Presbyterian group fuels talk of a split
New conservatives to reveal platform
NEW YORK -- While the Episcopal and United Methodist churches have struggled over homosexuality, another mainline Protestant denomination -- the Presbyterian Church (USA) -- has been relatively quiet. But that is changing.
Since 2001, Presbyterians have been awaiting recommendations from a ''Peace, Unity, and Purity" task force, charged with seeking a way to overcome severe disagreements on gay relationships and other issues.
The task force is close to completing its work, with the group preparing its final report at meetings in Dallas next month and Chicago in August.
Some are not even waiting to read the fine print: 85 conservative congregations sent delegates to a convocation in Edina, Minn., that concluded last weekend.
There, representatives endorsed platforms that laid out essential doctrines and ''ethical imperatives," including the Bible as infallible, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, the necessity of world evangelism, and rejection of gay sex and abortion.
The group -- which calls itself the New Wineskins Initiative -- also proposed a radically reorganized, mission-minded denomination to halt decades of decline in the Presbyterian church, which currently has 2.4 million members.
The Rev. Tom Edwards of Wichita, Kan., who organized the Edina meeting, said Presbyterianism is too top-heavy and must ''start serving the local congregation and stop being a structure that exists for the local congregation to serve the national bureaucracy."
New Wineskins wants its conservative beliefs and restructuring plan to be adopted by next year's national assembly. The assembly will also debate the task force report and the latest liberal attempt to abolish the church's policy against actively gay clergy and lay officers.
Although New Wineskins leaders emphasize unity around the group's bold vision, there is a hint of a schism.
The Rev. David Henderson of West Lafayette, Ind., moderator of New Wineskins, sees three possibilities for the church's future:
New Wineskins is not schismatic, Henderson told Edina delegates, ''because the schism has already happened," meaning liberals and conservatives are thoroughly divided.
The Rev. Jerry Van Marter, who covered the meeting for the church's news service, said it was ''the most overt consideration of a split in the denomination that we have yet seen." Some participants are ready to leave now, he said, while others want drastic change ''but hold out very little hope for that happening."
Another observer was the Rev. Parker Williamson of Lenoir, N.C., whose ardently conservative Presbyterian Lay Committee promoted the Edina meeting.
Williamson personally thinks a Presbyterian breakup is ''inevitable" but that two elements are necessary. One is an organization for dissatisfied congregations, which New Wineskins now provides. The second is a ''precipitating event," especially a liberal victory on homosexuality at next year's assembly.
Pamela Byers of the Covenant Network, based in San Francisco, vows continual work until church offices are opened to gays and lesbians, although ''I'd be very sorry if this does lead to schism."
For years, liberals have been frustrated by the denomination's repeated refusal to abolish its sexual conduct rules, while conservatives have been equally frustrated by liberals' ongoing agitation and disregard for church law.
