Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church Prepares Preliminary Report for General Assembly

February Meeting Marks Midpoint of Work

The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church marked the halfway point in its 5-year term at a mid-February meeting in Dallas with the development of a preliminary report it will present to the church's General Assembly meeting in Richmond, VA, June 26-July 3, 2004.

The major effort of the 2-l/2 day meeting of the task force was review, discussion, and revision of the report.  In the report, the group, which was called into being in 2001 to address divisive issues in the denomination, makes three preliminary affirmations related to the peace, unity, and purity of the church.  Development and review of the report was led by task force members Stacy Johnson, professor at Princeton Theological Seminary; Barbara Wheeler, president of Auburn Theological Seminary; and P. Mark
Achtemeier, professor at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

In remarks to the task force, Susan Andrews, Moderator of the 215th General Assembly (2003) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), charged the group to recommend to presbyteries and congregations active study and discussion of the preliminary report

and use of task force-developed videos.

The task force laid plans for a pre-General Assembly conference on the morning of

June 26 in Richmond to familiarize assembly-goers with report contents and ways the task force has studied issues in its 2001 mandate from the General Assembly.  Task force member Barbara Everitt Bryant of Ann Arbor, MI, is conference coordinator.

At its meeting, the task force continued study of the history of the denomination, particularly of historical splits and reconciliations that have occurred since the establishment of Presbyterianism in the United States.  Task force member John Wilkinson, pastor of Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester, NY, led the study.

The task force also explored ordination standards-the most controversial issue in the group's mandate-from biblical, theological, polity, and practice perspectives.  This portion of the meeting was under the joint leadership of task force members Mike Loudon, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Clear Lake, FL; Sarah Grace Sanderson-Doughty, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Lowville, NY; and Gary W. Demarest, co-moderator of the task force who is currently serving as interim pastor of the Point Loma
Presbyterian Church, San Diego, CA.

For more information, contact Sharon K. Youngs, Communications Coordinator

Office of the General Assembly, 100 Witherspoon Street,
Louisville, KY 40202-1396; phone (888) 728-7228, ext. 5750;

email: syoungs@ctr.pcusa.org.

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