DALLAS — The Theological
Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church (TTF)
has released a brief outline of its planned pre-General Assembly
Conference, scheduled for June 26 in Richmond, VA.
The 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
convenes there later that day.
The four-hour conference will describe the processes the task
force has used in doing its work and preview the interim report
it will present to the Assembly at the halfway point of its life.
The TTF is scheduled to make its final report to the 2006 Assembly.
The task force was created by the 2001 Assembly “to lead
the Presbyterian Church (USA) in spiritual discernment of our
Christian identity in and for the 21st century.” It was
asked to address four specific issues: Biblical authority and
interpretation, Christology, ordination standards and power.
The TTF has dealt extensively with two of the four in its first
three years — Biblical authority and interpretation, and
Christology — and they will on the agenda for the conference.
Participants seated around tables for 10 will be invited to
discuss those issues. They also will hear an overview of the task
force’s work so far and how it intends to address the remaining
issues.
A key goal of the pre-GA conference is to “motivate participants
to return to their own churches and communities of faith to engage
others in discussing the issues the TTF is addressing.”
Other TTF activities scheduled at the Assembly include the unveiling
of the task force’s second video resource; a presentation
on Christology by TTF member Mark Achtemeier of Dubuque Theological
Seminary; the presentation of its interim report to the Assembly
Committee on Theological Issues; and its interim report to the
General Assembly. |
