FAQ on the PUP

Below is the text of FAQ that the Office of the General Assembly put out about the PUP Report and its effect on the church. I have decided to post this with my comments intermixed. My remarks will be inside the parenthesis.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Actions of the 217th General Assembly (2006) on the Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church

What did the 217th General Assembly (2006) do?
(Screw everything up—create constitional crisis and massive disunity) The General Assembly retained the ordination standards and lifted up the historic responsibility of
governing bodies to examine rigorously each and every candidate for minister, elder, or deacon, considering whether they are qualified and called, and whether they adhere to the essentials of Reformed faith and practice. (although later they say that nobody knows what the essentials are—and how can anything be an essential if none are stated as any!)

So what’s different now?
The standards of the church didn’t change; it is the spirit that has changed. The action encourages a more pastoral approach (they mean an approach that is more aligned with their theology of inclusiveness and ignoring scripture) to ordination and encourages governing bodies to do thorough work in examining individuals for office.

What was the Theological Task Force created to do, and how did their report do that?
The task force was appointed in 2001 to address deep divisions in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The unanimous report (although split at the GA) of the twenty Presbyterians on the task force from all over the country, representing the full breadth of the theological spectrum (somehow representing the full breath of theological spectrum is a higher moral good than actually representing the Truth), models hope for the church moving forward together in unity. (Strike 1—our unity is not based on how we get along, but in Jesus and the Truth of His scriptures). Obviously, the fifth recommendation (concerning ordination standards) has received a lot of attention. But many may not realize that the first four recommendations of the report, adopted almost unanimously by the assembly, carry enormous significance for the future of the church.
Those four recommendations are:
• that the Theological Reflection section of the task force report—a very strong faith (very strong is a little overkill—I would say almost adequate) statement about God’s love and salvation made known to us in Jesus Christ, and about our call to proclaim the gospel—be commended for study;
• that every Presbyterian would witness to the church’s visible oneness, avoiding division; (once again visible oneness is a high priority regardless of our invisible or not so invisible deep rooted division on the issues of authority of scripture and whether revelation is now closed).
• that every governing body, congregation, and group of Presbyterians engage in processes of intensive discernment through worship, community building, and study;
• that the General Assembly consider exploring the use of alternative forms of discernment (meaning we try to hood-winking and manipulate the process so everyone does what we want them to do) preliminary to decision-making, especially when dealing with divisive issues.

Will gays and lesbians now be ordained?
(If OGA has anything to say about it—they will be) Presbyteries and sessions have been reminded of their historical responsibility to examine candidates for ordination and decide, on a case-by-case basis, about a person’s qualifications for ministry. The constitutional standard in the Book of Order (G-6.0106b) requiring “fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman” or “chastity in singleness” remains in place. (But the constitutional standard of abiding by a “shall” statement as been thrown out the window). Each governing body will be required to decide if a departure from a standard of faith or practice represents a violation of an “essential” of the faith. Governing bodies have been encouraged to strive to honor one another’s ordination decisions (here is the trust argument again—we just need to trust each other—no matter if you agree of that other’s decision are contrary to scripture or our constitution). Still, these decisions continue to be subject to review by higher governing bodies. (That will be decided by the GAPJC—and I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one).

What are the “essentials”?
The General Assembly has never had a list of “essentials,” and, except for a few years in the early twentieth century, has always explicitly maintained there can be no list. We have a confessional foundation, and it has always been the responsibility of ordaining bodies to determine what tenets of faith are “essential” and to make decisions about ordination and installation accordingly. (plus if we have a list people might have to abide by some essentials which we don’t think are essentials. The question that remains is abiding by the plain meaning and language of the constitution an essential of reformed polity? I think it is—therefore a Governing Body cannot disregard a “shall” statement).

Are congregations going to leave the PC(USA) because of the assembly’s actions?
Hopefully not (and if they do we are going to take their property). A few have said they are considering departure, but most have indicated they will stay and work to reshape and renew the denomination. The report the assembly approved was intended to bring a new spirit (the Holy Spirit wasn’t good enough apparently) to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in which individuals who disagree deeply about important issues can still participate faithfully together as disciples of Jesus Christ. The assembly’s actions will make it possible for all Presbyterians to not merely stay together, but to strengthen one another’s faith and ministry, honoring God, who alone is Lord of the conscience (God is more that just Lord of the conscience—He is Lord of all and forgives us even when our conscience sins).

What will this mean to congregations?
The intent of the General Assembly was that all governing groups—sessions that govern
congregations, as well as presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly, which are made up of ministers and elders—will be empowered to bear with one another in Christian love, to exercise discernment, and to proclaim Good News in a new day of unity and faithfulness. In particular, nominating committees and examining bodies are called to a rigorous and thorough examination of every candidate for church office, discerning the totality (except we now can ignore their sex life—because that really doesn’t impact a person’s faith or ability to serve) of their faith, theology, and practice, and making wise decisions about those who will lead the people of God.

If I sound over cynical—well because I am on this issue. The PUP report is a disastrous for the PEACE, UNITY and PURITY of our denomination and has made us less Presbyterian and more congregational in our polity and really now our theology (which means we are closer to become Unitarian).

To read the full actions of the 217th General Assembly on these recommendations, go to http://lespcusa.
org/Item.aspx?IID=129& . To read the report of the Theological Task Force, go to
www.pcusa.org/peaceunitypurity.