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Note #6673 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Assembly approves task force to seek peace, unity and purity of the church
13-June-2001
GA01116

Assembly approves task force to seek peace, unity and purity of the church

by Bill Lancaster

LOUISVILLE, June 13-The 213th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) Wednesday night approved with two minor amendments a committee
recommendation to form a task force to lead the PC(USA) in a four-year
period of discernment to seek the peace, unity and purity of the church. 
This discernment is to cover issues of Christology, Biblical authority and
interpretation, ordination standards and power, and other issues the task
force may choose.

The matter formally came to the Assembly through Overture 01-33 from the
Presbytery of John Calvin.  It was referred to the Assembly's Peace, Purity
and Unity Committee, whose moderator, Elder Jenny Stoner, and vice
moderator, the Rev. Charles C. Heyward, reported their recommendations.

"You will note that the task force's work is that of a coordinating
committee," Stoner told the Assembly in her presentation, "to develop the
process and materials for congregations and presbyteries [synods were added
by amendment] to be involved in the process of discernment and to report the
responses."

This is not another study to produce a document, Stoner said, "rather it is
a way for the church together to focus its attention on basic elements of
our faith."  She called attention to the paragraph in the recommendation
calling for "the church to unite in a sustained period of prayer and
reflection on Scripture and our confessions, seeking to promote the peace,
unity, purity and mission" of the PC(USA).  This "is an affirmation of the
power of prayer and a reminder that resources of Scripture and our
confessions should be our faithful guide," she said.

The task force is to work in partnership with congregations, presbyteries
and synods and develop an instrument to enable them to respond.

The task force is to be composed of 17 members "reflecting the theological
and cultural diversity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)."  It is to be
appointed by the moderators of the 211th, 212th and 213th General Assemblies
(1999, 2000 and 2001), in consultation with the General Assembly Nominating
Committee.

In the preface to the recommendation, the committee calls for the church to
"enter into a season of theological clarification of our Presbyterian
identity.

The task force is to make a progress report to each General Assembly
beginning with the 214th General Assembly (2002) and to make a final report
to sessions, presbyteries and the Assembly by the 217th General Assembly
(2005).

The financial implications of the task force total $180,728 over the four
years.
After approving the committee's recommendation on the task force, the
Assembly voted to make the task force recommendation its response to the
following overtures:

*   00-42 (on establishing a special task force to move beyond the current
impasse);

*   01-09 (on entering a process of churchwide spiritual discernment
considering the current division within our denomination);

*   01-14 (on appointing a special committee to propose amendments to
reaffirm the role of governing bodies on ordination decisions);

*   01-20 (on calling all members and ordained officers to the church to be
reconciled by uniting in a year of study and prayer);

*   01-36 (on declaring that resolution has been reached on the matter of
human sexuality related to eligibility for ordination).

On Overture 00-06 to appoint a special committee to explore amendments to
the Book of Order to permit congregations that cannot comply with section
G-6.0106b to disaffiliate from the church while retaining real property, the
Assembly approved the committee's recommendation to disapprove the overture
with comment. The comment cites procedures in the Book of Order by which
congregations are allowed to leave.

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