wfn.org | Summary of Issues at the 209th GA

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

15-June-1997 
GA97024 
 
              Summary of Issues at the 209th General Assembly 
 
                         by Jerry Van Marter 
 
 
SYRACUSE--After years of tension and conflict around issues of human 
sexuality and the ordination of gay and lesbian Presbyterians to church 
office, the 209th General Assembly will turn at least some of its attention 
to measures that focus on what unites rather than what divides the 2.7 
million-member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). 
 
    Passage of the commonly called "fidelity and chastity" amendment -- 
requiring church officers to live in "fidelity within the covenant of 
marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness" -- is certain 
to provoke much discussion.  One overture (resolution) from Kiskiminetas 
Presbytery, calls for removal of a portion of the amendment requiring 
church officers to repent of "any self-acknowledged practice which the 
confessions call sin." 
 
    The commissioners will decide whether to call the denomination to a 
six-year period of study and reflection on "The Great Ends of the Church," 
six theological principles that have historically guided the church's life. 
Church leaders have pressed the "Great Ends" emphasis as a way to 
rediscover Presbyterian "common ground" in the wake of sexuality debates 
that have frayed nerves and strained relationships. 
 
    The Assembly will pursue unity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 
America (ELCA).  Up for approval is a "Formula of Agreement" between the 
PC(USA), the ELCA, the United Church of Christ and the Reformed Church in 
America.  The agreement, which calls for "full communion" through mutual 
recognition of each other's churches, members and ministries, grew out of 
Lutheran-Reformed dialogues that began in 1962. 
 
    With the defeat by presbyteries of constitutional amendments that would 
have implemented Presbyterian participation in the "covenanting" provisions 
of the Consultation on Church Union (COCU), Assembly watchers will be 
eyeing the vote on the Lutheran-Reformed proposals closely to see whether 
the COCU vote signaled a retreat from the Presbyterians' longstanding 
commitment to ecumenical unity.  The Presbytery of Plains and Peaks has 
submitted an overture calling for outright withdrawal from COCU, and the 
Presbytery of Cherokee has submitted an overture calling for closer 
relations with the breakaway Presbyterian Church in America and Evangelical 
Presbyterian Church. 
 
    Commissioners will also address several measures that seek to improve 
internal relations within the church by modifying some procedures and 
structures.  A new "call system" that has been in development since 1988 
will be up for approval.  The new system seeks to streamline the process by 
which churches call pastors and other church employers hire professional 
staff.  The new system promises to require less time and paperwork to fill 
staff vacancies and emphasizes leadership skills and ongoing professional 
development of church professionals.  Critics charge that the new system 
minimizes the "spiritual gifts" required for ministry. 
 
    Also being proposed is a new system for allocating tens of millions of 
dollars in restricted endowments that are held by the Presbyterian Church 
(U.S.A.) Foundation.  Currently such funds are available only to the 
General Assembly for spending by the General Assembly Council through the 
church's general mission budget.  The radically decentralizing proposal 
would make such funds available to any Presbyterian Church entity, 
including local congregations, provided their proposed use of the funds met 
the donor's criteria. 
 
    A report by an outside consultant -- Arthur Andersen LLP -- mandated by 
last year's General Assembly will recommend a sweeping reorganization of 
the national offices of the Presbyterian Church in Louisville.  Concluding 
that the denomination lacks a unified vision for the ministry of the whole 
church, the Andersen report calls for development of a "vision statement," 
followed by a restructuring of the General Assembly enterprise to meet that 
vision. 
 
    With the PC(USA) continuing to lose members at the rate of about 35,000 
annually, church growth efforts will also command significant attention. 
Initial plans will be presented to meet a goal set by last year's Assembly 
to increase the racial-ethnic membership of the Presbyterian Church to 10 
percent by the year 2005 and to 20 percent by the year 2010 (it is 
currently 3 percent).  The Presbytery of Yukon has submitted an overture 
calling on the church to declare evangelism a denominational priority and 
"setting a goal for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be a growing church 
by 2005."  A new mass media advertising campaign, "Stop In and Find Out," 
commissioned by the 1995 General Assembly, will be unveiled as well. 

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