At our Presbytery meeting of January 14^th, we got a look at the draft of a “Gracious Separation” policy for Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. This document is a work in progress. It was crafted by an excellent Task Force comprising of; the Rev Sheila Gustafson, the Rev. David Lenz; ruling elders; Gordon Dosher, Vince Gin, and Pam Van Gorham; and staffed by Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman and myself. Over the next 7 weeks we are asking presbyters to assist in the final edition by commenting through our email address graciousseparation@ptcaweb.org, by contacting a Council member directly, see the Gray Directory on the website, or by attending an open forum meeting, currently scheduled for Saturday, February 4^th at House of Hope in St. Paul and Saturday,  February 11^th at First Presbyterian in Rochester from 10 am to noon. A midweek gathering is scheduled for Thursday, February 9th at the Minnesota Church Center (122 W. Franklin) in Minneapolis from 7PM-8:30PM . Please supply your input so that we have a policy we can all affirm.

One question that comes up is; Why do we even need such a policy? The history of this project goes back to the 218^th General Assembly in San Jose, in 2008. That Assembly passed an action urging Presbyteries to develop a Gracious Separation policy to deal with congregations who are struggling with their relationship to the PC(USA) over theological issues. When I first came to PTCA, I was approached by a handful of pastors urging me to move our Presbytery to adopt such a policy. I confess that this was not a high priority for me in my early days. I felt that developing such a policy was akin to negotiating divorce settlements before going to counseling. I have since observed a level of misunderstanding and even lack of trust on both sides of the issue of possible separation. I have come to believe that establishing a policy that sets the procedure and ensures fairness is an important step in engendering honesty and openness in such a process. This will hopefully allow us as a presbytery to deal with theological differences without resorting to civil courts.

One thing I do want to emphasize is the process of the GSP Task Force. They began their work back in the Spring of 2011. In the months that passed they had an experience similar to that described by the Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force of the General Assembly some 6-7 years ago now. While no minds were changed as a result of our meetings, a much deeper appreciation for the opinions and feelings of others was established and strong collegial relationships were formed. Each member of the Task Force saw the issue in a way that they had not experienced previously and graciousness became a habit rather than an exercise. The tone of this document reflects that graciousness. Grace can be a difficult attribute to share, but I believe it is the attribute that God intends for us to give to one another as members of Christ’s Church, and model to the world. I still recall with humility a conversation with a secular media reporter while serving in another presbytery. After discussing the issues between the presbytery and a departing congregation, he asked with a sense of incredulity, “I don’t think I understand what this fight is about?” This is not to say that the theological differences we are dealing with aren’t real or serious, but to many who don’t share our deep passion for theology and the church it is a puzzling debate. A church that can’t demonstrate grace is a church that struggles with relevance to the world beyond our walls.

What I can say about this proposed policy is, it is an imperfect document for an imperfect situation. Please read it with a sense of grace, think through the parts you don’t like and ask yourself, why you don’t like them. I know this is not the manner I would choose as perfect, but negotiating through serious differences leads to compromise, and grace leads to the possibility of solutions.

Over the next few weeks I will write blogs on each of the sections in this policy, Prologue, Discernment Process, and Appendices. I encourage you to continue your reading and pondering, write in on our email address, call a council member, and attend one of the gatherings that are scheduled. We are striving together to create a document, that we might not necessarily like, but with which we can live.

In God’s grace,

Chaz

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

I attended the Fellowship of Presbyterians gathering on August 25^th and 26^th here in Bloomington. I went as an observer to see the plans and hear the concerns of Presbyterians who feel strongly about the issue of ordination standards in our denomination. I was in the company of nearly 2000 other Presbyterians who were there for a wide variety of reasons, to hear, to vent, to plan, to discern, to observe, or maybe just to attend with no expectations whatsoever. A substantial number of folks from our own Presbytery were there including Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman, Council Chair Vince Gin, and myself as “official” reps of PTCA.

The meeting was well run and the organizers, a group of seven pastors including our own John Crosby of Christ PC, did an excellent job of providing space and content for people representing a varied spectrum of thought.

