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Note #8371 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Theological task force report approved
GA04077
June 30, 2004

Theological task force report approved

Assembly endorses call for local dialogue on group's 'affirmations'

by Bill Lancaster

RICHMOND, June 30 - The General Assembly approved the interim report of the
Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church Wednesday,
endorsing its call for sessions and presbyteries to bring Presbyterians of
differing theological views together in covenant to discuss its affirmations.

The report was presented by Jenny Stoner, a co-chair of the task force, and
members Mark Achtemeier and Stacy Johnson.

Achtemeier, a professor of theology at Dubuque Theological Seminary, said:
"Do we make purity our main principle - or accept compromises, and make peace
and unity our priorities? None of the above. This is a false approach. This
is all about us."

Achtemeier said the Bible is concerned with the peace, unity and purity that
God has made in Jesus Christ. "Drawing closer to Jesus Christ is the key to
holding peace, unity and purity together," he said.

Johnson, a theology professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, told the
commissioners: "This is a preliminary report. It is not a sexuality report,
or a final word on the various topics we were asked to consider. Instead, it
is an invitation to the whole church to join us, and to do so by starting
where we can agree" - with the affirmation that Jesus Christ is the is the
source of the church's peace, unity and purity.

Johnson noted that the task force's mandate included three directives: to
seek discernment, to take ownership together of the issues that trouble the
church, and to find a way forward.

On discernment, he said: "We were not asked to solve all problems. We were
assigned the task of leading the church in spiritual discernment of our
Christian identity in and for the 21st century."

Of taking ownership: "We were not asked to impose a solution from the top
down. We were asked to help the whole church take ownership of the issues
that concern us. We are asking presbyteries to form groups of diverse persons
to pray together and study our affirmations. We are asking sessions to do the
same. The ownership of the task force's work belongs to you."

On finding the way forward: "The task force is exploring workable proposals
to keep peace, unity and purity ... and to allow our differences to edify,
not divide."

He asked the commissioners: "Is the present climate of hostility something
you enjoy? Or are you willing to see if there is a still more excellent way?"

For more information, visit the task force's Web site at
www.pcusa.org/peaceunitypurity.

The Assembly also approved a recommendation that the Trinity Work Group
"invite response and comment" on the current draft of its paper on the
doctrine of the Trinity and present the finished document to the 217th
Assembly in 2006.

Responding to an overture calling for changes in the Book of Order to define
the "essential tenets" of Reformed faith, the Assembly approved a lengthy
statement from the General Assembly Council reaffirming the church's historic
stance that the essentials of the faith should not be narrowly defined.

A proposal to amend the Book of Order to drop the requirement of Baptism for
participation in the Lord's Supper was referred to the denomination's Office
of Theology and Worship, which is to report back on the question in 2006.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/.

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