wfn.org | Review calls for more theological diversity in women's ministries

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

Note #5945 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

21-June-2000
00245

	Review calls for more theological diversity in women's ministries

	GAC says it's "disgusted" with special interest groups' battles for control

	by Jerry L. Van Marter

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The General Assembly Council's Executive Committee has
signed off on a report affirming the work of its Women's Ministries Program
Area (WMPA) but acknowledging that the controversial agency needs to be more
broadly inclusive of the theological diversity around women's issues present
in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

	"We tried hard to listen to all voices and consider all responses," said
GAC member Doska Ross of Cleveland, who chaired the WMPA review team.  Other
team members were the Rev. Joanne Hull, the chair of the GAC's
Congregational Ministries Division Committee, and GAC chair-elect Peter
Pizor.

	The strongly-worded report, sent on to the full GAC June 20, also expresses
the GAC's "disgust" with "the entrenched positions of opposed groups who
seek to control the church."  It calls "holding intransigent positions and
failing to listen to one another" sin.

	Such strife was illustrated in April when he Executive Committee came under
fire from WMPA supporters after it voted to extend its regular review of
WMPA -- a review that was accelerated by a few months by last year's General
Assembly so that it would be completed in time to be presented to this
year's Assembly.  The committee extended the review in response to protests
from WMPA critics that the original review was too perfunctory and relied
solely on input from WMPA supporters.

	"We believe there is a large middle in the church that is being held
captive to the extremes of the far-left and far-right," Hull said. 
Defending the use of the word "disgusted," she said, "It's this
‘my-way-or-the-highway' approach -- we have got to start listening to each
other more."

	In that vein, Ross said, the GAC "has to lead the way in developing a
‘whole church picture' rather than just focusing on squeaky wheels."

	Among its findings, the report affirms the personnel and the programs in
the WMPA, says it found "strong support" for WMPA but also "identified
significant groups who are deeply troubled by activities and programs," says
the structure of WMPA is "overly complicated" and says it could find "no
single point of contact for women in the denomination."

	The report, which will be taken up by the full GAC June 22, proposes
several correctives for the work of WMPA.  The GAC shall, it states:

	* "Seek to minister to and with all women."

	* "Continue advocacy for women."

	* "Develop a process to determine needs that reflects the range of
perspectives within the church."

	* "Develop intentional conversations that include the range of views within
our denomination."

	* "Develop a process to identify the needs of women who are not currently
involved."

	* "Be more inclusive of theological diversity in developing and reviewing
programs."

	* "Seek to replace ‘win/lose' and ‘either/or' choices with a ‘both/and'
approach."

_______________________________________________
pcusaNews mailing list
pcusaNews@pcusa.org

To unsubscribe, go to this web address:
http://pcusa01.pcusa.org/mailman/listinfo/pcusanews