Archive for October, 2008

Discipline in the PCUSA: An undisciplined process

Monday, October 27th, 2008

When our session announced a year a go that we believed God was calling our church out of the PCUSA into the EPC, it galvanized a small opposition group into action. Initially, they sent a letter to our congregation that listed their objections to the EPC. Whether by design or honest mistake, the letter contained many misleading and inaccurate statements about the EPC and its beliefs and policies. After that, the group went underground, refusing many invitations to discuss their concerns with the session, rebuffing several efforts at reconciliation, and never publicly giving any reason to remain in the PCUSA.

But underground didn’t mean inactive. Instead of addressing the issues, they mounted a full-scale assault on both of our pastors, several session members, a Sunday School teacher, and even the church organist. Part of the strategy was to file complaints against these people with a willing and compliant presbytery. On October 9, I received a letter from the moderator of an investigating committee along with copies of two complaints. These complaints alleged that I had intimidated an anonymous party and that I had failed to show this unnamed person (or perhaps another) proper respect. The alleged offenses seem to have taken place at a congregational feedback meeting held in August, 2007, so the time line went something like this:

My initial reaction was to cut the complaints up into little bits and send them back to the Investigating Committee. Instead, I explained why I would not be participating in their broken process. This was my reply:

October 13, 2008

Dear Moderator —;

I am writing in response to your letter dated October 8, 2008 concerning two complaints against me filed with the Presbytery of Wabash Valley. My purpose is not to respond to the accusations but to bring to your attention violations of both the Bible and the Book of Order.

According to D-1.0103, [t]he traditional biblical obligation to conciliate, mediate, and adjust differences without strife is not diminished by these Rules of Discipline. Although the Rules of Discipline describe the way in which judicial process within the church, when necessary, shall be conducted, it is not their intent or purpose to encourage judicial process of any kind or to make it more expensive or difficult. The biblical duty of church people to “come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court . . .” (Matthew 5:25) is not abated or diminished. It remains the duty of every church member to try (prayerfully and seriously) to bring about an adjustment or settlement of the quarrel, complaint, delinquency, or irregularity asserted, and to avoid formal proceedings under the Rules of Discipline unless, after prayerful deliberation, they are determined to be necessary to preserve the purity and purposes of the church. [emphasis added]

The meetings described in the two complaints took place more than a year ago. At no time in the intervening months has any member of our church fulfilled his or her “duty to try … to bring about an adjustment or settlement.” Had my accuser(s) honored this simple obligation, a five minute conversation would have ensued. I would have clarified my words or actions which were never meant to disrespect or intimidate anyone and I would have sincerely apologized for any offense given, however unintentionally. This did not happen, however, and any opportunity to bring about a resolution has been lost.

By shielding the identity of my accuser(s), the IC [investigating committee] has “abated”, “diminished” and indeed eradicated any possibility of my “coming to terms quickly” with my unknown accuser(s). By not admonishing my accuser(s) to be obedient to the Bible and the Book of Order and by pursuing these complaints in this manner, the IC is actively impeding any effort to bring about a resolution consistent with the principles that bind us as Christians and as Presbyterians. All that now remains are the “formal proceedings” that we are directed by the Book of Order to avoid. I find it particularly shameful and ironic that while I may have unwittingly created the appearance of disrespect or intimidation, this deliberate circumvention of Biblical and Presbyterian procedures can have no other purpose than to willfully disrespect and attempt to intimidate me.

I cannot in good conscience be a party to this un-Biblical and unlawful process. This letter concludes my participation in the IC’s investigation. I request that you include this letter in the official record of the investigation, lest anyone mistakenly believe that my silence bespeaks either an admission of guilt or a lack of due regard for the process the Bible and the Book of Order both prescribe. I assure you that, in choosing this course of action, I do not stand on any “right to remain silent” conferred by the Book of Order. Rather I stand on the right conferred by Christ himself to stand silent in the face of malicious accusations.

Sincerely,

I copied the Interim Executive Presbyter and the presbytery’s Stated Clerk. As expected, I have received no further communication. My experience with our presbytery has convinced me that the Bible and the Book of Order are little more than convenient sources of quotes. They offer no roadblocks to the pursuit of power and property that drives the presbytery and its local allies.

Add this to my list of reasons to leave the PCUSA and reasons not to stay. Of course, if this nonsense actually went to a trial (without my participation, of course), they would probably kick me out of the PCUSA. Oh, darn.

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Real must-see TV: Energy independence

Monday, October 6th, 2008

If you want to know why we need to reduce our dependence on all oil (not just imports), watch these videoo. If you want to know how to do it, watch these videos. If you want to see through the phony plans of McBama, OCain, T. Boone Pickens, Al Gore, and everyone else who is trying to get rich, elected, or both, watch these videos.

The first video is on the C-SPAN site here. It features Anne Korin of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, who suggests that the way to achieve energy independence is to make ourselves independent of all sources of oil.  How?  By depriving it of its strategic value.  Ms. Korin has a compelling story and a detailed plan for getting us where she believes we need to go.  The video is a bit over an hour long with Q&A. The talk itself is about a half-hour of very useful and relevant information but the Q&A is just as informative.

The second video, filmed by alternativeenergy.com is on YouTube here; it is a short (about nine minutes) summary of Ms. Korin’s views.

After you’ve seen one (or both) of the videos, read the related OpEd piece that was published in the Washington Post.

Posted in Culture, Politics | No Comments »

PCUSA: A willful blindness

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

The Presbyterian News Service released a pair of stories today that illustrate the willful blindness of the denomination

GAC’s Evangelism Committee reviews initiatives to reverse decline

… the General Assembly Council’s (GAC) Evangelism Mission Committee on Oct. 1 reviewed a variety of initiatives aimed at overcoming a decades-long membership decline in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The committee heard about a laundry list of programs, strategies, and grandiose plans that will have no effect on the denomination’s spiraling decline. These folks still think it’s all about marketing, splashy campaigns, and finding just the right gimmick to get the suckers in the door. Along the way, they heard that paying some attention to church’s mission in the world might help, but …

The full-time overseas mission force is budgeted to increase in 2009 for the first time since Presbyterian reunion in 1983. Budget constraints present a challenge to keep the mission force in the field, [Hunter Farrell, director of World Mission] told the committee and so a direct mail appeal is being planned.

Direct mail! There isn’t enough money in all the program offices and political lobbying that pass for missions in the PCUSA to fund the real work of the church? This afterthought, this sudden interest in foreign missions, will have to find its own funding. Pathetic.

Presbyterian minister acquitted in same-sex wedding case

Now here’s some news that might cast some light on the denomination’s demise.

The Rev. Janet Edwards, a Presbyterian minister in Pittsburgh, was found not guilty Thursday (Oct. 2) following a trial on charges that she violated Scripture and the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) when she presided at the marriage of two women.

In language worthy of Bill Clinton’s defense of his sexual exploitation of Monica Lewinski, the ecclesiastical court held that

the constitutions of the PC(USA) and the state of Pennsylvania define marriage as an act between a man and a woman. Therefore, judges said, the ceremony could not have been a wedding ceremony. “It can’t be an offense to the constitution to attempt to do the impossible.”

Do these people have any idea how foolish they look? Do they care about the scorn they heap on Jesus’ church when they utter such nonsense? Can anyone in PC(USA) leadership connect the dots here?

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