The Fellowship spelled out four options for congregations who are struggling with the recent changes in the constitution.

1) remain in the PCUSA and try to reform it from within

2) urge your presbytery to form an overlay presbytery (e.g. two CoMs, CPMs, etc)

3) leave to another reformed denomination (e.g. the Evangelical PC)

4) help in the forming of a New Reformed Body and have joint membership.

The first option is fairly self explanatory.

The second option calls for working within the bounds of a presbytery to set up an affinity based body, with its own CoM, CPM, and so forth.

The third option is for those folk who feel a need to totally separate from the PCUSA, the Fellowship felt that such a course led to dealing with difficult issues that exist in other denominations.

The final option seemed to be the choice of those who formed the Fellowship. A new reformed body would allow a congregation to be a part of the PCUSA so that a congregation could enjoy the “effective” things about PCUSA, (the Board of Pensions, the Foundation, and the Mission network) while being separate in order to establish values which reflect a more traditional system of beliefs such as ordination standards.

There are a lot of details yet to be worked out for such a configuration, but the process has already begun as the Fellowship has started fulfilling the legal requirements for establishing a new body, and they have invited folk who would like to explore this option to attend a meeting on January 12-14 in Orlando, FL for the constituting convention of this New Body.

An item that was mentioned several times in the course of the conference was the need for a congregation to work closely with its Presbytery in order for any such options to go smoothly and without rancor. I applaud the spirit of the fellowship to adhere to cooperation and civility in the midst of an often emotional debate.

The day after the conference was the scheduled day of our Presbytery’s Council Retreat. The subject of the Fellowship conference generated a great deal of discussion. There are two major points I want to share with Presbytery that came from that discussion. 1) Like the Fellowship the Council wishes to model cooperation and civility in dealing with congregations discerning their response to our denominations new position. Fighting, posturing, and litigation does not serve the cause of Christ and is a very poor witness to the world. Ultimately everyone loses when such tactics are used by either side. We invite and encourage pastors and sessions to talk to your presbytery leadership about your concerns, hopes, and plans. The Council wants to work with congregations rather than against them. 2) We hear and share the same frustrations with the fact that our Church is not what it once was, or what we feel it could be in Christ’s name. The large and diverse sample of folk from PTCA who attended the conference indicate that there are many people, liberal, moderate, and conservative, who feel the PCUSA is in need of reformation or redevelopment or reorganization. Our strategic plan demonstrates that we are seeking a new way of being a Presbytery. Thanks to the passage of nFoG our CoM and CPM will begin the process this Fall of rethinking and rebuilding their procedures and policies to be more effective and congregation friendly.

Another indicator or our Presbytery’s commitment to looking for a new and better way is the fact that we currently have a Task Force working on a Gracious Separation Policy for PTCA. We hope to have a plan ready to be seen by Presbytery at its November meeting. It is not yet decided if that would be for a vote or a first reading, but it will set a process in place that emphasizes cooperation over court appearances, and respect over rancor.

As I alluded to in the first paragraph, an item that struck me time and time again is that the language that was used by the Fellowship is the exact language that is used at Covenant meetings, Coalition gatherings, and forums of Presbyterians with no particular political leanings. That is language of faith in our Triune God, language of service to our Lord, and language of trust and hope. I know we face a major issue that leading us to draw lines of division in our church, but we are united in so many other ways I urge us to work together in all the ways that we can. We may be headed for some form of separation in our denomination, but for now we are together, let’s WORK together as well. I will do some more interpretation in a future blog, but to read first hand I encourage you to check out the Fellowship website; www.fellowship-pres.org. May God bless us all!

Chaz

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.   

On June 12th I had the privilege to attend the final worship service of Warrendale Presbyterian Church. In many ways it followed a familiar script; former members were in attendance and former pastors spoke or memories of the past. But it was also different from what one would expect at a final gathering; there was also talk of the future.

Yes the future.

