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GA06003
Not just a footnote
Cumberland, PC(USA) leaders looking for lasting effects from concurrent assemblies by Jerry L. Van Marter
BIRMINGHAM, June 14 * The leaders of three Presbyterian denominations said today they are determined that their concurrent General Assemblies will not be "a mere footnote" in Presbyterian history.
Robert Rush, stated clerk of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, speaks at a joint press conference on the historic concurrent assemblies of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Photo by Joseph Williams. "It’s a special time for these three churches on the 300th anniversary of Presbyterianism in America," said the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, General Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), joining leaders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America (CPCA) at an historic press conference on the threshhold of the first concurrent General Assemblies since the three churches parted ways in the early 1800s. "We have sometimes taken separate paths but this gathering is a growing step in our cooperation."
"We are celebrating a large number of cooperative ministries we share," said CPC Stated Clerk Robert Rush, citing ministry in Appalachia, the Presbyterian Council for Chaplains and Military Personnel, and the Presbyterian Youth Triennium, among others. "But I hope that over the next several days we’ll make all Presbyterians aware of all we do together."
Though the three churches will have separate business meetings, they will worship together four evenings and will share a single exhibit hall. A special forum on June 21 will examine the 300 years of shared history of the three churches. "We’ll not be looking back, but forward to how to forge a new post-modern identity for our churches," said Kirkpatrick.
That identity can be problematic for members of the CPC, said Host Committee chair and local pastor Mike Wilkinson. "The Cumberlands don't have a clear identity, so we can become afraid of getting caught up in 'Presbyterian' issues that aren’t really ours," he said, noting that only three of the 13 CPC congregations in the Birmingham region agreed to assist in the hosting effort.
That sense of being overwhelmed by the far larger PC(USA) with its welter of contentious issues is not uncommon in Cumberland circles, acknowledged CPCA Moderator Army Daniel Jr., but he’s not daunted by it. "The PC(USA) is so big we can be totally absorbed by it," Daniel said, "but it’s never caused me heartburn. If we look hard enough, we’ll find more commonalities than differences, but the differences always get accentuated. "
Rush said issues common to all three churches include church growth and providing enough pastors for all the congregations. To that list Kirkpatric k added immigrant and racial ethnic congregations, evangelism and spiritual renewal of church members and congregations.
Daniel said the CPCA also is concerned about greater involvement of women and young people.
"We have to figure out how to re-attract young people to the ministries of the church," Daniel said. "They're talking to each other all the time. We're challenged to catch up to the technology so that we’re talking with them, too.
"This gathering gives us an excellent opportunity to share information about what works best."
Local Presbyterians of all three denominations have been working together for more than two-and-a-half years to organize the assemblies. That has been another example of good cooperation said PC(USA) Committee on Local Arrangements moderator Dana Waters.
"The focus throughout these preparations has been on what holds us together rather than on what separates us," he said. "Our goal all along for all three churches is to make everyone feel comfortable so they’ll enjoy their work. We've never done this before so it’s going to be different. We hope everyone will respect and learn from the difference."
Daniel said he has learned over the years that "the only two constants are Jesus and change. How willing we are to change will determine how far we go together into the future."
Rush said a committee of leaders of the three denominations has been meeting since 2001, not to plan the concurrent gatherings "but to talk about a variety of issues." He said the committee will not continue, "but I hope these conversations will accelerate."
Presbyterians in the three denominations "need to understand that we really are different," Kirkpatrick said. "I want us to mine the rich histories that we share, but I don’t want these concurrent assemblies to be just a footnote. This PC(USA) Assembly looks different, and we need to remind our people that it’s because we’re not the only Presbyterians in this country."
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