First Presbyterian Church              

Hugo, Oklahoma

Overture 02-14. On Requesting the Theological Task Force to Clarify the Issues Raised by the Confessing Church Movement Concerning the Lordship of Christ, the Authority of the Bible, and Ordination Standards—From the Presbytery of Northeast Georgia.

The Presbytery of Northeast Georgia overtures the 214th General Assembly (2002) to request that the General Assembly Council direct the Theological Task Force to do the following:

1. Clarify the issues raised by the Confessing Church Movement concerning the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Bible, and ordination standards, based on our church’s Confessions, Book of Order, Scripture, the Declaration of Faith, and the New Catechism.

2. Consider the Presbytery of Northeast Georgia as a location to engage in dialogue on these issues with the task force.

3. Give special attention, in light of issues currently before the church, to the Declaration of Faith so that it is carefully reviewed, thoughtfully considered, and appropriately revised so that the results of such a study might subsequently be considered by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) with a view that the Declaration of Faith be approved by our denomination at the outset of this third millennium and included in The Book of Confessions.

Deep divisions exist within our church, the PC(USA). The constant debate has drained the energy to accomplish “The Great Ends of the Church.” The Confessing Church Movement has lifted up three of the divisive issues by stating plainly what the indiv idual churches proclaim based on Scripture and The Book of Confessions. This movement is gaining momentum throughout our denomination and demanding clarity on the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, and ordination standards. The Theological Task Force created by the 213th General Assembly (2001) (Minutes, 2001, Part I, pp. 28–29) has the best opportunity to make clear the content of Scripture and The Book of Confessions. This task force is charged to seek productive theological inquiry, understanding, and discussion, all of which are difficult to achieve by debate.

We also suggest that the Presbytery of Northeast Georgia be included as one of the places for discussion.

The Declaration of Faith is a creed developed prior to reunion in 1983, but one that never attained constitutional status. We believed it to be not only a valid expression of the Christian faith, but one, which by its content and choice of words, clearly addresses issues referenced in paragraph one of the above stated overture—specifically, the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Bible, and ordination standards.