Abortion Takes Center Stage for Presbyterians

DENOMINATIONAL REPORT

Most observers did not expect abortion to be much of an issue at the 1988 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) this summer in St. Louis. But Nobel Prize winner Mother Teresa may have helped change that.

The Catholic nun, known for her work among India’s poor, addressed a packed house of over 2,000 at a pre-general assembly worship service sponsored by the group Presbyterians Pro-Life (PPL), one of more than 20 special-interest organizations within the church. Calling abortion murder, Mother Teresa said it “has become the greatest destroyer of love, of peace.” She added that, by choosing an abortion, “the mother kills two: the child and her conscience.”

One delegate told a local television reporter that Mother Teresa had caused her to reconsider her prochoice position. The entire church may soon do likewise, as delegates to this year’s annual meeting passed a measure calling for a new study on abortion.

PPL President Benjamin Sheldon said, “We’re elated. This is something we’ve been working toward ever since the merger.” (Independent bodies in the North and South merged in 1983.) Sheldon said PPL’S ultimate goal is for the church to make a statement “that would affirm the sanctity of life.”

A paper containing the church’s current stance on abortion at one point states that the “decision to terminate a pregnancy may be an affirmation of one’s covenant responsibility to accept the limits of human resources.” Elsewhere it states, “The morality or immorality of a decision [to abort] is not determined by the gestational age of the fetus,” a statement critics believe opens the door to infanticide.

Conservative Shift?

Action on the abortion issue exemplified what was widely regarded as movement in a conservative direction. Another indication was the selection of Kenneth Hall as moderator. As chief representative of the church for the next year, Hall said he would emphasize renewal and evangelism

Ecclesia

Many other church groups took various actions at meetings this summer:

• The 160,000-member Presbyterian Church in America elected television minister D. James Kennedy as moderator. Meanwhile, the 100,000-member Cumberland Presbyterian Church elected its first woman moderator, Beverly St. John.

• The Association of Reformed Presbyterians, concerned over the Reformed Ecumenical Society’s (RES) acceptance of homosexual lifestyle, voted to study the value of belonging to the res.

• The American Baptist Churches (ABC) pulled away from its prochoice stand on abortion. A new policy statement stresses the sacredness of life and urges avoiding abortion wherever possible.

• The Christian Reformed Church (CRC) synod turned down an invitation to join the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and joined the National Association of Evangelicals instead. In another action, it opened up the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper to younger children who make a public profession of faith. Synod struggled with complaints regarding the direction of Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary. At issue were creation/evolution and ordination of women. The group created a three-year study committee to deal with the creation/evolution controversy.

• At its sixth general conference, the Wesleyan Church voted to increase from $1.5 million to $3 million the financial support to its colleges. The 186,000-member denomination also granted independence to the Wesleyan Church of the Philippines, the first time a mission church has been elevated to the position of the parent body. Also, Lee M. Haines and H. C. Wilson were elected as general superintendents, replacing the retiring J. D. Abbott and Robert W. McIntyre.

• Twenty-nine new congregations were welcomed at the annual conference of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC). Most of the new congregations have withdrawn from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The AFLC considers itself a conservative alternative to the ELCA.

Delegates also approved a proposal to add five members to a task force studying sexuality. This pleased conservatives, who feel the current task force is weighted against traditional views of sex. They believe that Hall, who is responsible for appointing the new members, will restore balance.

In the political arena, the controversial document Christian Obedience in a Nuclear Age (CONA) was modified to express gratitude for the U.S. system of government and to uphold obedience to civil authority as normative. The original statement called for the church to support those who resist U.S. policy by breaking the law.

William Yolton, executive secretary of Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, said the statement, as revised, moved the church back 20 years. He said, “This statement says that only those who object to participation in war must agonize over their choice.”

Paul Scotchmer, executive director of Presbyterians for Democracy and Religious Freedom (PDRF), said he welcomed the changes but was still bothered by the statement’s request that church agencies establish a fund to support those who suffer financially as a result of civil disobedience. He said this constitutes implicit support by the church for resistance, adding that resistance should be a matter of individual conscience.

Listening To Each Other

Despite tensions over political issues, Yolton and Scotchmer indicated a strong interest in dialogue. Scotchmer said well-known church liberals have acknowledged the need “to have all positions represented.” He observed, “It’s easier to get a hearing than it used to be. At least Goliath sees David out there.”

In other actions, commissioners:

• Reelected James Andrews by a narrow margin to another four-year term as stated clerk, the church’s highest office. Andrews won even though the church’s nominating committee unanimously recommended his opponent, Harriet A. Nelson. His election was widely interpreted as a vote for continuity and against a fundamental change of direction.

• Voted to break off communion with 27,000-member Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). The move was based on accusations that the EPC is engaged in activities intended to promote defection from PCUSA. At a news conference, EPC officials said they had not been consulted about the specific allegations. For southern congregations, the action means they may not join the EPC without losing their land.

By Randy Frame in St. Louis.

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