Bringing the Word to Life

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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“Peace, Unity, and Purity” and Presbyterian Reality

2 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), GAPJC Decisions, Marriage Definition, PCUSA / By /

In this second post of a three-part series, I am exploring the dynamics of peace, unity, and purity and how, through church history, they have been achieved through ministry dynamics that included separation. Considerable pressure is exerted from time to time in our present context to maintain institutional “unity” (though our Present Troubles indicate that this is a condition in name only in the PCUSA). Usually, the Scripture passage referred to most often is John 17, Christ’s “high priestly prayer” in which he asks his Father “that they may be one . . .  completely one” (17:20-23). But I would

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How Shall We Handle Open Conflict?

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In a three-part series starting with today’s post, my plan is to put forward thoughts on what is happening in the PCUSA and the short- and long-term scenarios playing out.  The most recent, jarring event is the open refusal of Redwoods Presbytery to go along with the GAPJC’s decision in Spahr v. Redwoods and rebuke her for conducting same-sex marriages. The fine points of the judicial ruling are being debated (for an excellent discussion, see Steve Salyards’ GA Junkie post), but the “spirit of the law” most definitely was violated by the ambush perpetrated upon a presbytery. In the same

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Calling Out a Rogue Presbytery

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) now must deal with the first situation anyone can remember of a presbytery directly refusing to act on the decision and order of a General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC). The question is, what recourse is there for dealing with such a flagrant disregard of their ordination vows and the basic understanding of Presbyterian governance (found, for instance, at F-3.0206, “Review and Control” by a higher council)?   Understand that the drafters of the motion believed that they were acting consistent with their vows, that they are applying the love ethic of Jesus accurately, and that

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A Presbytery Gone Rogue

15 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), GAPJC Decisions, Marriage Definition, PCUSA / By /

Today, the presbytery neighboring mine, Redwoods Presbytery, took an action that hit a new low in Presbyterian life. It officially refused the direct order of the GAPJC to rebuke Janie Spahr for conducting same-sex weddings. The following motion was passed by a 74 to 18 vote: The Presbytery opposes imposition of the rebuke as set forth in the decision of the Presbytery Permanent Judicial Commission, dated August 27, 2010 (which was stayed by its terms until the present day), by declaring and resolving as follows: WHEREAS, our primary ordination vow as Ruling and Teaching Elders is to be obedient to

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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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Closing Argument for Appellants in Parnell Case

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Closing Argument before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Meeting in Indianapolis on April 27, 2012 Mary Holder Naegeli for the Appellants [Following a few remarks in rebuttal of the Presbytery’s argument . . .] When a person has been at this process for over four years, as we have, it is worth answering the question, “Why does this matter so much?” I know the outcome of the Commission’s deliberations will matter to the candidate, who has waited long enough for a definitive answer, and to San Francisco Presbytery, which desires to be affirmed in a position

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Opening Argument for Appellants in Parnell Case

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Opening Arguments before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Meeting in Indianapolis on April 27, 2012 First Presentation: Bruce McIntosh for the Appellants May it please the Lord: I will take a few moments to address why it is this Commission’s obligation to correct the errors of the lower councils.  Later, Dr. Naegeli will discuss how we as a church live into being obedient to God’s commands in the area of human sexuality. Let me remind us where we are in this process. Recall that this commission remanded the case to the Synod because it failed in

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Report on GAPJC Proceedings

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Yesterday (Friday) my legal colleague Bruce McIntosh and I argued before the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) at 3 p.m. EDT in Indianapolis, IN. It was, we assume, the last appeal in the matter of Parnell et al v. San Francisco Presbytery, over the Presbytery’s approval of Lisa Larges’ ordination examination in the fall of 2009. (Yes, the wheels turn slowly in our system.) Fourteen GAPJC members heard the case. The Presbytery was represented by Mr. Doug Nave, an attorney who seems to represent “the other side” in many of these cases as they come up. This is our

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