25 February 2009
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Presbyterians Week Headlines
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[1] Virginia Senate Committee Kills Bill to Restore State Police Chaplains’ Right to Pray In Jesus’ Name
[2] PCUSA Alabama Presbyteries Vote Whether or Not to Weaken the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment
[3] Maryville College Cancels Americangirlmodel Premier Campus Event without Notice
[4] Auburn Theological Seminary names Katharine Rhodes Henderson New President
[5] Three EPC Presbyteries Address the Ordination of Women as Teaching Elders
[6] Rome Bringing Back the Doctrine of Indulgences
[7] British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Invites Roman Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Great Britain
[8] Glasgow Artist Chastises Church of Scotland for Emphasis on Environment Instead of Saving Souls
[9] Presbyterian Church of Wales Supports Devolution in Written Submission to the All Wales Convention
[10] ARP Synod 2009 Registration Available Online
[11] Dallas Theological Seminary Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies Dr. Harold Hoehner Dies 12 February 2009
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[1] Virginia Senate Committee Kills Bill to Restore State Police Chaplains’ Right to Pray In Jesus’ Name
The Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee on 23 February 2009 voted to kill HB2314 (House Bill 2314), which would have restored the rights of Virginia State Police (VSP) chaplains to pray publicly “in Jesus’ name.”
Virginia governor and chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tim Kaine in 2008 ordered that VSP chaplains not pray in Jesus’ name.
Six VSP chaplains resigned their chaplaincies in the fall of 2008 rather than obey the governor’s order that they publicly deny Jesus Christ.
The Virginia House of Delegates had successfully voted by a more than two-to-one margin to pass HB2314 in January 2009.
Ironically, the Virginia motto is ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis,’ which is Latin for ‘Thus Always to Tyrants.’
+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com
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[2] PCUSA Alabama Presbyteries Vote Whether or Not to Weaken the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment
In recent meetings, two Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) presbyteries in Alabama voted on whether or not to weaken section G-6.0106b of the PCUSA Constitution that requires “…fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness.” for ministers being ordained.
The PCUSA’s north-central Alabama Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley in a 19 February 2009 meeting at First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, voted 77-75 to weaken the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment.
In a 21 February 2009 meeting at First Presbyterian Church in Athens, Alabama, the PCUSA’s North Alabama Presbytery voted 48-34 not to weaken the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment.
As of 23 February 2009, the national vote is 40-24 against weakening the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment according to the Presbyterian Lay Committee. For the amendment to weaken the Fidelity and Chastity Amendment to go into effect, eighty-seven of 173 PCUSA presbyteries would have to approve the weakening amendment by mid-May 2009.
+ AL.com, 2901 2nd Avenue South, Suite 260, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, 800-701-0898
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
+ Presbyterian Lay Committee, Post Office Box 2210, Lenoir, North Carolina 28645, 828-758-8716, Fax: 828-758-0920, laymanletters@layman.org
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[3] Maryville College Cancels Americangirlmodel Premier Campus Event without Notice
Americangirlmodel, “a not for profit educational and charitable foundation dedicated to young ladies in the pursuit of wholesome appearance and purity,” had a signed and paid-in-full contract to hold their Grand Premier event at Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)-affiliated Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee on 14 February 2009, Valentines Day, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
On the eve of the scheduled event, 13 February 2009, Maryville College administrative vice president William Seymour contacted an Americangirlmodel worker stating that the event was being canceled by the college without explanation.
Americangirlmodel event coordinator Melanie Shaw said, “Thousands of hours and dollars were spent in planning this premier event. It’s sad to think that a Christian college would breech its contract the night before without any explanation, knowing we would not be able to find an alternative location in time.”
“The College’s decision ruined Valentines Day for a lot of girls looking forward to the screening which promotes and introduces girls who believe in high moral standards and values into media and film industries that model those strong family values. This is definitely not the conduct we expected from a Presbyterian [PCUSA] College, especially towards a not-for-profit educational and charitable foundation for girls.”
+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
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[4] Auburn Theological Seminary names Katharine Rhodes Henderson New President
Auburn Theological Seminary’s (ATS) board of directors on 19 February 2009 elected Katharine Rhodes Henderson ATS’s new president. Henderson succeeds Barbara G. Wheeler, who has been president of the New York, New York seminary since 1979. Henderson will take office July 1.
Henderson joined the ATS staff 15 years ago and is currently an executive vice president. Henderson also has experience in parish ministry and a commitment to multifaith engagement, women’s leadership and business ethics, and bringing religious issues before the public.
As president, Henderson’s goals will focus on highlighting ATS as a center for religious leaders to find theological depth, multifaith understanding, and literacy about the moral dimensions of public issues.
Henderson has a multifaith staff, among whom the programs leaders include Reform Rabbi Justus N. Baird who leads ATS’s multifaith work, and a Palestinian Muslim who directs Face to Face/Faith to Faith.
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
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[5] Three EPC Presbyteries Address the Ordination of Women as Teaching Elders
Three Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) presbyteries at their recent meetings addressed in varying ways the ordination of women as teaching elders.
The Presbytery of Mid-America met at Central Presbyterian Church of St. Louis, Missouri on 30-31 January 2009. By two to one margin, the presbytery approved a proposal to draft an overture for General Assembly consideration calling for the creation of two affinity presbyteries within the geographic bounds of the presbytery. One affinity presbytery “would ordain only men to the office of teaching elder and one would be free to ordain men and women to the office of teaching elder.”
