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News Archive
Theological Task Force Prepares Preliminary
Report for GA
February 23, 2004
Recent meeting marks midpoint of work.
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NOTE 4/30/04: Due to the popularity of
the pre-assembly event, more seats have been added to the venue.
To reserve your space, email GA
Meeting Services or call (888) 728-7228 x2417.
DALLAS —The Theological Task Force on
Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church marked the halfway point
in its 5-year term last week in Dallas with the development of
a preliminary report it will present to the church’s General
Assembly meeting in Richmond, VA, June
26-July 3, 2004.
The major effort of the 2-l/2 day meeting of
the task force was review, discussion, and revision of the report.
In the report, the group, which was called into being in 2001
to address divisive issues in the denomination, makes three preliminary
affirmations related to the peace, unity, and purity of the church.
Development and review of the report was led by task force members
Stacy Johnson, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary; Barbara
Wheeler, president of Auburn Theological Seminary; and P. Mark
Achtemeier, professor at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
In remarks to the task force, Susan Andrews,
Moderator of the 215th General Assembly (2003) of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), charged the group to recommend to presbyteries
and congregations active study and discussion of the preliminary
report and use of task force-developed videos.
The task force laid plans for a pre-General
Assembly conference on the morning of June 26 in Richmond to familiarize
assembly-goers with report contents and ways the task force has
studied issues in its 2001 mandate from the General Assembly.
Task force member Barbara Everitt Bryant of Ann Arbor, MI, is
conference coordinator.
At its meeting the task force continued study
of the history of the denomination, particularly of historical
splits and reconciliations that have occurred since the establishment
of Presbyterianism in the United States. Task force member John
Wilkinson, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester, NY,
led the study.
The task force also explored ordination
standards—the most controversial issue in the group’s
mandate—from biblical, theological, polity, and practice
perspectives. This portion of the meeting was under the joint
leadership of task force members Mike Loudon, pastor of First
Presbyterian Church, Clear Lake, FL; Sarah Grace Sanderson-Doughty,
pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lowville, NY; and Gary W.
Demarest, co-moderator of the task force who is currently serving
as interim pastor of the Point Loma Presbyterian Church, San Diego,
CA.
Contact info: Sharon K. Youngs, Communications
Coordinator, Office of the General Assembly; (888) 728-7228, ext.
5750; syoungs@ctr.pcusa.org.
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