wfn.org | Confessing coalescing

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Note #7053 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

12-February-2002
02063

Confessing coalescing

National festival will demonstrate, celebrate 'like-mindedness'

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - More than 500 members of the burgeoning Confessing Church Movement will gather in Atlanta later this month to affirm their confessions, form networks and shape their vision of a church rooted in Biblical tradition.

The first National Celebration of Confessing Churches is scheduled for Feb. 25-27 at the Georgia International Convention Center. It will bring together clergy, elders and lay people from the loosely structured confederacy of churches whose sessions have drafted statements affirming the movement's three "foundational statements" of Christian faith.

Though they vary somewhat in specific wording, statements adopted by confessing churches affirm the lordship of Jesus Christ, the "inerrant" authority of the Bible and marriage as the only acceptable context for sexual relations.

"We have basically two themes" for the conference, said the Rev. Paul Roberts, of Summit Presbyterian Church in Butler, PA. "The first one is that this is really a celebration of the confessions that each church has made to celebrate those three basic tenets. The (other) theme that has arisen from our planning is that this is a 'Habitat for Presbyterians.' This is a time we're going to talk about building the church for Presbyterians."

The fast-growing group claims to include nearly 16 percent of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 2.5 million members. The movement began in Beaver-Butler Presbytery last April when the session of Roberts' church adopted a statement it termed a "confession." 

Since then, the movement has spread to more than 1,200 PC(USA) churches in 46 states and Puerto Rico.

Leaders of the confessing congregations say their "grass roots" organization is making a stand against what they believe is unacceptable compromise on Biblical essentials by national leaders of the PC(USA).

"Evangelical churches are saying, 'We're getting about the business of building the church again,'" Roberts said. '"We're not going to keep arguing about these issues and fighting about it. This is what we believe and we're moving forward."'

A dozen speakers, including keynote presenters focusing on each of the three confessional statements, will take part in the celebration, organizers said. 

Regionally structured "breakout" sessions are planned for discussions of how best to live out the tenets of the confessing churches while staying connected to the larger church. Workshops, music, worship and plenary sessions also are on the agenda. 

"The faculty members we've got from our seminaries are among the best and the brightest," said the Rev. Richard E. Burnett, interim pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Waynesville, NC, the chair of the speakers committee. "I think it's going to be an important event in the life of the church."

As of Feb. 11, 538 people had registered to attend, according to the Rev. Doug Pratt, pastor of Memorial Park Presbyterian Church in suburban Pittsburgh, a member of a team planning the Atlanta celebration.

"We're going to guess that, including walk-ins from the Atlanta area who haven't registered, we may have 700 or 800 (people attending the event)," he said.

Organizers say the event is not intended to criticize the PC(USA)'s national leadership or to promote schism, but to bring  "like-minded" Presbyterians together to explore their faith and build relationships. 

"What I think we'll see is the development of regional realities," said the Rev. Parker T. Williamson, editor in chief of the conservative Presbyterian Layman newspaper, which has supported the movement. "I think what we're going to see is a continuation of the movement from the local congregations moving up regionally."

Williamson said the churches that call themselves confessing congregations are looking to build connections with like-minded Presbyterians in their regions. He cited recent confessing church gatherings in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

"We're already seeing regionally the coming together of like-minded folk," he said. "I think that will be greatly enhanced by this celebration."

Organizers said they are not interested in forming a "top-down" organization or in appointing a moderator, national board or chair to lead the movement.   

"Our intent has never been to set up another organization," said Pratt. "This is just a movement of people, of congregations. Probably from here on, when confessing churches get together, it will probably be more regionally. 
That's my expectation - that this is the first and last national celebration."
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