Task force doesn’t reveal who’ll write 4 segments or what they will be about
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, March 8, 2005
The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity issued a press release Tuesday naming the members of the groups that will draft recommendations for a final report on contentious issues in the denomination.
The task force said there would be four writing groups. But the news release omitted key information. It neither said what those four groups would write about nor who would be assigned to specific areas. The list was essentially a tally of names of task force members – as well as Gradye Parsons, who is not a member of the task force.
Parsons is an associate stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and works under Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick in the Office of the General Assembly. The task force’s news release was released under the heading of the Office of the General Assembly.
It was written by Sharon Youngs, communications director for the Office of the General Assembly. The Layman Online called Youngs to ask what was assigned to the four writing groups and who were the task force members undertaking those assignments.
Youngs and Parsons were the only two non-task force members allowed to sit in for one and one-half days of executive sessions with the task force last week. But Youngs said she was not told what areas would be included in the four reports or who would be assigned to them.
The Layman Online also tried to reach Gary Demarest, co-moderator of the task force, by telephone at his home in California. But, as of late Tuesday afternoon, Demarest had not responded to a message left on his answering machine.
The General Assembly’s assignment to the task force was to consider four issues: Christology, Bible authority and interpretation, ordination standards and power.
But Youngs said she could not say whether those were the assignments for the four writing groups. She noted that the task force, during its 11 meetings, has listened to numerous presentations on other issues, including church history and polity.
Who writes what portions of the draft report could make a difference. The task force has some conservatives – although most appear to be middle of the road – and some liberals. As an example of how those differences might affect a draft report, consider two members: John “Mike” Loudon, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, Fla., and Scott Anderson, executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches.
If Loudon took a lead role in writing a section on ordination standards, he would probably urge retention of the denomination’s constitutional “fidelity/chastity” clause. Loudon has repeatedly said he opposes repealing the standard.
But if Anderson were in the same role, the outcome might be just the oppose. Anderson is a practicing homosexual who has lobbied against the ordination standard for years.
Youngs gave no indication that the task force members had intentionally not disclosed the four segments of the draft report or the people who were assigned to those segments.
But, from the outset, most of the task force members have been skittish about close scrutiny and being quoted by the press. They have had few votes and mostly decided issues – although no specific stands – by consensus.
The following is the verbatim press release sent out by Youngs Tuesday:
Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity makes steady progress
Group moves toward September deadline
LOUISVILLE – The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church moved closer to the reality of the deadline for their final report when they met last week in Dallas.
The March 2-4 meeting came six months in advance of the deadline, which is September 15, 2005. The report will be circulated throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) between September 15 and the 217th General Assembly, which convenes in June 2006 and is scheduled to take up the group’s report and recommendations.
The task force is mandated by the General Assembly “to lead the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in spiritual discernment of our Christian identity in and for the 21st century.” The three-day meeting last week included in-depth discussions on theological assumptions and core theological convictions. The group spent time reviewing its earlier work on topics that included sexuality, polity, and ordination. Members also exchanged views about possible conclusions that might be drawn from their numerous discussions.
The 20-member task force divided themselves into four writing teams to develop draft sections for their final report, drawing on existing materials. Scott Anderson, Frances Taylor Gench, William Stacy Johnson, Jong Hyeong Lee, Lonnie Oliver, and Barbara Wheeler will serve on one team.
A second team will be comprised of Mike Loudon, Sarah Sanderson-Doughty, and John Wilkinson. Wilkinson will join Mark Achtemeier, Joe Coalter, and Vicky Curtiss on another team. Jack Haberer, William Stacy Johnson, Gradye Parsons, and Martha Sadongei will be on the fourth team. Barbara Everitt Bryant will edit the team drafts into a single document.
In addition to the writing teams, a communication/resource team will continue its ongoing work on behalf of the task force. Members of that group include Mary Ellen Lawson, Joan Merritt, and Jose Luis Torres-Milan.
Co-moderators Gary Demarest and Jenny Stoner will coordinate the work of the teams.
The task force will meet again in Dallas, July 18-21, to review and edit drafts that could become the final report. Last week, the group added a new meeting to their schedule, August 24-25, in Chicago, to finalize and approve their report to the 217th General Assembly.
Additional news and resources are available at the task force’s Web site, www.pcusa.org/peaceunitypurity.
For more information, contact Sharon K. Youngs, communications coordinator, Office of the General Assembly, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396; phone (888) 728-7228, ext. 5750; email syoungs@ctr.pcusa.org.