The 2004 General Assembly

by Eugene TeSelle

Eugene TeSelle writes about General Assembly
issues for the Witherspoon Society.
Until retirement in 1999, he was
professor of Church History and Theology
at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

This was an Assembly with multiple personalities. It disappointed conservatives by voting overwhelmingly against their candidates for Moderator and Stated Clerk and turning down two challenges to the makeup of the General Assembly Nominating Committee. It voted by super-majorities to take positions on peace and justice that are not shared by most opinion-shapers in the U.S. And yet the same Assembly was afraid to take risks on controversial issues such as relaxing of restrictions on gays and lesbians, the “morning after” pill, and the Federal Marriage Amendment.

An analysis of voting patterns suggests that a fourth of the commissioners were solidly conservative; another third were moderates who might vote in either direction; and a good 40 to 45 percent were willing to trust the ongoing work of the General Assembly committees and their staffs, then say and do new things on the basis of mutual respect and openness to dialogue.

Before and Around the Assembly

Tote bags for this Assembly were made of multi-colored manta cloth woven by a cooperative in Lima, Peru. The same fabrics were used for banners, table cloths, and vests worn by local volunteers. It took only four hours to sell an additional 2000 bags. This is a procurement policy that should be followed in future years; it's the kind of “outsourcing” through fair trade channels that we can approve without qualification. Fair trading was also apparent in the exhibit hall, where SERRV had its usual display of crafts from around the world and the Global Marketplace had booths selling crafts and foods from fourteen cooperatives in the U.S. and in other countries.

At the annual Peace Breakfast, held by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship on its sixtieth anniversary, the 2004 Peaceseeker Award was given to ten prisoners of conscience, Presbyterians who have gone to prison as a witness against the School of the Americas.

One of them, Witherspoon member Don Beisswenger, is currently in federal prison. His award was received by Gene TeSelle, a colleague in Vanderbilt Divinity School, and Jane Summey, a former student, and both member and minister of Hillsboro Presbyterian Church, who now lives in North Carolina.

Election of the Moderator

Saturday night, of course, is always devoted to the election of the Moderator. Candidates were David McKechnie, pastor of a “confessing church” in Houston; K.C. Ptomey, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville and a leader in the Covenant Network; and Rick Ufford-Chase of Tucson, co-founder of Border Links, who had just turned 40. (We'll take the liberty of calling him “Rick,” since everyone in the church will soon be calling him that.)

Going into the Assembly, observers agreed that all three would be articulate, appealing candidates. Most predicted that K.C. Ptomey would be elected as the “moderate” candidate and the one whose experience would be valuable as the church experiments with two-year terms. Those who knew Rick Ufford-Chase were enthusiastic about him, but many gave him an “outside chance.”

McKechnie tried to minimize his association with a confessing church. His session did it, he said, under pressure from a local newspaper after there had been mounting concern over various matters in the PC(USA); nothing, he added, has been heard from the confessing movement for two years. But his position on ordination and other issues was clearly a hard-line one.

All performed well on the platform, but Rick clearly impressed the commissioners with his articulateness, good spirits, and forthrightness. On the first ballot, the vote was McKechnie 166 (34%), Ptomey 101 (20%), and Ufford- Chase 226 (46%). The votes were going away from the middle, and on the second ballot they split even more, with some shifting to McKechnie but more moving the other way: the vote was McKechnie 186 (37%), Ptomey 40 (8%), and Ufford-Chase 275 (55%).

Old-timers at General Assemblies recalled two other elections in which the commissioners seem to have voted for candidates not simply for their positions on issues but because of who they were and what they represented. In 2000 Syngman Rhee was elected, fifty years after he fled North Korea and eleven years after a vicious attack on him for seeking Korean unification. In 2002 Fahed Abu-Akel was elected as a champion of a just peace in the Middle East and an opponent of Palestinian and Israeli violence.

Rick, of course, represents youth, energy, discipleship, and mission. He promised to reach out to all sectors of the church and be fair to all. He has made it clear that he does not want to do ceremonial addresses to presbyteries but will work with small churches, attend youth conferences, visit college campuses, build cross-border contacts, and emphasize the mission that Presbyterians share, not the issues that divide them.

