Wayne Tingley:
"Mr. Moderator, I would like to offer an amendment to the substitute motion."
"Mr. Moderator, Point of order."
"Mr. Moderator, I move the previous question and all pending questions."
If this doesn't make sense to you don't worry. It's General Assembly speak for "I want to make a change, to the change that guy made." And "Foul, hey ref he's not supposed to do that." And "I'm really tired of talking about this could we stop now and just vote."
G.A. speak is the language I've learned so I could get a word in edge wise at a meeting were 800 commissioners and advisory delegates converged on Denver, from the 174 presbyteries around the country. They come to speak their minds about their concerns, their desires, and yes, sometimes their personal agendas; which may or may not reflect God's agenda.
The preparation for such an assembly is exhausting. I've brought a binder full of some pre assembly reading material to show you. (Show Binder) I have another one like it at home, but I've already carried the two of them all over downtown Denver for a week and enough is enough!
Last year I went as an observer to the assembly in Columbus Ohio where I learned the benefit of reading all the material before arriving. Our Presbytery wisely sends commissioners for two consecutive years the first year to learn the ropes and second to actually vote. Less than half the presbyteries do this, so it was no surprise to hear that nearly 75% of all the commissioners had never been to an Assembly before and that an alarming percent had not even read the material. The pace is too fast to take such a lackadaisical attitude.
So, what are the issues? They're the same issues that I heard last year as an observer and the same issues the church has been dealing with for years. They are a decline in membership in our denomination, whether or not Jesus Christ is our only Lord and Savior, convincing defiant congregations to abide by our church’s constitution, how we feel as a denomination regarding abortion and our ongoing debate on sexuality, specifically homosexuality and how it relates to our ordination standards.
Sex seems to be the only newsworthy story the Presbyterian Church has to offer. At least you might derive this opinion from a quick glance at the Denver newspaper.
A man on the street caught sight of my name badge and asked, "Hey aren't you part of that Presbyterian Church," "Yes." "You're a homosexual church now aren't you." "Ah No!" "Oh yes you are, I read it in the paper." He began walking a wide circle around me, staring the whole time and with a look on his face that said he was afraid to get to close. His last words were, "You're a homosexual." I was too stunned to respond. This issue is dividing our church and hurting our witness.
Dave Wilkinson:
Well, Wayne, newspapers don't lie. But as you know, the core question isn't sex. It is Biblical authority. Are we going to allow ourselves, as Paul writes in Romans 12, to be squeezed into the world's mold? Or are we going to be shaped by the word of God?
One primary way this issue is being worked out in many denominations is in the discussion on sexuality in all its forms.
Now some of you might wonder that the homosexual ordination issue would even be raised. The Bible in both Old and New Testaments is abundantly clear on the question. And God doesn't say, "I realize there may be other points of view." However, clear Biblical teaching isn't enough especially for those who are determined to reject it.
There has been a lot of discussion for twenty five years. Beginning in 1978, the Assembly affirmed the clear Biblical teaching that homosexual practice is sin and declared that people who are self declared and practicing homosexuals are not to be ordained.
In 1996 the Book of Order was changed to require all who are ordained as elders, deacons or pastors to either live in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or to live in chastity in singleness. Three times in the past five years, an Assembly sent to the Presbyteries a proposal to remove this section from the Book of Order. The Presbyteries have defeated this three times by ever increasing margins. Last time the vote in the Presbyteries was more than two to one in favor of keeping our present standard.
What happened this year?
Wayne Tingley:
It was back. One notable issue came from the Des Moines Presbytery, which called for the removal of the "fidelity and chastity clause." It was approved by the committee by a narrow margin, but was crushed on the Assembly floor. At least this year the presbyteries won't have to contend with it, but I assure you, this is far from over.
One of the high profile items that came before the committee on National issues was a report called, "Living Faithfully with Families in Transition." As commissioners, we received only a fivepage synopsis of the report, which I understand is OneHundredfifty pages in length and contains references to numerous other documents, some of which were rejected by previous General Assemblies. With all this missing information how is one to intelligently vote?
