|
News Archive
Theological Task Force to Gather in Chicago
October 11, 2004
Group will look at
“power” portion of mandate
LOUISVILLE—The Theological Task Force
on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church will meet this week,
October 13-15, in Chicago.
The task force will continue work on the various
elements of their mandate, pulling together some of the diverse
elements they have already studied, including polity and decision
making, and ordination and sexuality. The group will consciously
engage the “power” portion of their mandate in their
discussions.
At its last meeting in August, the task force
devoted much time to a presentation by task force member William
Stacy Johnson on “Theological Reflections on the Place of
Homosexual People in the Church.” Johnson, professor at
Princeton Theological Seminary, will facilitate a consideration
of several theological affirmations about “essential tenets”
and “fidelity and chastity” at this week’s meeting.
Task force member P. Mark Achtemeier, professor
at Dubuque Theological Seminary, will facilitate continued discussion
on polity and decision-making themes.
The group will explore the role of the Holy
Spirit throughout the New Testament in a series of Bible studies
led by task force member Frances Taylor Gench, professor at Union
Theological Seminary/ Presbyterian School of Christian Education.
Worship, an integral part of task force meetings,
will be led by various members, including co-moderator Gary Demarest,
retired pastor; Mary Ellen Lawson, stated clerk of Redstone Presbytery;
and Jose Luis Torres-Milan, pastor of Tercera Iglesia Presbiteriana,
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick will join the
task force for a day and report on the work of the World Alliance
of Reformed Churches (WARC). Kirkpatrick was elected president
of WARC at the alliance’s general council this past August
in Ghana. His report will provide a world context to the work
of the task force.
Contact info: Sharon
K. Youngs, Communications Coordinator, Office of the General
Assembly; (888) 728-7228, ext. 5750.
|