Warrendalians spoke fondly of days gone by but they also referred to the days ahead. Warrendale sold their building to an Orthodox Presbyterian congregation. So proclamation of the gospel will continue in that building just as it did in the past during Warrendale’s heyday. The proceeds of the sale will benefit international student ministry at Stadium Village Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis  and the purchase of property for our New Church Development (NDC) Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church in the Lino Lakes/Blaine area. Three congregations are richly blessed by the final disposition of Warrendale Presbyterian Church. So while they were sad about the passing of Warrendale Presbyterian Church, the mood was also one of celebration for the continuing work of the gospel. Change comes, relentlessly and continually, yet things remain remarkably the same, the good news of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in new ways and different places.

Change comes in many forms, the most recent we have experienced in the PC(USA) is the passage of nFoG. The deciding vote was cast last week and the first part of our Book of Order will now change to reflect the desire of many of Presbyterians in recent years to make our book simpler. The New Form of Government, which takes effect on July 10th is designed to make polity more flexible. Many details have been deleted, such as the rule about calling a congregational meeting. The current Book of Order states you must make an announcement on two consecutive Sundays before convening a meeting. The new FoG states; “adequate public notice of all congregational meetings shall be given.” At the same time most of the foundations of our polity, such as Biblical and theological grounding for our process and our treatment of one another remains in tact. This change will require congregations, presbyteries, and synods to rewrite their manual of operations so that, decent and orderly procedures are followed. But it allows individual governing bodies to design those procedures in a fashion that is appropriate to their circumstances. It is no longer a one size fits all approach. Many governing bodies, now called councils, already have manual of operations in some form or fashion, and tweaking to this new flexibility shouldn’t be too big a problem. Others may have to start somewhat from the beginning. The Presbytery office will provide some resources to help in that process.

But even with a New Form of Government, the Six Great Ends of the Church are still in our constitution, and doing the work of proclaiming the gospel, nurturing the faith, maintaining worship, preserving truth, promoting righteousness, and exhibiting the kingdom of Heaven will continue just as it has when these were written 100 years ago, and as the church has done for two millennia. Things do change, and yet they remain remarkably the same. It’s true for little churches and for the larger church as well.

To the members of PTCA , please accept a special note of thanks for your deportment at our meeting of May 10th. We struggled with a difficult issue/vote and we got through it. Due to the high level of personal involvement no one found it perfect, but most found it tolerable. Now let us strive to live together as Christ’s Church doing the work we are called to do, in proclaiming, nurturing, maintaining,…..

Chaz

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

But in the midst of the pain, the death, and the despair Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is on the scene. Just one of many responders, PDA does an excellent job of providing both immediate and long term assistance to beleaguered communities.

For those congregations wishing to do something tangible for any or all of these hurting people please consider a couple of options.

1) Your congregation can accept a special offering for PDA, this can be earmarked for any specific disaster area or just general Disaster Assistance. You can send this directly to the Louisville offices or if you send it through the Presbytery office we can report to our sister congregations how much PTCA churches have contributed to this important work, encouraging others to participate. Those who gave to the One Great Hour of Sharing have already made a contribution to PDA.

2) You can have members of your church assemble hygiene kits that are used for places such as Tuscaloosa where people are suddenly without a home and living in a shelter until permanent arrangements can be made. {Hygiene kits include: 1 face towel, 1 wash cloth, one wide toothed comb, 1 nail clipper, 1 bar soap (full size), 1 toothbrush in original package, 6 band aids, various sizes. Seal all items in a one gallon plastic bag with zipper closure} You can contact the PDA office in Louisville or call the Presbytery office for mailing instructions.

Of course we strongly encourage you to remember all these victims in your prayers as they try to reconstruct their lives following such a disaster. Even though the magnitude of these consecutive disasters seems overwhelming, our prayers, our gestures, and our gifts do indeed make a big difference in the lives of many. Please consider encouraging your congregation to be involved in this relief effort.

Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com.

A number of folk have called the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area office or sent emails concerning an article which appeared in the Tuesday edition of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The article was reporting on the Permanent Judicial Commission hearing stemming from an allegation that a minister member of the Presbytery is engaged in a same-gender marriage. Most of the inquiries concerned the fact that they read about a PC(USA) judicial case in the newspaper rather than hearing about it from the more official sources.