It should be noted that the coming of two-year terms means that the Moderator will need to be assisted by the Vice-Moderator. Already this year the candidate was announced in advance of the Assembly, and Rick chose the Rev. Jean Marie Peacock of New Orleans. He expects her to take an active role during the next two years.

Terry Newland, at left, Sheppards & Lapsley Presbytery
Executive, and Warner Durnell, North Alabama Presbytery
Executive, reflect on Assembly actions.

Election of a Stated Clerk

Commissioners knew throughout the week that the next election, for a four year term as Stated Clerk, would be coming up on Friday. Clifton Kirkpatrick was being challenged by three right-wing critics. Watching him on the platform, commissioners seemed to be reassured by his good disposition, his explanations of the votes to be taken, and his knowledge of the “background” on many questions that arose.

It took only one ballot. The count was 19 for Metherill, 25 for Howard, 137 for Davis, and 349 (66%) for Kirkpatrick. One commissioner probably expressed the feeling of many of them about the challengers, commenting that “it is amazing to hear people say these things out loud, with gusto, and making them a platform.”

The Theological Task Force

Commissioners had two opportunities to hear from the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church: a Saturday morning gathering attended by hundreds of commissioners and guests, and a presentation to the plenary. The TTF, as we will call it, was created by the 2001 General Assembly to lead the church “in spiritual discernment of our Christian identity in and for the 21st century.” It was to deal with a broad range of issues, including but not limited to “Christology, biblical authority and interpretation, ordination standards, and power.”

The General Assembly, by insisting that the TTF report regularly to presbyteries and congregations, also made these same bodies responsible for participating in the discussion.

The TTF’s interim report, released last February, makes “preliminary affirmations” emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the church's peace, unity, and purity. Its language grows stronger as it moves through these themes. Christians are reminded that they cannot sever their ties with each other without the danger of separating themselves from Christ himself (cf. 1 Jn. 4:20). Purity is described in terms of “truth, goodness, and justice,” and twice in this section Presbyterians are urged to “live into” what Christ has already accomplished, to which we are joined by baptism.

Theologian Mark Achtemeier of Dubuque reinforced this point, saying that peace, unity, and purity in the church are not human achievements. And theologian Stacy Johnson of Princeton said that the TTF’s project requires “ownership” by the whole church and all its governing bodies. As the Task Force seeks a way forward, its emphasis is to “edify rather than divide,” to seek the “more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:31).

Other Theological Issues

The immediate hot-button issue for this Assembly was an overture asking for a more specific definition of the “essentials of the Reformed faith.” Strong arguments against trying to specify the essentials were made in testimony by a number of ministers and theologians, and in carefully reasoned responses from the Advisory Committee on the Constitution and the Office of Theology and Worship. The measure was voted down in committee and on the floor.

A counter-overture from Hudson River, affirming freedom of conscience and the need for governing bodies to exercise “spiritual discernment” in the examination of candidates, was approved by the committee. Warning against the tendency of some presbyteries to add new doctrinal requirements, it affirmed “the primary role of the Book of Confessions as a guide to interpreting Scripture.” This was weakened on the floor, however, with an amendment changing “primary” to “significant and instructive.”

Governance, Worship, and Discipline in the Church

An interesting youth issue came before the Assembly because of the increase in the number of commissioners to biennial Assemblies. Atlanta Presbytery, noting that there would still be only one Youth Advisory Delegate (YAD) per presbytery, suggested increasing the number of YADs by sixteen, one from each synod. This addition to the Standing Rules of the General Assembly failed, falling just short of the needed two thirds. Another proposal to take the vote away from advisory delegates (including YADs) in committee meetings was soundly defeated. Advocates for the YADs noted that we often say that youth are not the future of the church but are the church; it would be a shame, they said, to bring them to the Assembly and deny them an active role. A YAD commented that “this is not a camp experience” but a governing body, and one in which youth expected to play a role.

