General Assemblies, actions are labeled ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman Online, September 27, 2000
MONTREAT, N.C. – Two leaders in the left flank of the denomination have accused General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) of doing “stupid” things and making “dumb” decisions.
During the recent meeting of the General Assembly Council, former moderator Douglas W. Oldenburg, who referred to himself as the “retired moderator,” complained about “dumb” decisions and Joanne Sizoo of the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns complained that “every year the General Assembly decides to do something stupid.”
Their comments were made during the National Ministries Division’s discussion of the 2000 General Assembly’s approval of Commissioners’ Resolution 11, which called for the council to prepare a summary of all “policies and actions related to women that have been adopted by General Assemblies in the Presbyterian Church (US), the United Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Church (USA) since 1970.”
The General Assembly also called for the denomination to conduct a comprehensive review of all national entities to evaluate the overall implementation of policies that affect women.
On Sept. 23, the General Assembly Council approved a recommendation from the National Ministries Division, “That since review work is not part of [Women’s Ministry Program Area]’s ministry or mandate and since [Women’s Ministry Program Area] would have vested interest in the results in such a review, and since it is questionable to ask one program area to review the work of other program areas or divisions, that the CR-11 response be reassigned by the Staff Leadership Team to a more appropriate place with broader relationships in the church.”
The debate
“Is this necessary?” asked Oldenburg during the National Ministries Division’s committee meeting.
He suggested the possibility that instead of carrying out the Assembly’s mandate, they should refer the resolution to the 2002 General Assembly for reconsideration. “Is it ever appropriate to go back to the next Assembly and say, ‘Are you sure you want to do this?'”
“What if a future commissioners’ resolution is passed and another group questions the feasibility of the resolution?” asked committee vice-chair Neal Presa.
Committee member Vernon Carroll called Oldenburg’s idea “inappropriate.”
“I feel uncomfortable saying we don’t feel this is important enough to consider. Commissioners’ resolutions are recognized as an appropriate way to bring business before us,” Carroll said.
Sizoo, corresponding member of the council for the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns also took a shot at the General Assembly. “Every year the General Assembly decides to do something stupid,” she said. But she asked the council not to set this precedent “on the backs of women.”
Oldenburg agreed not to make the motion, since the issue was about women, but did say that Assemblies do sometimes make “dumb” decisions. “I hope that someday the General Assembly Council will have the courage to send something back to the General Assembly and say this isn’t worth it.”
The commissioners’ resolution
Commissioners’ resolution 11 reads “For the past several decades, General Assemblies of the Presbyterian Church (PCUS, UPCUSA, and PC(USA)) have declared their strong support for women and women’s leadership in numerous statements and policy initiatives …
“A highly organized and well-funded attack has been launched on women and women’s ministries, in particular the Women’s Ministries Program Area, which is charged with giving witness to General Assembly policies regarding the full status and dignity of all women in the PC(USA) and society at large.”
The rationale of the resolution continues that the denomination is in conflict related to women’s leadership in the church and that when there is an absence of clarity about church policy, members are vulnerable to a whole range of interpretations and truth claims.
“In particular, misleading and distorted information has been circulated about women’s gatherings, groups, and structures in the church. Since much of this misinformation is distributed by unofficial groups in the church, it is time for the PC(USA) to reclaim its prophetic witness regarding the status of women and make clear the accurate history about its policies regarding women and women’s leadership,” reads the rationale.
It concludes by stating “Adoption of this resolution would gather important evidence, not only about the intentions that Presbyterians have adopted regarding women in the last thirty years, but the degree to which our intentions have been effectively (or ineffectively) implemented in the life of the church.”