wfn.org | Beaver-Butler Presbytery to rework statement of its faith

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

Note #6728 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

27-June-2001
01213

Beaver-Butler Presbytery to rework statement of its faith 

by Ann Rodgers-Melnick
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Staff Writer 
Reprinted with permission

PITTSBURGH - Beaver-Butler Presbytery, which ignited a national movement in
March when it adopted its own statement of Christian faith, has withdrawn
that statement in order to craft a new one.

At a meeting this week in Saxonburg, the presbytery rescinded its confession
of faith, but affirmed three basic points on which to frame a new
confession. It appointed a broad-based task force to work on a new statement
and another task force to examine changes to procedures for the ordination
and installation of clergy that may be necessary when the new statement goes
into effect.
"This doesn't mean we are backing off from what we said before," said the
Rev. Mary Sickles, pastor of the North Butler and East Butler churches.
"This is an effort to frame the confession so it can be embraced by most
people in our presbytery, rather than have it remain a divisive thing."

The March confession of faith was a two-page declaration affirming salvation
through Christ alone, the authority of the Bible and the immorality of any
sexual relationships outside of heterosexual marriage. It declared that
Beaver-Butler Presbytery would not ordain or install clergy who blessed
same-sex relationships or any church officers "involved in any unrepented
sinful behavior, sexual or otherwise."

That declaration, authored by Summit Presbyterian Church in Butler, passed
the presbytery 46-42. It was then promoted by The Presbyterian Layman, a
conservative newspaper, as a model for other Presbyterian congregations. As
of Thursday, 484 congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA),
representing 170,000 of its 2.5 million members, had signed similar
declarations. Together they are known as The Confessing Movement, a name
first used by Protestant churches in Nazi Germany that refused to accept
Hitler's teaching about the authority of the state, Jews and other matters.

Last week, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to
drop a national ban on the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and others
engaged in sex outside of marriage. However, to take effect, that action
must be ratified by a majority of the nation's 173 presbyteries.

The proposal to rescind Beaver-Butler's March statement and to write a new
one originated with the presbytery's Coordinating Team. A very brief interim
statement that the presbytery adopted as a framework affirms salvation
through Christ, the authority of the Bible and the call to holy living.

Some objection to the March statement stemmed from the fact that it was
drafted by members of one congregation with little opportunity for others to
shape it, said the Rev. Jeff Arnold, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church
of Beaver and coordinator of the Evangelical Network in Beaver-Butler
Presbytery.

Arnold did not quarrel with the presbytery's latest actions. 

"We felt that the point had been made, and that we could rescind it to
follow more of a presbytery-style process. Since it is a presbytery
confession, we wanted the spirit of the presbytery to be clear and to follow
a process where more people could get involved," he said.

_______________________________________________
pcusaNews mailing list
pcusaNews@pcusa.org

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