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Contact person: Gary Demarest at (626) 914-4833, or Jenny Stoner at (802) 586-6913

Press Release

July 22, 2003

Theological Task Force to Meet in Early August
Nature of Church and Presbyterian Decision Making are Main Topics

The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church will hold its next meeting in Chicago on August 6-8, 2003. The task force will continue to develop the themes of its five-year plan by focusing on two issues—the nature and purpose of the church in the Reformed tradition as a community of faith, and Presbyterian Church decision-making.

The emphasis of the first theme will be on specifics of the task force mandate relating to “peace” and “unity” in the Reformed tradition. Members Mark Achtemeier, professor at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and Barbara Wheeler, president of Auburn Theological Seminary, will engage the task force through presentations and discussion to focus on the theological underpinnings of the unity and purity of the church. Charles Wiley, from the General Assembly Office of Theology Worship and Discipleship, and author and theologian Leanne Van Dyk of Western Theological Seminary have been invited to facilitate the task force’s reflection on the peace of the church.

Exploration of Presbyterian decision-making will look at both historic and current practices. John Wilkinson, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY, will lead the task force through two important case studies: the Adopting Act of 1729 and the Swearingen Commission report. Victoria Curtiss, co-pastor of Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames, IA, and other task force members will follow with a critique of the current modes of decision making in the church and lead reflection on new models.

The task force will view the initial video offerings to the church, which were previewed by two groups at the recent General Assembly. These video segments share some of both the process and theological substance used in the work of the task force in a format designed for use by groups in presbyteries, synods, and congregations. They are designed to help groups discern God’s will in the midst of conflicts and to explore Presbyterian use and understanding of scripture. Release of this first product is scheduled for September.

The August meeting’s agenda does not designate any time to consider going into closed session, but will include time for discussion and development of the use of the opportunity given the task force by this year’s assembly “to go into closed session solely for the purpose of exchanging views on sensitive theological issues . . . by two-thirds vote of the members of the task force present in a duly called and constituted meeting.” Co-moderators Jenny Stoner and Gary Demarest have indicated their intentions that the task force use the privilege sparingly and judiciously, pointing out that the task force neither sought nor initiated the overture that led to this action of the assembly.

The task force is scheduled to begin its study of Presbyterian leadership and ordination in its October 2003 meeting, and will focus specifically upon theological and ordination disputes in August 2004.