Bethany Benz was advocate for an overture to increase
the number of YADS. Her Dad, at right,
is Steve Benz, East Tennessee Presbytery Executive,
who was elected to the G.A.C.

Finally, the Assembly affirmed the work of the National Council of Churches, defeating a crippling amendment by a vote of 63% to 36% and approving the main motion by 80% to 20%. Former moderator Syngman Rhee spoke strongly in behalf of the ecumenical character of the PC(USA) and the work of its relief arm, Church World Service.

Reproductive Rights, Once Again

Every year there is an attempt to change the church's pro-choice policy, and lateterm pregnancies offer the most effective ammunition.

The Health Issues committee turned down an overture to reverse the church's pro-choice position and add a condemnation of abortion to the Book of Order. After debate about the “Statement on Post-Viability and Late-Term Abortion” made by earlier Assemblies, the committee, by a four-vote margin, recommended a change that called for delivery whenever possible, support for women in problem pregnancies, and promotion of adoption as an alternative.

The committee and the Assembly did approve guidelines for fetal-tissue and stem-cell research. But an overture calling on the Food and Drug Administration to approve over-thecounter sale of emergency contraception, championed as an alternative to unwanted pregnancies and abortions, was opposed for encouraging promiscuity and being a form of abortion. It lost in committee and on the floor.

A disturbing development was that the conservative bloc threatened to create parliamentary hell during the report of the Health Issues committee if their “experts” were not allowed to be on the platform to answer questions. The upshot was that the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, the body that has every right to be on the platform, agreed not to be there; all questions had to be answered by the moderator of the committee.

A resolution on global population stabilization and reduction was disapproved, in committee and on the floor, despite the fact that it simply reaffirmed the 1996 statement. Opponents decried telling other cultures how to live; they expressed fears that it would encourage abortion, using expressions like “rights of the unborn”; and they claimed that it did not address the root causes and urged improving health care rather than promoting contraception.

Racial-Ethnic Issues

This Assembly heard important reports from two Task Forces, one growing out of concern about disenfranchisement of minorities during the 2000 elections, the other on reparations for historic injustices. While there was some denial in the National Issues committee, both were approved without dissent on the floor. Instead of a proposed “confessional statement repenting of the sin of racism,” the Assembly commended the Belhar Confession in South Africa “as a resource for reflection, study, and response.” Study materials are to be prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, and further steps will be considered after a report is made to the 2008 Assembly.

Peace and Justice

The Assembly approved by huge majorities, in the range of 85-95%, a number of measures at odds with U.S. government policy and popular opinion. Presbyterians understand issues of peace and justice when they see them; especially when they meet in the General Assembly and are responsible for taking a national and international perspective, they transcend narrow self-interest.

Thus the Assembly approved resolutions supporting the Geneva Accord and urging both Israel and Palestine to implement it; calling for an end to construction of the wall by Israel; urging consideration of disinvesting from Israel, noting, for example, the unregulated use of Caterpillar bulldozers in the Occupied Territories; calling for peace in Colombia and demilitarization of the U.S. anti-drug war, devoting funds instead to humanitarian aid and self-development; condemning the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA); calling for rescinding of new administration policies that impose hardships on Cuban exile families; and advocating changes in U.S. immigration policy.

A resolution calling the invasion of Iraq “unwise, immoral, and illegal” was approved by a 78% vote, after rejecting by 64% a motion to delete “illegal.” It was pointed out that the term gets its meaning from international law, which clearly prohibits preemptive attacks. The clincher came when a commissioner asked the ecumenical delegate from the Evangelical Church of Iran whether the country was better or worse off than before, and he answered, “Worse off.” A resolution confessing violations in the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo and in Abu Ghraib was approved by 85%. And a resolution on “violence, religion, and terrorism” was approved by 81% after an amendment strengthened its language, changing the wording from “discourage” to “disavow” preemptive attacks.

