Liberal groups lament evangelism priority
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, September 21, 2000
MONTREAT, N.C. – A coalition of three Presbyterian groups, fearing that increased funding for evangelism will pull resources out of their political and social activist programs, has urged the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA) not to cut funding for their organizations.
The “Advice & Counsel Memorandum” was prepared by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, the Advocacy Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns, and the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns.
“We are … very concerned that the denomination’s pattern of affirming Biblical pronouncements and failing to secure financial resources may once again be repeated,” they said. Their memorandum was distributed June 20 at the meeting of the council’s executive committee.
“We lift up the need for a budget that truly supports ministry with those whom the church has designated as oppressed and neglected and to whom the church has currently directed its evangelism efforts.”
The three groups emphasize their priority for a “justice” ministry – often calling it “evangelism,” although, as in the case of the Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA), it often involves political alliances with non-Christian groups and does not even mention the name of Jesus Christ.
Their memorandum noted that the Book of Order has a broad definition of evangelism and diversity that goes beyond the proclamation of the Gospel.
It expressed concern that new initiatives for evangelism, as adopted by the 1998 General Assembly, have not been fully funded. At the same time, women’s programs and racial-ethnic ministries need more funding and staff, the memo said.
It said the new discipleship agenda for the PCUSA “should have at its center an emphasis on justice in the areas of economic development, affordable housing, health care and public education, along with an emphasis on prayer and Bible study.”
The three groups declared that “discipleship and evangelism cannot be properly emphasized without full consideration of the social justice witness so clearly needed in our day. Therefore, we advise the General Assembly Council to include the social justice witness of the church in making the budget and program decisions for this coming year and in the years ahead.”