General Assembly approves task force to lead church in the ‘spiritual discernment of our Christian identity’
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman Online, June 14, 2001
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has approved a committee recommendation to appoint a theological task force to lead the church in the “spiritual discernment of our Christian identity.”
The discernment is to include the issues of Christology, Biblical authority and interpretation, ordination standards and power.
The recommendation came from the Assembly Committee on Peace, Purity and Unity of the Church. The recommendation was in response to Overture 33 from John Calvin Presbytery, which called for a commission to study the spiritual condition of the church and the causes for its unrest.
The General Assembly’s approved task force also is to develop a process and instrument by which congregations and governing bodies may reflect on and discuss the matters that unite and divide the church. It is to make annual progress reports to General Assemblies until the 217th assembly, at which it will make its final report.
In making the recommendation to the assembly, committee chairperson Jenny Stoner said the committee “spent many hours revising this overture” and that 27 motions were considered during the deliberations. “I request you affirm this work.”
The assembly did approve two amendments to the recommendation, one that called for the task force to confer with synods and presbyteries and congregations. The original recommendation called for conferring with only presbyteries and congregations. The other amendment asked the task force not only to make annual progress reports to General Assemblies, but also to presbyteries and sessions.
The General Assembly also approved using the actions taken on the task force to answer several other overtures, including:
Overture 01-36 from the Presbytery of Midwest Hanmi – on declaring that a resolution has been reached on the matter of human sexuality related to eligibility for ordination.
Overture 01-09 from the Presbytery of Southern Kansas – on entering a process of churchwide spiritual discernment considering the current division within the denomination.
Overture 01-14 from the Presbytery of Denver – on appointing a special committee to propose amendments to reaffirm the role of governing bodies on ordination decisions.
Overture 01-20 from the Presbytery of Western North Carolina – on calling all members and ordained officers of the church to be reconciled by uniting in a year of study and prayer.
Overture 01-42 from the Presbytery of Milwaukee– on establishing a special task force to move beyond the current impasse.
With no debate, the assembly voted to disapprove Overture 00-06 from the Beaver-Butler Presbytery, with a comment. The overture called for appointing a special committee to explore amendments to the Book of Order to permit congregations that cannot comply with G-6.0106b to dissaffiliate from the church while retaining real property. The comment stated that the Book of Order has provisions in it for allowing a church to withdraw.