General Assembly 2006 Report
The General Assembly, the highest governing body of the Presbyterian Church, met in June of this year in Birmingham, Alabama. Many decisions were made at the assembly. Here are a few of the decisions that were made.
The Assembly received an overture requesting that the Assembly assert unity and harmony between Christians, Muslims, and Jews and say that we all worship the same God. The Assembly wisely declined to make these statements. The Assembly did reiterate our commitment to work for peace with Muslims and Jews.
The Assembly also voted to take a stand against partial birth abortion, approving by a vote of 381 – 117 an overture that states that viable, unborn babies are persons whose lives ought to be protected, preserved, cared for, and not aborted. This represents a positive change in our denomination’s abortion policy.
In regard to Israel/Palestine issue, this year’s Assembly voted to replace the previous phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel divestment policy with a new policy. The new plan calls for investment in activities that are consistent with promoting peace in the region and no longer singles out Israel, but mentions several areas of concern in the Middle East conflict. The Assembly also acknowledged and expressed regret for the hurt caused by the previous policy.
The General Assembly was asked to act on a paper written on the Trinity written by study group committee over the past four years. The paper was an effort to move beyond the Trinitarian name of God (Father Son and Holy Spirit) and employ other triads like Rainbow, Ark, Dove or Mother, Child and Womb as new names to call God. The Assembly did not approve this paper, but instead voted 282-212-7 to receive it. This means that that the paper can be used for reflection and study, but it is not theological policy. In addition the paper was amended to emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ and the clear requirement to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Also, the different triads mentioned in the paper as names for the Trinity were changed to metaphors describing God.
Once again, one of the standard requirements in our constitution for our ordained leaders (deacons, elders and pastors) was up for debate at a General Assembly. This Assembly voted 405 – 92 -4 to affirm the requirement that those who are called to ordained office in the church must abide by the requirement to “live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness.”
Finally, the General Assembly this year approved by a vote of 298 – 221 – 1 (57% to 43%) a new “Authoritative Interpretation” on the process we use to ordain our leaders. An authoritative interpretation helps us interpret our church constitution, telling us what various parts do and do not mean. In this case, the new authoritative interpretation gives sessions and presbyteries (local governing bodies) the authority to decide if a person up for ordination is adhering to the essential standards of Reformed faith and practice required for ordination and whether or not adhering to those essential standards is actually essential. In other words, while the ordination standards in our constitution (which have been set for the whole church) have not changed, a departure from these standards is now allowable if a session or presbytery decide that such a departure is actually not a failure to adhere to the essentials of reformed faith and polity.
Obviously, allowing local bodies to make these major decisions without respect
to the whole church and the standards it has set will only continue to fragment
our denomination and undermine our unity. This is quite possibly the direction
our denomination is headed. To quote our own Stated Clerk on the issue, “Certainly,
there will be differing judgments in different locations and different mission
situations as to what is essential for the ordination of people in ministry.”
Many others in our denomination are unsure about what this new authoritative
interpretation actually means. Will sessions and presbyteries begin to ordain
and install individuals who live in open violation of the church’s
standard? Do sessions and presbyteries now have the power to apply our ordination
standards in a way they deem fit? Will our judicial process be able to overturn
an ordination where an exception to the essential standards has been granted?
These questions and many more are now being discussed around our denomination.
There certainly will be much debate around implementing this new ordination
process and there will be future attempt to change this authoritative interpretation.
There are many other decisions made at this years General Assembly. There is not enough space to report on all of them. These are mentioned here because they represent some of the more critical decisions made this year.
Please be in prayer for or denomination, for our presbytery, and for your own church leadership as we seek to be faithful to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and proclaim the Truth of the Gospel to our community.