The report came from an entity in the General Assembly called "The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy," ASEE SWAP for short. The report was five years in the making and came with strong support from the staff. Maybe their hope was to get it passed without question due to the lack of available material and strong lobbying from is authors.
After much debate in committee, the original document was replaced with a more concise one, which was authored by my fellow commissioner from Santa Barbara, Miji Working. She had read all of the original report and discovered numerous biblical flaws. The ultimate result was to refer both documents back for further study.
My committee assignment was "Mission Coordination and Budgets," which handles the mission budget for the entire denomination, I won't get into this now it's far too lengthy and way too boring. However, even we had an overture dealing with "gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons," known as GLBT persons. I guess a big issue like this deserves its own acronym. The overture from the Greater Atlanta Presbytery requested the appointment of a "pastoral group whose primary concern would be GLBT persons." Its wording was very ambiguous. It left many unanswered questions. What form would the pastoral group take? What would its directives be?
I immediately sought to join forces with like-minded members of my committee. We were convinced that the proposal was a thinly disguised attempt to establish a progay advocacy group in the national staff.
We choreographed our speeches. The following morning, during committee, we moved to amend the main motion. We supported the amendment with our prepared speeches. Finally we closed debate before much opposing discussion could develop.
We managed to get the committee to agree that a sevenperson task force assigned for one year would have the same result as the original motion. In its newly watered down form, it then went to the meeting of the entire Assembly. There we coordinated an effort to remove the task force we had created in committee. The issue was successfully dissolved.
Later, a pastor approached me from the Sacramento Presbytery. She accused me, and “my cohorts,” as she put it, of political manipulation and ruining the overture that she was in favor of. To which I replied, "YES." " I'm sorry it's this way as well, but both sides posture for their own position and I was doing what was necessary for my own convictions." She wasn't completely satisfied with my response and I didn't see her again until, as fate would have it, the bus ride back to the airport, where she unknowingly sat one seat away from me. I struck up a conversation with her and politeness prevented her from relocating to another seat, although I'm sure she wanted to. By the time, the bus ride was over, we seemed to reach a middle ground of respect, but I won't expect a Christmas card from her.
The General Assembly is not for everyone. I think some are surprised by how political it is. In fact, the process may leave a bad taste in the mouths of some people. Politics like this may be okay in international relations, congress, homeowner's associations and even the Little League, but it has no place in the church. Well, Mark Twain once observed that, "People who love either law or sausage should not watch either one being made.” We may like the product but find the process of creation to be less than appetizing. What is true for law and sausage can also be true for the direction of the church.
Throughout the entire week while all the business of the General Assembly was, unfolding Dave was right in the middle of the action, somewhere. Come to think of it I didn't see you much at all. Where were you?
Dave Wilkinson:
I was basking in the reflected glory or Wayne Tingley. I had any number of people who were involved with you in the committee work come up to me and say, “Wayne Tingley is doing a great job. He is so knowledgeable and committed. Are you really his pastor?”
During the rare times I wasn’t taking the credit for your hard work, I was involved with another committee. I was at the Assembly as a part of the team for an advocacy group called Presbyterians for Renewal. My specific assignment was to work as an informal resource to commissioners on the General Assembly Procedures Committee. That sounds dull but it wasn’t.
The Presbyterian Church has held a General Assembly every year in this country since 1788. Last year the Assembly voted to shift to meetings every other year beginning after 2004. The advertised reason was to save money -- but that is not likely to happen. I think the real reason is the desire of the General Assembly Staff to have less accountability. It is also seen as a way to keep the left and right wings of the church from arguing so much -- or at least to limit the fights to even years. It’s kind of like keeping the kids separated in the back seat.
This year several Presbyteries sent overtures to reverse this decision. It was interesting that unlike many things, this was not a left-right issue. Some of the most effective commissioners I worked with in preparing for the floor debate were quite liberal. The coalition on this issue was made up of those who support openness and discussion and accountability by the staff.