Families, Marriage, and Civil Unions

The much-disputed “Transforming Families” paper was approved without discussion. There was an attempt to add to it the Christian Declaration on Marriage. Some championed it as a gesture of “ecumenism” (in this case with Southern Baptists, Roman Catholics, and evangelical denominations); other supporters argued that it would ingratiate the church with Asians, who have a strong emphasis on family. But the Assembly was convinced that our own statements on marriage (especially W- 4.9001) are sufficient, voting to “join in a year of prayer for marriage renewal and reconciliation.”

The Assembly also approved a commissioner resolution calling on the Board of Pensions to explore the feasibility of making the same benefits that are now provided to married couples available to domestic partners in longterm committed relationships.

In keeping with the position of the PC(USA) since 1978, the Assembly, by 75% to 24%, approved a statement that champions equal treatment for all persons, urges state legislatures to give rights to “civil union,” and urges Congress not only to recognize those state laws but to extend federal benefits and privileges to persons in such relationships when they are licensed by the states.

Moderatorial candidate Robert McKechnie successfully added a paragraph inserting the Presbyterian definition of marriage as a civil contract between a man and a woman. Though it seemed beside the point in a resolution dealing with civil unions, it prevents the use of the term “marriage” in referring to civil unions. Then the Assembly voted, by 60% to 39%, in favor of a commissioner resolution advocated by minister commissioner William Teng of National Capital, stating that nothing said by this Assembly “is to be construed to state or imply a position for or against the Federal Marriage Amendment,” and decreeing that “General Assembly entities shall not advocate for or against the Federal Marriage Amendment.” The action contradicts the position that the Assembly had just taken; it seems designed chiefly to muzzle the Washington Office.

The Ordination Question

The Church Orders and Ministry committee was once again under the glare of media attention. After hours of testimony, the committee decided not to recommend a constitutional amendment to delete G-6.0106b, which requires either chastity in singleness or fidelity in heterosexual marriage. Instead it voted (by a margin of 5 votes) for the Western Reserve overture. This called on the Assembly to declare that sessions and presbyteries are no longer bound by the series of “authoritative interpretations” (AIs) by General Assemblies and decisions by its Permanent Judicial Commission that predate this provision in the constitution. The alternative proposed in a minority report from the committee was to ask the Assembly to pray for the work of the Theological Task Force.

During floor debate, several unsuccessful efforts were made to get consideration of the amendment to the Book of Order. Instead, the gist of the minority report was added to the committee's majority report, since no one is against prayer for the TTF.

In explaining the recommendation about the AIs, it was pointed out that these earlier actions cannot be rescinded; they stay on the record as “guidance,” but the General Assembly can declare them to be no longer binding. Commissioners were informed that the TTF had said that an amendment would make their work more difficult but was neutral about action on the AIs. A commissioner in a wheelchair said that she had come to the Assembly expecting to vote for the status quo, but her experience in the Greater Richmond Convention Center, where she was unable to open any of the doors, made her understand the situation of those who are excluded.

In the end, the Assembly voted by a margin of four votes (259/255/2) for the minority report. What tipped the balance? Many professed to be afraid of what the press, or the people in the pews, would say if the church were perceived to be letting down barriers. Some felt apprehensive about making the AIs mere “guidance,” even though G-6.0106b would remain on the books. The minority report offered commissioners a tempting way out, calling on the church to pray for the TTF and “engage faithfully in the process of discernment as led by the Task Force.”

Before the vote, Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase said that he would meet with whichever side lost the vote. Those who needed to lament gathered in a plaza across the street. The circle grew to perhaps 350 people. The Moderator, Vice-Moderator, and Stated Clerk all attended. Rick offered supportive comments, urging those who were still excluded to “bear their crosses” and continue the struggle for justice.

What Next?

First, the commissioners to the 216th General Assembly have given themselves the responsibility of taking active leadership in promoting dialogue in every presbytery under the auspices of the Theological Task Force.

Second, the TTF will have to take risks that this Assembly refused to take.

And third, it will be the responsibility of nominating committees in every presbytery to identify persons who actively participate in the coming two years of dialogue and nominate them as commissioners to the 217th General Assembly, which now has greater responsibilities imposed upon it, including consideration of the “ordination question.”