Deep in the heart of San Antonio, Texas, stands the Alamo Mission, site of the heroic battle by nearly 200 frontiersmen against the armies of the Mexican “Napoleon” Santa Anna. No quarter was given in the battle, and the 200 early Texans perished.
Last month in the same city and against this background, commissioners to the 181st General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. proved more tractable than the Texans. They listened to the strident demands of black militant James Forman and brown-power spokesman Eliezer Risco and responded favorably to most of them.
In a series of hotly debated measures, the highest deliberative body of the 3.2-million-member denomination voted to appropriate $100,000 for the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (with which Forman is associated), the same amount for Indian American groups, and $50,000 for Spanish-American organizations; and to seek ways for people living in poverty to own land, particularly property now held by the Board of National Missions not needed for church work. Commissioners also voted to direct the Council on Church Support to develop strategy for funds “equal to or surpassing those raised in the Fifty Million campaign” to benefit deprived people. Specific goals will be acted on at next year’s assembly.
The new “Fifty Million” measure, the denomination’s second monumental fund drive in five years, was approved by an estimated 2 to 1 voice vote. Its goal presumably would be at least $74.6 million, the amount raised or pledged thus far to the Fifty Million Fund. At an earlier assembly session, Forman had demanded $80 million for reparations to American Negroes as UPUSA’s part of an over-all $500 million figure; 60 per cent of the denomination’s income from investments; liquidation of the church’s “assets in South Africa”; and the giving of denomination-held land in southern states to the National Black Economic Development Conference. Brown-power leaders also called for land grants as well as the control of local health, education, and welfare programs.
A document adopted in the last moments of the assembly said “we do not agree with all … methods, ideas, and programs” of the black and brown leaders but seemed to view the leaders as “prophets.” Through an amendment made by Dr. Robert J. Lamont of Pittsburgh, the document rejected the concept of two societies, the use of violence whether open or subtle, and the violent overthrow of the government. It committed the church to work for a just, unified, and Christian society.
Forman (his flight to San Antonio from New York was paid for by the assembly) produced a hearty laugh by dropping his demand for the removal of Dr. Kenneth G. Neigh as head of the Board of National Missions, saying it was a response by “reasonable people.”
Not everyone agreed. Many commissioners voted against the assembly’s actions, some contending they were an apparent capitulation to blackmail. To some, the actions also meant indirect funding of an organization with “treasonable” objectives since statements in the “Black Manifesto” read by Forman speak of the overthrow of the American government.
In a press conference following his presentation, Forman denied being a Christian (“although I am more Christian than most Christians”) and declared that “the capitalistic system is inconsistent with Christianity.”
In apparent response to the take-over of the administration building of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago (see page 46), and demands of a Chicago group headed by Obed Lopez, who spoke to delegates, the assembly also directed the Council on Theological Education to initiate a conference “to develop strategies for the involvement of the seminaries in community relationships” and to make them “instrumental in struggles of the poor and of minority groups.”
Before the May 14–21 meeting, observers had predicted extensive debate and even defeat of a controversial 104-page plan on Regional Synods and Church Administration, designed to streamline and strengthen the churches’ regional administrative structures. But the new plan was approved by voice vote after only limited discussion. The innovations tend to preserve the traditional powers of sessions and presbyteries but strengthen the role of synods in denominational planning and strategy.
If the plan is approved by a majority of the churches’ 190 presbyteries, implementation will begin next year.
Should United Presbyterian churches pay a fair equivalent of taxes on property they own? The denomination became the first church to advocate this by adopting a report on denominational involvement in government programs. It urged local churches, boards, and agencies to:
• No longer claim tax exemption for income-producing property;
• Make voluntary contributions in lieu of taxes for community services such as fire and police protection and waste disposal.
The Board of Christian Education set the course for these actions recently when it began to pay more than $10,000 annually for property it owns in Philadelphia and New Mexico. The assembly report recommended continuance of tax exemption for hospitals, colleges, and retirement homes, however.
In other action the 181st General Assembly:
• Endorsed efforts toward reunion with the Presbyterian Church U. S. (Southern). The action was in response to an emotionally voiced invitation from the Rev. R. Matthew Lynn, moderator of the one-million-member Southern denomination.
• Approved a report calling upon the United States “to re-establish normal relations with the government of Cuba,” including lifting the trade embargo imposed eight years ago.
• Opposed the use of “cultural activities and programs” by the government “as a cover for secret intelligence work and classified information gathering.”
• Sent to the presbyteries for approval a proposed change in the Confession of 1967, designed to clarify the confession’s wording about the search for international peace. The new wording makes the obligation apply to all nations, not just to the United States.
• Opposed the development of the anti-ballistic-missile system.
• Sent to the presbyteries for approval an overture to rescind the study of the Greek and Hebrew languages as a requirement for the ordination of ministers.
An overture from the New Jersey Presbytery of Newark asking the assembly to determine whether goals three and four of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, Incorporated, are in accord with Scripture and the standards of the church resulted in a compromise decision. The assembly sustained the report that found the third goal in order, but outlined a procedure agreed upon by the Lay Committee for revising item four. Item four deals with the Lay Committee’s desire to discourage public pronouncements by the corporate church on political, social, and economic issues.
