New candidates for ordination
in the PCUSA face relaxed requirements
By Michele Bennett , Special to The Layman, August 26, 2008
August 2008 candidates for ordination in the Presbyterian Church in America (USA) face relaxed requirements for their Biblical exegesis examinations.
Current and future candidates for ordination will not be required to demonstrate a working knowledge of Biblical languages to pass the exegesis examination. In addition to the change in the grading process, the test’s instructions have been altered. Candidates are now asked to offer “a faithful interpretation” of the assigned text rather than to expound “the principal meaning” of it.
The new standards are posted on the PCUSA’s Web site under the page for Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations (PCCEC). The newly outlined requirements read as follows:
The demonstration of a working knowledge of Greek and/or Hebrew will no longer be a requirement in order to complete the examination successfully. When exams are graded, the readers will comment on the language facility which is demonstrated in the paper. Such comments will be offered as guidance for Committees on Preparation for Ministry in determining readiness for ministry.
The wording of the instructions for the Biblical Exegesis examination have been amended. Inquirers/candidates will be asked to offer “a faithful interpretation” of the assigned text, rather than “the principal meaning” of the text.
Though The Layman staff searched diligently for any reports of these changes from the 218th General Assembly, held in June, none could be found. Lesley Davies, associate for examination services with the PCCEC, explained that the changes did not need to be discussed at the General Assembly because they do not reflect a change in the wording of the Book of Order.
Dr. Samuel Lamerson, associate professor of New Testament and dean of faculty at Knox Theological Seminary notes, “The failure to learn [Biblical] languages says something about what we think of the book and its author.”
A candidate’s aptitude in Biblical languages may still be noted by the examination committee, but the lack of such skills may no longer prevent the successful completion of the exam. Instead, the Committees on Preparation for Ministry will review seminary transcripts and exegetical work to determine a candidate’s proficiency in Greek and Hebrew without the aid of an examination.
Some fear that this amounts to a de-emphasizing of the languages in the pastorate. Lamerson explains, “This disturbs me greatly, in large measure because of what it says about our view of Scripture. No one would think of calling themselves an expert on a particular author unless one read him in his original tongue. I have heard many Dostoevsky scholars speak of the difficulties of reading Russian, yet no one would think of simply depending upon an English translation.”
But language concerns translate into English as well. Asking the students to offer merely a “faithful interpretation” instead of the “principal meaning” of a text is a significant shift, according to Mark D. Roberts, senior director and scholar-in-residence for Laity Lodge and former pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, Calif. Roberts calls the move “a watershed moment in the history of Presbyterianism.”
He writes, “For the first time, as far as I know, we are officially rejecting a traditional understanding of Biblical interpretation, one in which the text has a principal meaning, one that takes seriously the intentions of the author, and one that requires the student to wrestle with the original meaning. We are allowing ‘a faithful interpretation’ of a text to suffice, even if this ‘faithful interpretation’ is not in sync with the original language or meaning of the passage. What a monumental move for the PCUSA!”
The modifications are an outgrowth of a two-year self-review process conducted by the PCCEC. Both changes are immediately effective and were decided by the committee based on details not available at the General Assembly. No further scrutiny is required by the PCCEC or local presbyteries.
The announcement on the PCCEC Web site states that the goal of the changes is to “free students to focus on the larger issues of interpretation and practical application of Scripture, as well as to use the biblical languages as tools in that process.” But Roberts explains, “The changes in the grading of the exegesis exam illustrate why the PCUSA is struggling to stay alive.”
Standard ordination examinations consist of five exams described in the Book of Order: Bible Content, Open Book Bible Exegesis, Theological Competence, Worship and Sacraments and Church Polity. All five exams must be passed.
Davies noted that the language element of the Biblical Exegesis exam had prevented some students from passing in the past. But she did not say whether the changes were an attempt to increase the number of ordinations in the church.
The PCUSA ordained 373 candidates in 2007.