Let me begin by saying I am sorry for those people who feel left out of information cycles. Let me also explain the limitations we face in publicizing information on judicial cases.

At the May 2010 meeting of Presbytery, Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman reported that an accusation had been leveled against a minister member of PTCA and that an Investigating Committee had been appointed to begin its duty of examining the accusation. The names of the accused, the accuser, and the investigating committee were not shared. The nature of the accusation was not released. This is all the information that the Stated Clerk was allowed to share with the Presbytery by order of the Book of Discipline. Our Rules of Discipline are designed to promote repentance, reconciliation, and redemption. It is quite strict in protecting the privacy of the accused until some sort of resolution is achieved. You can imagine why this is the case, a false charge made against a minister can take on a life of its own as rumors and innuendo are much more juicy than facts. Therefore, the release of names and details are strictly forbidden until a case reaches a resolution, through the dropping of charges or the result of a trial.

In this particular case, a resolution was reached on Monday, February 28^th.  The normal procedure is that the parties involved in the trial are informed immediately, and an announcement is made at the next meeting of the particular Governing Body, in this case PTCA. That announcement will come on Saturday, March 12^th. The announcement concerning resolution will state the name of the accused, the charges and the resulting PJC decision. It will not contain other details such as the vote of the PJC. Again, this is designed to protect the privacy of all the parties, but most especially the accused. It is our commitment to one another that we deal with possible offenses but that we do so with dignity and honor. However, this proceeding was attended by a reporter from the Star-Tribune. The secular press, in a free society as ours, is not bound by the constraints of our Book of Order, nor by the decency  we expect from colleagues in ministry. The reporter is free to write whatever she chooses. Where she got her facts I cannot say, but it was not from the Presbytery office which is prohibited from such disclosure. One member of the prosecuting committee was quoted concerning his speculation of what may transpire following this trial.  A PJC hearing is subject to an open meeting policy, but the date is normally not announced publically, again to protect the privacy and dignity of the accused. I am aware that a public announcement was made concerning the hearing. This was done by a person or persons who wanted to show support for the accused and not by the Presbytery office or the PJC.

Personally, I think it is most unfortunate that our colleague’s name and reputation has been so publically splashed in the media. I do not know his feelings on this attention, but regardless of whether he favors it or dislikes it, we are all diminished by the lack of respect and privacy accorded to our brother.

Many reading this blog have noticed by now that I have not referred to our colleague by name. This is not to show disrespect toward him, but out of respect for the process our constitution has outlined. Until such time as I know his feelings on public announcement or until it is officially noted for the record I will refer to him in the abstract.

Some have referred to this situation with words such as secrecy or dishonesty. The only words I can offer in defense of what appears as the withholding of information is that we respected the privacy of a colleague, according to the covenant we have made with one another. I continue to pray that we, as members of PTCA will deal with controversial subjects in a Christ-honoring, honest, civil, respectful, healthy, and mutually affirming manner.

 Peace be with you!

Chaz

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

Actually the answer is D: None of the above. NFoG stands for New Form of Government, the proposed changes to our beloved Book of Order(BoO). For a number of years different groups have spoken out at General Assembly meetings and asked that the current BoO, part 2 of our Constitution, be shortened and simplified. The response to that call is the proposed NFoG. It shortens the current Form of Government section from 18 chapters to 9. It removes much of the “Manual of Operations” portions of the book and instead offers a general Foundations and Principles sense to its contents.

Actually,  much of the old book remains, but much of the mandatory detail is removed and now left to the discretion of individual Sessions, Presbyteries, and Synods. I do not intend to go into detail in this blog, but I want to remind one and all that after spending time in small groups at the January meeting of Presbytery, and hearing from our GA Commissioner Matt Johnson who sat on the committee which proposed the NFoG, we will be voting on the proposal at our March Stated meeting.

In the meantime there will be an informational meeting for persons to learn about NFoG and raise questions and concerns on Saturday, February 12^th at Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina from 9 AM to 12 Noon. Also on the PTCA website there is a video of Matt Johnson and a listing of resources for information on NFoG.  Please make use of these resources and opportunities as you prepare yourself for a vote on NFoG’s adoption at the March meeting.

