Presbyterians for Faith, Family and Ministry: Theology Matters

To read the May/Jun 2010 issue of Theology Matters click here. The Special Task Force on Civil Unions and Christian Marriage will present their report to the General Assembly in July. Included in this issue of Theology Matters is a portion of the Minority Report of the Special Committee on Civil Unions and Christian Marriage by Rev. Tracie Mayes-Stewart, Rev. Bill Teng, and Elder Lisa Van Riper. The Minority Report and supporting rationale uphold biblical and confessional standards. They emphasize that "our consciences are not free in every respect but rather we are called to bring them into captivity to God’s Word.” They conclude:

We must use our bodies within God’s design. Because God’s design is rooted in creation, this design is not just for the believer but for humanity. Therefore, friendships, whether of same or opposite gender, which do not violate God’s boundaries of sexual expression as defined in Scripture, the confessions, and the Book of Order can be honored and encouraged. However, those relationships, whether the same or opposite gendered, that although committed and caring, which are outside of God’s design of sexual expression, cannot be encouraged or blessed. Pastoral care must be extended to all people within the body of Christ. Such care should always conform to the standards of the confessions as the church works to "gather and perfect"the saints.

In the article, “A Walk Through the Woods,” Mary Holder Naegeli gives a brief teaching on biblical interpretation in relation to the Trinity. The Trinity is One God, so Jesus does not speak a different word today than the Spirit spoke in the words of Scripture. Naegeli posits that “The church reforms by returning (repenting) to its biblical roots after wandering down bunny trials of false belief or scandalous practice.” “Scripture as God’s Word written imparts God’s will upon the Church through instruction, information, and correction, and thereby holds the Church and its members accountable to the will of God (2 Tim 3:16). For a diagram that helps to understand the article, click here.

Commissioners to the July General Assembly will also decide whether to send the Belhar Confession to the presbyteries for their concurrence on adding the Belhar to the Book of Confessions. Elder Viola Larson analyzes the Belhar in “The Belhar Confession: A Failure to Confess Jesus Christ”. Larson explains why the Church should not add the Belhar Confession to its Book of Confessions: it has an inadequate witness to the Lordship of Christ; its emphasis on unity could be used to support a homosexual advocacy agenda; it has been used by some to label Israel as racist; and it may be used to deny the uniqueness of Christ and promote pluralism.

Another major issue before the July General Assembly is the proposed new Form of Government that would replace the “G” section in the Book of Order. In her article, “How the New Form of Government Would Harm Congregations: A Summary”, Elder Carol Shanholtzer, demonstrates that this proposed FOG would harm congregations by creating a “centralized, top-down governance, with the session at the bottom of the structure, following instructions from and sending required financial support to the higher governing bodies.”

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