News Archive

Theological Task Force to Tackle Ordination Issues

February 10, 2004

Upcoming meeting marks midpoint of work.

LOUISVILLE—With its upcoming meeting—February 18-20, 2004 in Dallas, TX—the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church will reach the midpoint in its five-year mandate.

At this meeting, the task force will specifically explore the theology and practice of ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The group will also review theological topics that have already been considered by the group.

Consideration of the issue of ordination will focus on three perspectives: the Bible, Reformed theology, and practice within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This section of the meeting will be led by task force members John B. (Mike) Loudon, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, FL, Gary Demarest, interim pastor of Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church, San Diego, CA, and Sarah Sanderson-Doughty, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lowville, NY.

Task force members Barbara Wheeler, president of Auburn Seminary, and P. Mark Achtemeier, professor at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, will engage the task force in a summary of theological topics that the group has considered over the past two and a half years.

Susan R. Andrews, Moderator of the 215th General Assembly, will visit with the task force for part of their meeting and provide leadership for their service of communion.

Members of the task force have made presentations and been in dialogue with several groups within the church over the last few months, including the Fall Polity Conference, the Association of Presbytery Executives, the Moderators’ Conference, the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators, and a number of different presbyteries. This outreach effort is one way the task force is addressing the part of its mandate that directs the group to confer with the larger church throughout its process.

Another opportunity the task force is providing for the larger church to confer with them will be at their pre-assembly conference, “Seeking Peace, Unity, and Purity,” that will take place on June 26, 2004, the morning of the opening day of the 216th General Assembly, in Richmond, VA. The pre-assembly conference will give participants an opportunity to hear updates from the task force and provide input to them. At the assembly itself, the group will debut the second video in its series, Seeking Peace, Unity, and Purity, and will report on its work to date.

Contact info: Sharon K. Youngs, Communications Coordinator, Office of the General Assembly; (888) 728-7228, ext. 5750; syoungs@ctr.pcusa.org.