Let me begin this entry with my comment that I really like Joan Gray and her attitude as the Moderator of General Assembly. I have had the opportunity to hear her answer some pretty tough questions and to preach and she does not mince words or say that all the controversy in the PC(USA) will just blow over. She admits that we are in a mess and only the work of the Holy Spirit can get us out of this. I have heard her say that the PC(USA) is well beyond human solutions. This is a pleasant departure from a “party-line” approach to “let’s keep the church together” that I am used to hearing from Louisville and that you can see in a letter recently sent to all the PC(USA) congregations from Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and General Assembly Council Executive Director Linda Valentine. (But maybe they have to say that since they are employees.)
Rev. Gray’s candor was again on display last week as she visited churches in the Dallas area. One of her appearances was well covered in Saturday’s Dallas Morning News. As opposed to referring to conservatives as “divisive” or “dissident” she talks about the theological differences in a very even handed way:
“On the side
of folks who are very interested in seeing gay and lesbian people be
ordained, it’s a justice issue, and it’s about the love of Jesus that
was totally inclusive,” she said. “On the other side, the issue seems
to be the integrity and authority of scripture.”She added,
“Most people in the middle are not real passionately engaged in this,
but there are significant minorities on each side for whom this is
really the key issue.”
What really shocked me about this article was her admission that the Theological Task Force report adopted at the last General Assembly really did not help the matter (as opposed to “nothing has changed, give it a chance”):
Ms. Gray said the task force and General Assembly “gave it their best shot” but failed to resolve the longstanding conflict.
“The
pro-ordination folks don’t feel like they got much out of it,” she
said. “The anti-ordination folks feel it’s a slippery slope.”
It is a good article and from my experience really captures Rev. Gray’s viewpoint and attitude. It is a breath of fresh air (or is that the Spirit) to hear the GA Moderator saying these things and I have to wonder what some of the institution back in Louisville thinks. But then again, “God alone is Lord of the Conscience.” (Westminster Confession 6.109)