Dr. George E. Sweazey, the new moderator of the denomination (see story page 43), faces formidable problems in the year ahead. The United Presbyterians lost 39,000 members last year and suffered a decline in over-all giving of $3.5 million.
Baptists Face Issues—In Living Color
Color the issue-laden annual meeting of the American Baptist Convention at Seattle mostly black.
Several newspapers, one month before the nomination committee met, accurately announced that Los Angeles pastor Thomas Kilgore, Jr., would become the first black president in the ABC’s sixty-two-year history (see story page 43). His selection satisfied the last of twelve demands made a year ago at Boston by the Black American Baptist Churchmen bloc.
“Black Manifesto” architect James Forman of the fledgling National Black Economic Development Conference (see May 23 issue, page 29) showed up on the final afternoon of business. Reportedly, he had agreed a week earlier not to appear until after the election in order to avoid jeopardizing Kilgore’s chances. He brought a fresh batch of “negotiable” demands: transfer of ABC property in the south to the NBEDC; 60 per cent of the ABC’s investment income; $60 million for the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO); and $700 million for black schools. It was obvious that Forman, an agnostic, was unfamiliar with Baptist structures and finances. Many of the 2,400 delegates smiled at the unintentional humor; others fumed; some applauded. After a few supportive and rebuttal statements, the matter was referred to the policy-making General Council for study and response.
Forman confirmed to the press his advocacy of violence as embodied in the manifesto. He pointed to his “fund-raising experience” as his reason for naming himself chairman of a proposed $20 million International Black Appeal.
Kilgore (who vowed publicly to oppose all violence) and other BABC spokesmen voiced their support of the manifesto’s “goals,” including reparations, but withheld endorsement of its tactics. Also concurring: the Rev. Lucius Walker, youthful American Baptist who heads IFCO. After sidestepping the issue of violence, Walker dismissed the manifesto’s pronounced Marxist-Leninist framework as “a semantic, not ideological, problem.”
Blacks snagged a greater share of elected and appointed offices, another BABC demand. In addition, a BABC-requested communications-media study is about complete, and it may result in the axing of Crusader, the denomination’s popular newsmagazine. Editor Paul Allen has been under fire for his conservative views.
Milwaukee pastor Orlando Costas followed Forman to the podium with a fiery appeal on behalf of “brown churchmen,” who, he complained, are neglected by the ABC.
Youths calling themselves Young American Baptist Churchmen staged a sleep-in at a local church, and some fasted. It was a sort of protest against spending by ABC delegates, whom they accused of ignoring world hunger and poverty. Outgoing ABC president Culbert G. Rutenber joined the sleep-in.
General Council proceedings and corridor talk indicated that a broad cross section of delegates agreed with YABC sentiment for better representative democracy. An evangelism luncheon, where former Senator Wayne Morse lashed out against United States foreign policy, was a case in point. Many ABC pastors have lamented the absence of speakers on evangelism at the annual event. Home-missions director James L. Christison conceded that in program matters he made decisions by himself.
Delegates adopted an updated ABC “Statement of Purpose” after amending it to include the leading of persons to Christ. Among other things, the new measure validates denominational involvement in “political” issues.
Amid heated debate in a contested vote, delegates also decided to permit local churches to decide whether only immersed persons can serve as convention delegates.
In resolutions, delegates called for recommittal “to a vigorous program of personal evangelism.” A hotly contested statement on arms control was passed after it was stripped, 700 to 620, of a section advocating disarmament, including a freeze on anti-ballistic missile production and deployment. ABC international-affairs director Richard L. Riseling argued against deletion. Despite the vote, he is expected to keep the ABC officially against the ABM, as he has in the past.
As happened last year, the bulk of resolutions still had not been voted upon when time expired. Through a series of maneuvers, the convention was reconvened for twenty minutes for vote without debate. Less than a third of the delegates remained. They adopted positions favoring: an immediate United States ceasefire in Viet Nam, lowering of the voting age to eighteen, and a guaranteed annual income.
In other sidelights, seventy-five persons attended the first meeting of the newly formed American Baptist Charismatic Fellowship, and the retirement board announced a program to guarantee ABC ministers $5,500 cash salary plus housing and benefits.
EDWARD PLOWMAN
NAME-DROPPING: CONFUSION OVER SAINTS
Saints alive, or saints that ain’t?
That was the question that puzzled Roman Catholics around the world and threw Europe into a tizzy last month after the Vatican jettisoned about forty saints from the church’s liturgical calendar. After an outcry of protest, the Vatican daily, L’Osservatore Romano, attempted to put down the controversy once and for all: the faithful may still venerate at the local level demoted or “non” saints, whose existence is now doubted by official Vatican sources.
St. Christopher probably will be the biggest loss to the religious goods business, which even offers a model with the Star of David on the saint’s backside.
But many won’t give up the patron of travel easily. Huffed Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida as she slapped a Christopher statue on the radiator cap of her Rolls-Royce: “He saved my life when my car crashed last February. I believe in him.
