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Press Release

March 1, 2003

The Bible and Reformed Confessions took center stage as the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church met in Dallas on February 20-22, 2003. The Task Force, mandated by the 213th General Assembly to address conflicts facing the church, continued to work through its developed plan.

Frances Taylor Gench, Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education, set the stage for group discussion by reflecting on the role of the Bible as it bears upon the church's peace, unity, and purity. One segment of her presentation featured an overview of models of interpretation in the Presbyterian tradition, drawing primarily on two General Assembly documents: Presbyterian Understanding and Use of Holy Scripture (1983, PCUS) and Biblical Authority and Interpretation (1982, UPCUSA). The task force also engaged in study of Matthew 5:38-48, with particular attention to Reformed principles of interpretation.

Utilizing essays by scholars William Placher and Richard Hays, Dr. Gench then led the task force through an analytical study of differing approaches to Romans 1, a central text in the debate over human sexuality and ordination. The process was not designed as an attempt for task force members to debate their own understandings of the text of the Bible and homosexuality, but rather as an effort to understand why Christians who take the Bible's authority seriously disagree about its meaning.

Linking the sessions on the Bible with Presbyterian theological history, John Wilkinson, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester, New York, led the task force through a discussion of the confessional nature and history of the church. Relying in part on the 1986 denominational paper, The Confessional Nature of the Church, Dr. Wilkinson suggested that the church's peace, unity, and purity would be furthered by a deeper engagement with the church's confessional material. He also briefly reviewed the history of the formation of The Book of Confessions, including confessionalism in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s predecessor denominations. The task force then engaged in a study of the portions of The Second Helvetic Confession, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and The Confession of 1967 that explore ways the confessions consider the role and meaning of the Bible in the life of the church.

John B. "Mike" Loudon, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lakeland, Florida, coordinated worship services throughout the task force meeting.

The task force also spent considerable time considering the context and method of presenting its resources to the broader church. It agreed to produce video resources based on the content and process of its proceedings, seeking to involve local and regional groups in its work.

The Task Force will make a progress report to the 215th General Assembly (2003) in Denver.