wfn.org | PC(USA) leaders express faith that unified church has 'a vital

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

Note #6972 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

future'
07-December-2001
01453

PC(USA) leaders express faith that unified church has 'a vital future'

by John Filiatreau

LOUISVILLE - Fourteen leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have issued a
"message to the church" in which they invite all Presbyterians to join them
in daily prayer for the unity and vitality of the denomination.

The leaders - chairs and executives of General Assembly agencies - include
the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the PC(USA); John Detterick,
executive director of the General Assembly Council (GAC); Jeff Bridgeman,
the GAC chair; and Jack Rogers, moderator of the 213th General Assembly.

The group says it believes "firmly" that the PC(USA) has "a vital future,"
adding:

"We are committed to Christ's Church. We intend for the Presbyterian Church
(USA) to be a place where our children and grandchildren can hear and
respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We hold this conviction because:

* "Christ saves us,
* "Christ calls us to be the Church,
* "Christ calls the church to remain one.

"We commit ourselves to pray daily for the Church, using the Mission
Yearbook for Prayer and Study, and invite other Presbyterians to join us.

"We recognize the shortage of pastors to serve our churches and commit
ourselves to develop a coordinated effort to assure strong pastoral
leadership for our future. We invite pastors, congregations, governing
bodies and seminaries to join us in this venture."

The group issued the statement at the close of a Dec. 5-6 meeting at
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary here. Detterick said the
elected and staff leaders wanted to make clear to Presbyterians, at a time
of dissension and division in the church, their conviction that "Christ
calls us to reconciliation."

The others who signed the statement are: William R. Forbes, chair, Committee
on the Office of the General Assembly; Robert W. Maggs Jr., president and
CEO, Presbyterian Board of Pensions; Earldean Robbins, chair, Presbyterian
Board of Pensions; Kenneth G.Y. Grant, president and CEO, Presbyterian
Investment and Loan Program; Richard B. Lohrer, chair, Presbyterian
Investment and Loan Program; Robert E. Leech, president and CEO,
Presbyterian Foundation; Ray Tanner, chair, Presbyterian Foundation; Judy
Stephens, chair-elect, Presbyterian Foundation; Davis Perkins, president and
publisher, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation; and William Longbrake,
chair, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
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