Moral Authority

“Resistance Is Futile”—Huh?

9 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), Board of Pensions, GAPJC Decisions, Moral Authority, New Form of Government (nFOG), Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA, Peace Unity & Purity / By /

A Complaint was filed with the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii in response to the action of Santa Barbara Presbytery on June 2 to identify itself as a union presbytery (co-membership in PCUSA and ECO). This “local matter” may seem a bit off-topic as I reflect on General Assembly here in Pittsburgh, but the Complaint is germane because it reveals a strategy for attempting to make the ordination of practicing GLBTQ people mandatory across the church. I am quite sure we will see these arguments come forward in discussions and debates in the coming week. The Complaint cites “reforms,” […]

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Two Degrees of Separation

12 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), GAPJC Decisions, MCC Report, Moral Authority, New Form of Government (nFOG), PCUSA, Peace Unity & Purity / By /

This is the third and last installment in my series considering the options for a church in conflict, and what happens when separation is necessary for the sake of mission. I have tried to make a case, at least anecdotally, for the positive reasons to separate ministries. And here are two more just to keep us nimble to the idea that separation can be good and honoring of Jesus Christ:  the planting of “daughter churches,” which call out of one congregation a group of people that seed the new church; and the division of one congregation into two or more

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What the GAPJC Decision Means for the Presbyterian Church

18 Comments / GAPJC Decisions, Moral Authority, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA, Sermon on the Mount / By /

As the dust settles and the reality of the GAPJC’s decision in Parnell et al v. San Francisco Presbytery sinks in across the church, evangelical/conservatives have entered a period of mourning for a series of losses that will change the shape of the denomination quickly. 1. There is no distinctive feature of “the Reformed faith” other than a diversity of opinions about what the Scriptures mean for everyday life, most particularly for the belief and conduct of its officers. The designation “essentials of the Reformed faith” no longer has real, defining meaning for Presbyterians today, and therefore reference to essentials

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GAPJC Rules: Believe As You Will—We Won’t Stop You

27 Comments / GAPJC Decisions, Moral Authority, Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA / By /

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) released its Decision and Order this morning, agreeing on all counts with the Synod of the Pacific PJC (SPJC) to affirm San Francisco Presbytery’s approval of Lisa Larges’ ordination. “The Presbytery properly exercised its prerogative in determining that the Candidate did not depart from the essentials of Reformed faith and polity.” The Commission did not sustain any of the eight specifications of error put forward by the Appellants, comprising seven elders and one church session within San Francisco Presbytery. The decision puts to rest all procedural questions related to the ordination of committed

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Has the PCUSA Ever Had Moral Authority?

2 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, GAPJC Decisions, Marriage Definition, Moral Authority, New Form of Government (nFOG), Parnell v. San Francisco, PCUSA / By /

“Dr. Mike” commented this week: “Your article implies that the embattled PC(USA) actually had moral authority at some time in their history? When was this? As I look at its history, the PC(USA) has never had unity or harmony. Seems to me its entire history has been marked with one compromise with the world after another.” This question raises the issue of how one would perceive and measure the moral authority of a church. If a church is not experiencing unity or harmony, does that automatically mean that the church has lost its moral authority? Dr. Mike is quite right

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The Pastoral Dilemma When the Church Loses Moral Authority

2 Comments / Moral Authority, PCUSA / By /

This week I am addressing questions raised in comments about my post on the moral authority of the PCUSA. The first is a question about church membership: “Peajay” asks, “But if the PCUSA has, as you write, ‘lost its moral authority,’ what is a minister or member to do? On what basis can one continue to recruit new members to such an organization? Since every Presbyterian congregation is part of this organization, and contributions to every Presbyterian congregation are, at least in part, contributions to the whole organization, how does one invite people to increase their partnership in that mission?”

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The Moral Authority Jesus Had in Mind

6 Comments / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, Moral Authority, New Form of Government (nFOG), PCUSA, Theological Reflection / By /

The letters poured in yesterday in response to my last post, “The PCUSA has lost its moral authority.” My midweek schedule here is piled on with presbytery, two classes I am teaching, and various extras, so I cannot write a long post today. But there are several questions that deserve thoughtful answers, and this will be my project the rest of the week, one at a time. As a seedbed, though, it would be good for us to start with the basis for moral authority, out of which grows the implications for what the church is to do.  A church

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