We lost the vote on shifting the meetings back to every year by 11 percent in the committee and by less than five percent on the Assembly Floor. I don’t think it’s over. I expect overtures to return to annual assemblies to next year’s GA in Richmond, Virginia.
How did you feel about your experience?
Wayne Tingley:
For me the entire process of becoming a commissioner to the GA started over two years ago when I went to a presbytery meeting in Santa Barbara. We were voting on issues that had come from that year's General Assembly. As noted, the presbyteries must vote on anything the GA approves that would constitute a change to our "Book of Order." This is a good system of checks and balances that prevent a one sided assembly from making radical changes, without the agreement of a larger representation.
On the ride home from Santa Barbara I lost count how many questions I asked Dave. Somewhere between Santa Barbara and Moorpark Dave stopped me and said, "You know Wayne, you seem pretty interested in this stuff, maybe you'd like to be a commissioner to the General Assembly." The seed was planted. My warning to you is this: be careful what questions you ask Dave, or you may find yourself doing things you least expected. This can be a good thing.
Although in the past two years we did not accomplish all I hoped for, my overall experience has been a good one. I left both assemblies I attended with a feeling of optimism. Most people don't get involved either from a lack of interest or maybe a feeling of "what difference could I make?" Well to those people I say, "If you think you're too small to make a difference, you've obviously never been in bed with a mosquito." This year it has been my privilege to be that mosquito.
Dave Wilkinson:
Through this 25 year struggle, we have come to see that the Presbyterian Church is actually two very different denominations that use the same name. The two denominations have different languages and focus on different goals. But both call themselves Presbyterian.
The evangelical denomination is strong in Pennsylvania, the South, Puerto Rico and parts of the West Coast including Southern California. The other denomination is strongest in the northeast, the Midwest, and the mountain states.
Every once in a while someone visits our church who has moved from somewhere else in the country. They experience worship here, they listen to the preaching, and they say, "What is this 'sin' thing and all this stuff about Jesus? This certainly isn't like the Presbyterian Church I came from." to which I breathe a silent "Thank God".
It is possible that the Presbyterian Church nationwide will split.
But I pray it doesn't. I will tell you why.
First, because what is happening in the church is neither new or unexpected. In the letter of Jude we have clear guidance as to how to conduct ourselves at such a time. "There will be those who follow their own ungodly desires. There will be people who divide us, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." But we are told in all of this, "Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire, and save them; to others show mercy mixed with fear."
The second reason I hope we don't divide is my sense of realism about the church and what God is doing in the church. I remember the example of the church in Corinth. Parts of that church were more mixed up, more heretical, more sexually loose, and more arrogant than any part of the Presbyterian Church of today. And yet Paul, even while sharply rebuking the Corinthians, still calls them the Saints of Jesus Christ in Corinth. God doesn't give up on churches easily and neither should we.
The third reason I hope we don't split is the lesson of history. Churches that split whether individual congregations or denominations tend to keep splitting into smaller and smaller pieces. We can always find things to disagree on.
Things are good here in Moorpark. We have a lot to celebrate next Sunday. But there is a struggle going on beyond our walls. We can't isolate ourselves. We must help provide leadership and join with many other gifted and caring people across the country who believe that the Presbyterian Church as a whole is worth fighting for.
Several years ago at a General Assembly breakfast, world renowned pollster George Gallup Jr., an Episcopal layman, reflected on the Presbyterian opportunity to lead the nation into a new era of spiritual renewal. Gallup, who has studied history and trends for years said,
"Of all religious groups in America today, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the most evenly distributed family of faith in all fifty states. You are the movers and shakers, the thinkers and doers of the nation. If you ever mobilized unitedly to accomplish a single purpose, it would have a significant chance of success. If you should ever get your act together for a national renewal of faith, America would be far along the road to another "Great Awakening". Historically, when God has been ready to provide this nation with a national awakening, God has been pleased to use Presbyterians as major leaders."
A church and a potential like that is worth saving.
We are called to be about our Lord's business. For we will be called to give an account of who we are and what we have done in His name.
May He find us faithful.
