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Welcome to Perspectives,
the online magazine published by the Office of the General Assembly.
Perspectives
offers an exploration of issues facing the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
and its witness in society through
- reflective and
provocative analysis of our life together as a denomination, and
- the lenses of
Scripture, Reformed theology, cultures, and a constitutional and confessional
framework.
IN THIS ISSUE:
The 217th
General Assembly (2006) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has
come and gone. Many gatherings and conversations are taking place as
a result. Some are saying that now is a defining moment in the ongoing
life of the PC(USA). We offer a number of perspectives, historical and
contemporary, to consider in the midst of the conversations.
Here is a quick
look at each of the offerings:
 “So
Great a Cloud of Witnesses,” a reference to Hebrews 12:1-2, was
the theme for this year’s General Assembly. Coincidentally, one
of the Bible studies that Frances Taylor Gench led for her colleagues
on the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church
was on Hebrews 12. We feature the Bible study here as a resource in
these present post-assembly days. Gench is professor of New Testament
at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education
in Richmond, Virginia.
While
he only had five minutes in which to do it during a General Assembly
plenary in Birmingham, Gerald Gibson, president of Maryville College,
delivered an important message about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
and its church-related colleges, of which Maryville is one. In his remarks,
which we feature here, he said, “The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
and its colleges share a common goal of producing people who want to
make this world a better place. It is this commitment to service that
sets church-related colleges apart from many others.” Gibson spoke
on behalf of the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities,
of which he is a director.
Gerald
Gibson’s remarks are a nice set-up for our next piece, “Reflections
from a Not-So-Rare Breed.” The writer is Rachael Whaley, a rising
junior at Maryville College (MC) who is nearing completion of a summer
internship in the Office of the General Assembly. The internship was
made possible through the Lily Foundation-funded work MC is doing in
the area of vocation and call. Whaley shares her reflections on her
first General Assembly from the perspective of a young adult.
The
Presbyterian Publishing Corporation (PPC) has just published Presbyterians
Being Reformed: Reflections on What the Church Needs Today. In it,
thirteen Presbyterian leaders and representatives of a number of different
groups across the theological spectrum offer reflections on the current
state of the PC(USA) and what the denomination needs today. Contributors
include Fahed Abu-Akel, Scott D. Anderson, Jerry Andrews, Susan Andrews,
John Buchanan, Jack Haberer, William Stacy Johnson, Curtis A. Jones,
Richard Ray, Laird J. Stuart, Michael Walker, Barbara G. Wheeler, and
Parker T. Williamson. Containing discussion questions throughout, the
book is designed to be used in adult church school classes, especially
those that use quarterly materials, and in other educational settings
in the PC(USA) as well as for individual study.
Here, we include
three pieces that make up the background material for Presbyterians
Being Reformed, which is contained in the book’s introductory
section, “Orienting Perspectives.” Robert H. Bullock Jr.,
the book’s editor, provides background material of a historical
nature; Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, comments
on the nature and mission of the PC(USA); and Professor Anna Case-Winters
explains the meaning of the Presbyterian affirmation, “Reformed
and Always to Be
Reformed.” The articles are used here by permission of the Presbyterian
Publishing Corporation (100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202,
www.ppcbooks.com).
“Stereotypes
and Caricatures,” “Close Majority Votes,” “Special
Interest Syndrome,” “Win-Lose Mentality….” While
some may attribute these descriptors to the present-day PC(USA), they
are actually a few of the sub-headings in “Threats to the Dream,”
a chapter from the newly released Dreams, Where Have You Gone?: Clues
for Unity and Hope. Written by William G. McAtee, this narrative
is the third of three phases of a project to capture and preserve the
history of the Union Presbytery Movement—roughly between 1970
and the formation of the PC(USA) in 1983. “For all [the Movement’s]
positive contributions to North American Presbyterianism,” McAtee
writes, “several problematic dynamics cohabited with it that still
persist in a more virulent manner in the twenty-first century. These
dynamics … threatened the Dream and set in motion patterns of
behavior that … landed the church on a path to polarity.”
McAtee served part of his lengthy church career as executive of Transylvania
Presbytery (Union). (From Dreams Where Have You Gone? Clues for Unity
and Hope by William G. McAtee. Witherspoon Press, Congregational
Ministries Publishing, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202, 2006.
(pp. 327–350). Used by permission.)
What
holds the PC(USA) together? In the foreword of Distinctively Presbyterian,
his fourth book on the Book of Order, William E. Chapman contends
that chapter IV of the Book of Order has much to do with it.
This timely publication in the life of the PC(USA) addresses the foundational
connection between the unity of the church and the principles of Presbyterian
government. Chapman is a member of the Advisory Committee on the Constitution
and has taught polity courses at Princeton Theological and New Brunswick
Seminaries. The book, which includes a leader’s guide, is published
by Witherspoon Press, Congregational Ministries Publishing, 100 Witherspoon
St., Louisville, KY 40202, 2006. Pages ix–xx are used here by
permission.
In
light of the escalating violence in the Middle East, we close with a
pastoral letter from Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the World Council
of Churches, to WCC member churches in the Middle East, Europe, and
North America.
To quote Jerry Van
Marter, coordinator for the Presbyterian News Service, “Now, more
than ever, pray for peace.”
Do
you have suggestions for future issues or other comments to share? Drop
us a line.
Sharon
K. Youngs, Editor
.
All Rights Reserved.
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