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.) will convene on June 15 in Birmingham, Alabama. Some of the items in this issue are related to the assembly, including a an article on the essentials of Cumberland Presbyterianism. It has also been a sad time of late in the Office of the General Assembly, the church at large, and the ecumenical movement: two former Stated Clerks of the General Assembly, James E. Andrews and William Phelps Thompson, died within a short time of each other. We share here the sermons that Cliff Kirkpatrick preached at their memorial services.

Here is a quick look at each of the offerings:

This year’s assembly will be held concurrently with the assemblies of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. All three assemblies will gather together to worship, share a joint exhibit hall, and discuss the Reformed church in the 21st century. Who are our Cumberland brothers and sisters in Christ? We gain insight from an article by Jay Earheart-Brown, who shares his perspective on the essentials of modern Cumberland Presbyterianism. Earheart-Brown, a lifelong Cumberland Presbyterian, serves as president and professor of Theology at Memphis Theological Seminary. He and his family are members of Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Bartlett, Tennessee.

All three denominations that will gather this month in Birmingham are part of the family of Reformed churches. The largest expression of Reformed churches is the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), a fellowship of 75 million Reformed Christians in 218 churches in 107 countries. Our own Cliff Kirkpatrick is the current president of WARC. Out of its commitment to increase the visible unity of the whole church, WARC maintains a series of official bilateral dialogues with other Christian churches and world communions. One of those ongoing dialogues is with the Orthodox church. We present one of the fruits of this now eighteen-year dialogue, a statement that lifts up areas of common understanding on the catholicity and mission of the church. Iain Torrence, president of Princeton Theological Seminary, co-chaired the meeting out of which this statement emerged. For further study, visit the WARC Web site.

“In life and in death we belong to God.” Cliff Kirkpatrick found this first line of A Brief Statement of Faith to be a common theme in his sermons at the memorial services for Jim Andrews and Bill Thompson. Both were Stated Clerks of the General Assemblies of the two predecessor denominations at the time those two denominations reunited to become the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1983. Both played significant roles in bringing about reunion. Both had distinguished careers in service to the church. They died within a few weeks of each other this spring. Here, we share Kirkpatrick’s sermons as we remember two good and faithful servants of the church.

We close with the annual Pentecost message from the presidents of the World Council of Churches. In the words of their closing prayer, “May your life-giving peace enter into our bodies and be expressed in action, in peace among individuals, among churches and church leaders, among religions and between the nations and states.”

May it be so!

Do you have suggestions for future issues or other comments to share? Drop us a line.

Sharon K. Youngs, Editor

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