I hate it each month when my issue of The Layman arrives in the mail. It's not that I hate the publication as much as how it makes me feel to be a member of a church affiliated with the The PC (USA) Denomination. The Layman provides excellent information about what is going on in the denomination. This month it highlighted the results of the 216th General Assembly of the PCUSA.
If you're even vaguely aware of the internal struggles that have riven the Episcopal Church these past few years then you have an idea of a similar event occuring within the PCUSA. Conservatives and those who hold to a more traditional view of scripture and doctrine are struggling to prevent the PCUSA from getting an "extreme makeover" from those with a decidedly liberal slant.
The denomination HQ in Louisville, KY is a big part of the problem especially with the stated clerk, Clifton Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick has an annoying tendency to ignore actions of those in the church that violate church doctrine while at the same time aggressively pursuing his own left-wing political agenda with the UN, the World Council of Churches and other organizations.
There was an opportunity to be done with Kirkpatrick. He was up for re-election this year. There was some hope of getting a leader who would stand for the things the denomination supposedly believes. However, conservatives made sure to shoot themselves in the foot.
Kirkpatrick ran against three others who were more or less conservative than him. So, you have one liberal against three conservatives. Any guess about what would happen? That's right. The conservative's vote was spread out over the three candidates while the more liberal side stood solidly behind their champion.
I'm not sure which of the three candidates was the first to throw his hat into the ring. The other two should've stayed out of the race. I can't imagine how they thought they'd win. Thanks to them, we'll have Kirkpatrick to deal with for another term.
I wonder if he'll be the last stated clerk of the PCUSA.
Posted by jdmays at August 8, 2004 01:45 AM | TrackBackKirkpatrick should go start his own qusai church rather than ruin a good church.
Posted by: david at August 7, 2004 11:18 PMIf you're so unhappy with your PCUSA church...and if you're a conservative...why don't you find a PCA church instead??
Posted by: kyer at August 8, 2004 07:10 AMKyer,
I guess I wasn't very clear in the post. I didn't mention any unhappiness with my local church. As a matter of fact, the local PCUSA church is great. The current doctrine of the PCUSA and many of it's churches are excellent.
It's the creeping liberalism of the denomination that I'm against.
-Jim.