wfn.org | Marty Speaks at General Assembly Breakfast

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

GA99032 
21-June-1999 
 
            Marty Speaks at General Assembly Breakfast 
 
 
FORT WORTH-The church of tomorrow, seen in the light of history and present 
culture, was the focus for Martin Marty's address at the General Assembly 
breakfast on Monday, June 21. "All God's people are involved in finding and 
discovering the church of the 21st century, " he said.  "Suffering will 
produce character and that will produce a realistic hope."   
     He reminded the large group gathered that Presbyterians believe that a 
loving God is in control.  "And that liberates us," he said.   
     Marty is the author of 50 books and has published three volumes of a 
major work, "Modern American Religion."  He served as a Lutheran pastor for 
a decade before joining the University of Chicago faculty in l963, teaching 
there for 35 years and directing the Public Religion Project at the 
University.  A new Martin Marty Center has been founded to promote the 
"public religion" endeavors.  He is editor of the newsletter" Context," now 
in its 29th year.  He has been awarded 59 honorary degrees, and many 
honors, including the National Book Award, and the National Humanities 
Medal.     
     The custom of having a  General Assembly breakfast has been revived, 
after several years' absence,  to engage the Assembly in deep reflection, 
according the G.A. Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick.   
     Marty said that no action we take this week will resolve the issues 
before us.  "It takes the church 250 years to solve anything," he laughed. 
Current issues of sex and authority which are occupying the mainline 
denominations will have to be worked out in the world, over a period of 
time, he believes.  "What we do when we gather is more like a family 
reunion than a legislative body," he said.  Noting that those attending 
this breakfast gathering were not like they would have been in 1950, when 
everyone would have been male and clergy, he thinks that now "We are 
yearning to know what we will become in the 21st century," wondering how 
much will be different then.   
     "A loving God is in control," he concluded.  Moderator Freda Gardner, 
in greeting the group after Marty spoke, said, "I've only been moderator 
since Saturday night and God hasn't given me all the answers yet, but I'm 
sure that all of you have heard a word here today to take away with you, 
and we know who will be victorious in the end."    
 
Jane Hines 

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