PRESBYTERIANS FOR RENEWAL GA 2008 Overview: The PFR One-Pager
Remove Reference to Homosexuality: these amendments
The 218th General Assembly of the PC(USA) made some
major decisions that require prayer and thoughtful response.
The most significant decisions are contrary to the very
foundation of Christian faith and life, our calling to witness to
the Lordship of Jesus Christ in and for the world.
Potentially Positive Actions
While those troubling actions of the GA deserve our most
focused attention, we note several Actions of the General
Assembly that have potential to promote biblical faithfulness:
“An Invitation to Expanding Partnership in God’s Mission”:
This document, approved by the GA, presents a new
collaborative spirit for Presbyterian participation in God’s
mission.
“A Call to Seek God for Spiritual Renewal of the Church”:
The GA has encouraged congregations and presbyteries to
hold special gatherings seeking spiritual renewal.
A new mission budget
Provides more funds for international mission workers.
Annual Report on “Relief of Conscience Plan” (re: abortion)
An annual report on the plan is now required.
“Response to Churches Seeking Dismissal from the PC(USA)”:
The GA encouraged presbyteries to be charitable in their
treatment of congregations seeking dismissal.
Negative Actions of the GA: Inter-faith
Relations, Ordination and Sexuality
Other actions are serious departures from Scripture and our
missional calling:
Inter-faith Relations: Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
The GA has encouraged common worship between members
of the three faiths, and has asked them to “celebrate
diversity.” A new theological statement was approved that
implies Jesus is one of several viable ways to know and
worship God, and considers all three faiths part of one larger
family of God.
Ordination Standards and Sexuality:
Local License: The GA passed a A New “Authoritative
Interpretation” (AI) of the Book of Order that intends to give
sessions and presbyteries freedom to ordain persons in
violation of the PC(USA)’s standards, including the
requirement to live in fidelity in marriage or chastity in
singleness. (AI’s are effective immediately, but learning the
actual impact of this one will require court decisions.)
Removal of Authoritative Interpretations on Homosexual
Practice: The GA removed the existing AI’s on this subject
that supported biblical morality. (Learning the actual impact
will require court decisions.)
Approved Deletion of the “Fidelity and Chastity” Standard:
This is a proposed amendment to the Book of Order that
requires approval by the presbyteries to be effective. The
amendment intends to allow the ordination of persons with a
variety of sexual lifestyles.
Approved amendments to the Heidelberg Catechism to
would require the next GA to approve them and subsequent
approval of the presbyteries to be effective. The intent is to
change the church’s teaching and moral standards on the
issue of homosexuality.
"What is PFR Doing Now?"
It is necessary to respond both to the particular actions taken
by the GA and to the deeper condition of the PC(USA)
revealed by these actions. We encourage you to read
“Contending for the Faith: The Way Forward After GA 2008,”
on our website, where we offer a more detailed assessment of
the state of the PC(USA) and outline how you can partner with
us, including the following initiatives:
Resources on Inter-faith Relations:
PFR will provide resources for the church to develop faithful
understandings and practices that reflect the meaning of
Christian worship, the relationship between Christianity and
other faiths, and our calling as Christians to to work together
for peace with members of other faiths.
Call to Biblical Faithfulness:
PFR will provide networking and resources to defeat the
proposed amendments to the constitution and to send to the
next GA opportunities to restore integrity to the interpretation
of the PC(USA)’s constitution. We need your help. Please
contribute to the “Fund for Biblical Faithfulness,” and
watch our website for more information in the coming weeks.
Reshaping the PC(USA):
The unity and witness of the PC(USA) has been strained to an
unprecedented level. We believe it is necessary for the
different visions of Christian faith and life to be reflected in the
way our governing bodies are structured, so that they are
grounded in faith and moral commitments and a vision for
faithful witness in the world, not merely in geography.
We invite the contribution of ideas from the whole church (a
means will be available online soon) about how best to
reshape the PC(USA), and we are gathering a team of elders,
pastors and governing body executives to develop the best
possible proposal for re-structuring the PC(USA). Please
contribute to the “Fund for Reshaping the PC(USA)” to
make this effort possible.
For further information, visit
www.GA2008.com
and www.pfrenewal.org.
Other resources available from PFR include:
“Reshaping the PC(USA): PFR Looks Beyond the
218th General Assembly”
“Contending for the Faith: The Way Forward After
GA 2008”