Chaz

          As you hopefully know by now our new vision for Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area  is: “We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a changing world!” (shameless plug) and one of the goals we have set for ourselves is to: establish a culture in which controversial issues are consistently addressed in a Christ-honoring, honest, civil, respectful, healthy, and mutually affirming manner. This particular goal is getting tested right out of the gate.

At the January, March, and May Stated meetings of PTCA we are voting on controversial issues sent to the presbyteries by the 219^th General Assembly. Our Bills and Overtures Committee (B&O) is working hard to deal with these required votes while discovering a means to live into our new goal. The process they have outlined, with the approval of the Council is to 1) have a Pre-Presbytery gathering to present information, (November -Belhar, January-NFoG, March-Proposed Constitutional amendments) 2) provide balanced information on the presbytery website, 3) present a brief argument for approval/disapproval followed by open discussion, and 4) the vote. It is the hope of B&O as well as the Council that this process will provide as much information as possible and create an atmosphere where points of view are heard without falling into a predictable pro vs. con debate that can grow contentious. For those who attended the January meeting, it felt quite different from previous discussions/votes and I hope it has started us down a path where we find that culture of civility.

          The emphasis at the January meeting was the Holy Spirit’s work in this new vision. As I reflect on the meeting I want to lift up an observation. I think the most significant moment in the entire meeting happened almost be accident. Gordon Stewart, minister member serving in Chaska stood up in support of approving the Belhar confession for inclusion in the Book of Confessions. He spoke passionately for his position, the only problem was he spoke during the time set aside for presbyters to raise their concerns with the Belhar confession. In his zeal,  Gordon said that adopting the Belhar was a “no brainer” inferring that there wasn’t a valid argument to oppose the confession. While his language wasn’t inflammatory, it could certainly be interpreted as dismissive. The Moderator asked Gordon to complete his comments during the time set for those in support. When Gordon returned to the mic, he began his comments with a confession and an apology. He said essentially, “I said this is a no brainer, and that is not fair to those with concerns. I apologize for that remark.” (not an exact quote)

In those few minutes when Gordon sat down and thought about what he had said, the Holy Spirit stirred within him to confess his dismissive statement and show respect to his fellow presbyters who honestly disagree with his point of view. I see this as an incredible step in the life of PTCA. We are learning how to state our views while honoring one another in the process. Would it have been better if Gordon had not made the statement in the first place? Yes, but he gave us an excellent example by heeding the Holy Spirit and retracting a hurtful comment. We are headed in the right direction, it may take us a while to get there, but we are moving down that road. Don’t look now, but it’s happening, the Holy Spirit is leading us, and it’s time for us to follow.

As the group worked through the process of creating this plan they moved from establishing guidelines for our work together to setting those values or priorities for our work and life as a presbytery. A lengthy list of hopes and dreams was written and the group then set out to refine, lobby, vote, and establish the top priorities that are listed on the plan.

          Our values begin with supporting congregations and ministers. In a way this is actually a return to former practice as this was the original charter for presbyteries. For congregations and clergy members to feel connected they must feel supported and appreciated. This value covers a wide variety of implementations from promoting the ministry of a particular congregation to assisting a minister through a challenging time of trial.

The second value is honesty in success and failure. This coincides closely with the guideline to consistently acknowledge,…. Transparency in our dealings with one another is an important step in establishing trust. In a group as large as PTCA there will be disagreements at times as to what is a success and what is a failure. But when discussed with honesty successes can be expanded and failures can be corrected.

          Discerning and adaptive leadership like many of the items listed in our plan this one went through extensive debate concerning the vocabulary to describe the desired outcome. It is the hope of the planning group and the Council that those who provide leadership in PTCA whether ministers or laity, will seek God’s wisdom and show the courage to address difficult questions in leading our church through challenging times, searching for long term solutions rather than merely quick and easy answers. Sounds a lot like energy, intelligence, imagination, and love,  doesn’t it?  