The Presbytery of the East met 6-7 February 2009 at Dundalk Presbyterian Church in Dundalk, Maryland. The recommendation of the presbytery’s special administrative commission was approved. In part, it declared that “each presbyter has liberty to vote their conviction regarding the ordination of individuals as Teaching Elders in the Presbytery of the East;” that the presbytery will not prohibit candidates for ordination as Teaching Elders due to their “gender;” and that “all members will be treated during the entire (examination) process with charity, grace, and the respect due to one who seeks to submit themselves to Scripture and the calling of the Holy Spirit.”
The Presbytery of Florida met 13-14 February 2009 at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and voted to appoint a special committee to study the ordination and reception of women as Teaching Elders. Previously, the Presbytery had voted to prohibit women from serving as teaching elders.
+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 North Laurel Park Drive Suite 567, Livonia, Michigan 48152, 734-742-2020, Fax: 734-742-2033, webmaster@epc.org
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[6] Rome Bringing Back the Doctrine of Indulgences
In a 9 February 2009 New York Times article, reporter Paul Vitello describes how in recent months the Roman Catholic Church is again making available the spiritual benefit of indulgences, what Vitello describes as, “a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife.”
Pope John Paul II began reversing the post-Vatican II minimization of the doctrine of indulgences, and this reversal has gained much greater momentum under Pope Benedict XVI.
Vitello simplifies the complex doctrine as follows: “According to [Roman] church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory, before they can enter heaven. In exchange for certain prayers, devotions or pilgrimages in special years, a [Roman] Catholic can receive an indulgence, which reduces or erases that punishment instantly, with no formal ceremony or sacrament.”
“There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it until another sin is committed. You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one.”
A significant number of the ninety-five theses Martin Luther posted on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral on 31 October 1517, thus igniting the Protestant Reformation, dealt with the abusive practices surrounding the unbiblical Roman doctrines of Purgatory and indulgences.
+ New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018, 212- 556-1234, executive-editor@nytimes.com
+ The Vatican
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[7] British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Invites Roman Pope Benedict XVI to Visit Great Britain
During an audience with (Roman) Pope Benedict XVI on 19 February 2009, British Prime Minister Tony Brown invited the pope to visit Great Britain. The proposed papal visit would be only the second visit to Great Britain by a Roman pontiff since King Henry VIII, in 1534, dissolved ties with Rome and established the Church of England. The only other visit of a Roman pontiff was that by Pope John Paul II in 1982.
Brown is the son of a Church of Scotland pastor.
+ The Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, England, 020-7938-6000, news@dailymail.co.uk
+ The Vatican
+ Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AZ, England, +44(0)20-7898-1000
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722
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[8] Glasgow Artist Chastises Church of Scotland for Emphasis on Environment Instead of Saving Souls
Glasgow, Scotland artist Peter Howson turned to the Church of Scotland (CoS) nine years ago after overcoming drug and alcohol abuse. Howson now believes that it is the CoS that has lost its way because of the Kirk being too interested in saving the planet rather than in saving souls.
In an interview with CoS magazine Life and Work, Howson said, “”I think the Church of Scotland is being a bit namby pamby. I think it needs some sort of revival to get back to its traditional roots. The whole thing with green issues, with saving the planet – that’s not the church’s job. The church’s job is saving souls. To go with the green stuff is a disaster. It’s revolting to me.”
+ The Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, England, 020-7938-6000, news@dailymail.co.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722
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[9] Presbyterian Church of Wales Supports Devolution in Written Submission to the All Wales Convention
The Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCW) has submitted a written submission dated January 2009 to the All Wales Convention (AWC) expressing its support for more powers for the National Assembly for Wales.
In the written submission, the PCW notes that further devolution is important in order to strengthen democracy in Wales.
The PCW Officers of the Church and Society Department, who were responsible for preparing the submission, will present oral evidence to the AWC on 23 April 2009 in Wrexham, Wales.
+ Presbyterian Church of Wales, Tabernacle Chapel, 81 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DD, Wales, 44-0-29-20627465, swyddfa.office@ebcpcw.org.uk
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[10] ARP Synod 2009 Registration Available Online
Registration for the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church’s (ARP) 205th Annual Meeting, ARP Synod 2009, is available online at www.arpsynod.org/synod.html.
ARP Synod 2009 will be held 9-11 June 2009 at the Bonclarken Conference Center in East Flat Rock, North Carolina.
+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Center, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729
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[11] Dallas Theological Seminary Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies Dr. Harold Hoehner Dies 12 February 2009
Dr. Harold Hoehner, 74, Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), died 12 February 2009.
Dr. Hoehner taught and provided leadership to the academic work of DTS for forty-two years, twenty-seven of those years as Director of Ph.D. Studies and twenty-four as chairman of the New Testament department.
In 2006, the DTS New Testament faculty, former students, and fellow scholars published a book on New Testament exegesis as a tribute to Dr. Hoehner as their teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. The editors concluded the preface with these words: “Most of all [Dr. Hoehner] has shown us what it means to be a man of God, committed to Christ and His gospel, and reflecting the fruit of the Spirit over a lifetime of faithful service.”
Dr. Hoehner is survived by his wife, four adult children, and eleven grandchildren.
+ Dallas Theological Seminary, 3909 Swiss Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75204, 214-824-3094, Fax: 214-841-3664
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