(click on the image below to see the C-Span video of Congressman Wolf)
WOLF EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT IN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH USA
Washington, D.C. (June 24, 2014) – Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today delivered the following remarks on the House floor regarding recent actions taken General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA:
“I rise today as a follower of Jesus and lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church USA who was deeply grieved by what transpired at last week’s gathering of the PCUSA’s General Assembly. I feel increasingly alienated from this rich faith tradition, which includes John Witherspoon, the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence, and submit for the Record a statement of protest by the Presbyterian Lay Committee Board of Directors which expresses a similar sentiment.
“I will begin with marriage. After several years of internal discussion and debate the assembly voted overwhelmingly to take a position which runs counter to the counsel of Scripture, which defines marriage as divinely inspired joining of one man and one woman.
“It has long been clear that our culture is in the throes of a seismic shift on this issue. While the current marriage debate has centered around the notion of same-sex unions, in reality there has been a decades’ long assault on marriage, such that what was once almost universally recognized as a God-ordained and created institution, the fundamental building block of any society and the nexus of procreation and child-rearing, has now been called into question both in the larger culture and increasingly in the legal framework which governs this land.
“But perhaps most troubling is that increasingly this is happening within the church itself, which has historically served a bulwark against the cultural whims of the day.
“In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Haven’t you read…that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together let man not separate.”
“This passage, and others like it, remind me of Reverend Billy Graham’s comment in the lead-up to the 2012 North Carolina ballot initiative regarding marriage, when he remarked, ‘The Bible is clear – God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman.’
“In addition to marriage, I was also troubled by the PCUSA’s action on Israel. I submit for the Record a Wall Street Journal piece which ran yesterday regarding the PCUSA’s vote to divest the denomination’s stock from three American companies that do business with Israel in the West Bank citing their “involvement in the occupation and the violation of human rights in the region.”
“The PCUSA’s deeply misguided decision comes against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism in Europe, and even here in the United States. I submit for the Record a June 20 Washington Post piece highlighting the problem which noted that “Jewish leaders here are now warning of a recent and fundamental shift tied to a spurt of homegrown anti-Semitism.”
“The denomination’s action on Israel stands in stark contrast to its inaction on the persecuted church in the region. The PCUSA expressly declined to sign a recently issued “Pledge of Solidarity and Call to Action” which more than 200 religious leaders from across the country signed on to.
“These representatives of the American church came together across ecumenical lines to pledge to do more to help beleaguered minority faith communities, foremost among them the ancient Christian communities in Egypt, Iraq and Syria. The PCUSA privately expressed concerns that this action would be perceived as an “anti-Muslim” statement.
“The Pledge itself was carefully crafted with input from faith leaders here in the United States and throughout the region and conveyed that the time had come for the church in the West to “pray and speak with greater urgency about this human rights crisis.” With the PCUSA’s decision not to associate itself with this urgent call to action, I find myself once again out of step with my denomination in profound ways.
“I believe that many of the giants of this tradition: among them Rev. Peter Marshall of New York Ave., Presbyterian Church, where President Lincoln worshipped, and a former Senate Chaplain; Rev. Dick Halverson, senior pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church and also a Senate Chaplain; Rev. Louis Evans, pastor for 18 years of National Presbyterian Church; and Rev. James Boice, pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, would find it difficult to recognize the PCUSA church today.”
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Thank you Layman and Carmen Fowler for your coverage and articles of the GA actions. I’m interested in reading follow up articles concerning reactions in local churches after the GA actions and the reading of the “pastoral letter”. Also, It would be wonderful to have a brief list of actions and inactions taken at the GA that continues to define the radical agenda of the PCUSA.
I was not aware of the inaction for the persecuted church as stated by congressman Frank Wolf. I’m sorry, but I’m confused by the GA actions and wonder what they were thinking when dealing with these important issues. Is almost as if they lack common sense, not realizing that these actions can destroy what is left of the PCUSA. Perhaps someone can write and article or analyses on the subject of “corporate evil”, which I understand to mean when a group of people intentionally or unintentionally take actions that result in evil. There are probably quite a bit of people in churches that have no idea that their actions, locally or nationally will result in harm to the Church of Jesus Christ.
Ramsey A,
Two things: #1. you can read our tracking and response to many of the actions of the General Assembly here: http://layman.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/post-GA-version-of-Voter-guide.pdf
#2. The assembly did take action in response to the persecuted Church in Egypt, Iraq and Syria.
Representative Wolf’s comments about the failure to join others in standing with and for persecuted Christians and religious freedom around the world was in reference to a letter the PCUSA refused to sign some weeks ago. The commissioners of the 221st General Assembly voted:
11-02 direct our attention to the plight of the church of Jesus Christ that is suffering due to maltreatment, sectarian violence, and persecution in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Palestine, Israel, N. Korea, Pakistan, India, Central African Republic, Sri Lanka and other parts of the world. In so directing such attention to this plight, we call upon the PC(USA) to be a catalyst that calls all Christians [in the United States and across the globe to unite in support and prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering…. Read the full text here: http://www.pc-biz.org/PC-Biz.WebApp_deploy/(S(ni0ivev3o0w2c2eluus41htd))/Explorer.aspx?id=4631
11-18 “In light of the devastation of prolonged civil [and proxy] war in Syria and Iraq, the 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
In the immediate context of suffering in Syria, Iraq, and among the refugees from those countries:
Encourages congregations and members to pray for the peoples of Syria and Iraq suffering horrific human rights abuses amidst bloody civil wars[.] [that have been expanded by the provision of weapons and fighters from outside countries using these conflicts as proxies for larger power and religious interests;
Stands with our Reformed, ecumenical and interfaith partners in Syria and Iraq who are caught in those conflicts… Read the full text here: http://www.pc-biz.org/PC-Biz.WebApp_deploy/(S(ni0ivev3o0w2c2eluus41htd))/Explorer.aspx?id=5111
Rep. Frank Wolf has analyzed the PCUSA and the decadence of this nation correctly. America used to be exceptional, and now, the only exception to America is the church losing out to the gays which will give us a Sodom and Gomorah. The Gay slogan should read, “the church today, tomorrow the world to be gay, we have won nationally, and will internationally.
Miss Fowler Laberge, thank you for the clarification, the follow up information and the excellent reporting of GA. Lord bless you.
So much for separation of church and state.
It’s a “wall of separation” that Jefferson wrote of and it was intended to prevent the federal government from endorsing or naming a state religion. It NEVER was intended to forbid an American from expressing their religiously held opinion in the public, whether at a local town meeting or the halls of congress. Get your history right. Rep. Wolf was expressing his thoughts and opinions – he was not proposing federal legislation. It is fully acceptable for all members of congress to do this. Only those who wish to silence religious Americans wish it weren’t so.
Sodom and Gomorah was about an inhospitable community, a much egregious action in that culture.
Horse apples.
So Pastors can’t criticize the government from the pulpit, but Congressmen can criticize the Church from the House floor?
Thank you Randy!! Glad to see someone else here has actually studied what that story means in historical context. I cannot stand intentional historical ignorance.