Diversity in our life together strives to affirm that our church is at its strongest when we are hearing and heeding all the voices in our body. Cultural differences, theological differences, and generational differences all provide a wisdom that we do not have when any group is excluded from the conversation or unfairly discounted.

          The final value expressed by the planning group affirms cultivating discipleship in every generation. There is no debating that the PC(USA) is a graying denomination. Seeking to make disciples of young people is not about bringing in someone to carry the heavy boxes, it is about meeting our obligation as outlined in the great commission. Christian faith is always one generation away from extinction. As Christians and Presbyterians we have a duty to proclaim the gospel message to each succeeding generation that they may know salvation.

The new vision or paradigm as presented by the planning group says, as the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a changing world. The aim of the group in setting this paradigm statement was to identify the obstacles that prevent us from achieving success as the body of Christ and say what we will do in order to overcome those obstacles. After extensive discussion the group identified the major obstacle to our success was fear; fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of failure. The group selected the world “fearlessly” as the antithesis of the crippling paradigm which currently ensnares us as a church. I know the word fear has created interesting debate, some have spoken against it as portraying us as cavalier or careless, while others have embraced it as the word that challenges us in a way that is long overdue. The planning group and the Council see this phrase with the word fearlessly as an aspiration for our presbytery. We are not currently fearless, but conducting ourselves fearlessly with the guidance of the Holy Spirit will make us a body of believers who accomplish amazing feats in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the intent of these blogs to provide some background into the work and thinking of the planning group as they and the Council present this plan for a vote in November. If you have specific questions please feel free to post them here along with whatever comments you would like to make. Later this week I will conclude this series by looking at the major focus and the stated goals. We fearlessly follow the Holy Spirit into a changing world.

Chaz

         

          I hope that all who read this will take the 5-10 minutes it takes to register and do so today! I am writing this blog immediately after filling out my volunteer dance card. Because I tend to be an outgoing person who enjoys talking to people, I have signed up to:

          1)greet guests at the Hotel (Thur)

          2)greet guests at the airport (Fri)

          3)work the registration desk (Sat) &

          4)work at volunteer check in desk (Tue)

In addition to these tangible tasks, knowing the importance of keeping centered on our work as a church, I have also volunteered to be a prayer partner, which means I will be randomly assigned to a commissioner and I will pray for that person each day during the Assembly. These combined with the other responsibilities I will have will keep me quite busy, but I am looking forward to it with great anticipation.

          I have attended enough GA’s over the years that I truly enjoy the atmosphere and the friendships that are celebrated in this gathering. I know that any of you who give some time for this big event will also enjoy it very much. I encourage you to sign up today, there are a wide variety of opportunities, my choices were greeting people, you can also sing, set up and tear down meetings, assist committees, usher, participate in worship, or PRAY. Remember just one volunteer shift entitles you to free access to all plenary sessions if you’re the type that wants to watch how the meetings unfold. Believe me it is well worth your time and I’m willing to bet after you’ve served one shift, you’ll offer to take a second or third shift as well. Almost everyone does. The clock is ticking, don’t wait too long and miss a great opportunity.

Chaz

 Chain of Lakes Pastor Paul Moore delivered an excellent sermon and a true feeling of celebration was felt by all in attendance. Of course Chain of Lakes Church could not have made it this far without the support and prayers of all our member churches and clergy of PTCA. You should all take pride in the birth of a new congregation within out midst. One of the phrases that Paul used in his sermon went something like this; “If we don’t give birth to new things, where are we headed? To extinction.” There are all kinds of reasons why starting new churches is a difficult task that causes worry in the hearts of some, all kinds of reasons to “postpone” new churches until a “better time.” But the fact is no perfect time exists, and to wait too long heads us down that road to extinction. Thanks to everyone in PTCA who has been involved with this new beginning, from those who gave substantial time and money to those who offered prayers.  Our new child has arrived and we can be very proud. Paul has great excitement for his ministry and it is off to a terrific start. May God continue to bless us all, but especially our newest member; Chain of Lakes Church.

Chaz Ruark is the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.