219th General Assembly Moderator Election
Maggie Lauterer: In Her Own Words
The Layman, June 15, 2010
Please identify the top five issues at the upcoming General Assembly, and share your position on each. (Answers are printed exactly as received – each candidate had a 500-word limit)
Pastor of First Presbyterian, Burnsville, N.C.
Presbytery: Western North Carolina
Vice-Moderator: Theresa Cho (San Francisco Presbytery)
CIVILITY
In my opinion the most significant matter before the 219th General Assembly will not be what we will do – but how we will do it. In a time when dangerous rhetoric and shrill monologue dominate secular debate and national politics, we cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in the dissonance of contentious discourse. Listening first for the voice of the Holy Spirit, avoiding the polarization of personal preference, we can then fulfill our roles as disciples and followers of Jesus 
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Christ.
ORDINATION/MARRIAGE
I have tried – and failed – to find middle ground between the “thou shalt not” from Paul and Leviticus, and the love and inclusivity of Jesus’ ministry. In Acts 10, I find Peter on the rooftop, rejecting again and again the “unclean,” until God says, “. . .What I have made clean is clean.” Then Peter, violating orthodoxy, goes to the home of the centurion Cornelius, teaching those who are not Jews. “. . . The Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning . . . , he explains later. “. . . So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think I could oppose God?” God was patient with Peter – I believe that God is patient with us.
FORM OF GOVERNMENT (nFOG)
Is it time for a change? We have asked that question for more than 20 years. Is the nFOG perfect? No. But perhaps excellence will serve. I feel that it’s time to move forward and put it to the will of the presbyteries. Perhaps such a vote will speak with “the voice of God.” We should trust that voice and see what the people say.
MIDDLE EAST ISSUES
In Israel I have been welcomed into the homes of Palestinians and Jews. I have broken bread with them and felt with them their sorrows and frustrations. Historically, the PC(USA) has been a strong ally to American Jews. Our principles of tolerance, forbearance and engagement have given them a regular friend. We have also been deeply involved for generations with Palestinians, in education and mission, leaving them with the hope and expectation of help in their time of need and struggle. I support a two-state solution. But that solution will only become possible when both parties recognize the need for parity in their positions, in rights, in ownership and in self-governance.
THE BELHAR CONFESSION
I believe the Belhar’s impact on us IS confessional on many levels – not the least of which is in our own history. Its clear call for equality reminds us of our own broken history as a church and as a country. The Belhar also convicts us of our present brokenness. We long for unity within our church, for reconciliation. The Belhar echoes even today as the struggle for racial justice continues. It deserves our consideration. Whatever the outcome, the contemplation of this remarkable document will have enriched our journey toward equality among peoples and, by the Grace of God, reconciliation in our own ranks.