PC(USA). Such legal action includes not only disputes over property but, as in the Londonderry case, litigation against elders. Donations will be sought. However, we are hopeful that the General Assembly’s strong approval of a resolution encouraging presbyteries to initiate and communicate a gracious process for dismissal will decrease a rush to civil court on all sides.
· The assembly has misunderstood and disrespected all three religions in its resolutions about Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The assembly calls upon these religions to celebrate religious holidays together: as if a good Muslim could celebrate the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ at Christmas, as if a good Jew could look to the crucifixion on Good Friday for atonement, as if a good Christian could consecrate himself or herself during Ramadan to a Unitarian God who is not the gracious Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Triune God.
· The assembly declined asking the church to redefine marriage as between one man and one woman (Mt. 19: 4-5). Nevertheless, a civil marriage between 2 men was performed by a PC(USA) minister at the More Light General Assembly gathering. Those charged with defending our constitution have remained silent on this breach of ordination vows.
We find these actions repugnant and call upon the denomination to reject them heartily.
Meanwhile, the New Wineskins Association of Churches continues to hold to a vision of a church grounded in:
· shared, clear essential theological tenets based on historic Biblical faith
· shared ethical imperatives derived from Scripture
· relationships of mutual accountability and support
· a polity designed for missional service.
Seeing this reminded me that I missed the Heidelberg Catechism story amid everything else going on this week. For a good wrap-up on that one, see Classical Presbyterian and the official news story. The NWA summary is a good one, though it could be a lot longer (calling for “investigation” of the EPC, endorsing the Amman Call, brushing aside calls for balance on abortion, etc.). But I think they hit the nail on the head in a most succinct way in summing up this GA: “theologically unhinged.”
(Hat tip: Steve Bryant.)
June 28, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Ha! If you think what PECUSA has done to itself in General Assembly is outrageous, abominable, ludicrous, and tragic, you are of course absolutely right, but just wait ’til you see what us Episcopalians will do to ourselves at the 2009 General Convention. Our apostasy and totalitarianism will beat yours all hollow…
June 29, 2008 at 6:19 am
I wish I could say, in the spirit of a Michele Obama quote, that for the first time I am truly ashamed to be known as a Presbyterian in the PCUSA, but it really isn’t the first time; it may be the last time, though.
June 29, 2008 at 7:55 am
Karl Marx in the Preface to the First German Edition of Capital Volume One wrote in 1867—-
“The English Established Church, e.g., will more readily pardon an attack on 38 of its 39 articles than on 1/39 of its income”
For 140 years the leftists have been attacking the Christian Church and what do the churches do but bring the leftists into their leadership ranks.
June 29, 2008 at 4:03 pm
One of the saddest things I read over the past couple of days was the prediction of one supporter of the GA’s actions. He said there wouldn’t be a rebellion from the grass roots, more of an evaporation. I think he meant many congregations would lose some people, but there likely wouldn’t be any large scale, organized opposition to the GA’s choices. That would be a shame, but I can understand how that would happen given the raw emotions right now…
June 29, 2008 at 7:37 pm
PJ,
I read that also, and its made me think. I suspect Michael was saying exactly what PFR (surprisingly!) said, that addressing this in the way we’ve done it before is no longer viable. I believe I read somewhere ‘official’ the words ‘defecting in place.’ No per cap, some sort of church within the church, some going NWAC, pushing for and even implementing a two synod model… I didn’t read it as sad, as just a reality of where folks are at, given all the givens.
With the new AI, is it possible to scrupple ch. 8? Or will that become THE reformed distinctive?
dm
June 30, 2008 at 7:48 am
It’s time for the renewal groups to come together. We don’t need our imaginary fiefdoms anymore.
Would that it be so.
June 30, 2008 at 8:43 am
Unfortunately I think the Renewal groups will just draw another line in the sand and then another until eventually they fall off the cliff.
June 30, 2008 at 9:50 am
Defecting within won’t work. Covenant, More Ligth, TAMFS, all state clearly – “total acceptance”. What they don’t say out loud is “by force if necessary”. They don’t just want the right to be ordained they want the right to force you to agree (ala women’s ordination – which I support but not as an essential).
The bleeding is going to be cataclysmic. 50 more congregations and probably 100,000 total membership loss. Already elders are leaving churches that cannot make up their mind. If elders are leaving, how many members? then it will level off to the the nature of Church of Scottland, Church of Canada – anyone that has an experience of those organizations should be chilled by the comparison.
June 30, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Oh, and we should all be reading Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism to learn how leftists really behave when they attain power. Get ready now.
July 1, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Someone pointed out that the GA leadership, like many historical Leftist organizations, is not concerned about taking the long view. COnsider how many times the PUP issues have been brought up. They keep trying until we get it right.
As a consequence, more and more conservative congregations will leave, and more and more conservative members will leave congregations, until the only ones left are those who will whole-heartedly support whatever comes down the pike. And so new measures like these will pass overwhelmingly.