This year's meeting in Columbus produced no bombshells like last year's Amendment A. But the shadow of the defeat of Amendment A may have extended over this year's Assembly making it very passive. Basically, the Commissioners did what the staff and structure told them to do. The consequence is that the bonds of our unity are weaker after the Assembly than before it, in my view.

This General Assembly assented to a very good statement of the nature and work of Jesus when it affirmed "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ." That extended statement declares that Jesus is the only Lord and Savior for the world. But the Assembly declined even to suggest that officers must accept the same theology when they are ordained. Per capita apportionments did not become mandatory, even though the Stated Clerk advised mandating it for congregations. This constituted the only significant exception to the general passivity of the Assembly. In fact the Assembly confirmed its understanding that Per Capita is voluntary for congregations.

Evidence of the erosion of our connections are visible in the adoption of a move to biennial assemblies beginning after 2005. This will have the effect of reducing the accountability of our staff and leaving more authority and control in their hands. Of course, it will relieve the burden of responsibility and expense on the church at large. But in the first year when GA does not meet, evangelicals are already planning their own "Congress" on the church. In addition, the GA declined to hold accountable those governing bodies which have expressed their intention to disregard certain provisions of the Constitution that require fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness of those who seek ordination in the PC (USA).

The Assembly cut the future budgets by $3-4 million, thus eliminating 34 positions for missionaries. Given the opportunity to direct the GAC to revise its priorities, the GA refused, but went on to fund a staff position to join the Socialist Workers Party in organizing a boycott of Taco Bell (To the tune of $35,550) The GA did establish a "Mission Initiative" that seeks to raise $40 Million for Mission from outside the budget giving -- mainly in large special donations from people like Helen Walton. This approach will have the effect of making missions an add-on, not part of our regular business while preserving regular giving for lowest priority items like boycotting Taco Bell, the Washington Office, the continuing payments to the left-wing conglomerate PHEWA, which was told by the GA in 1998 to become financially independent and which costs at least $87,000 out of mission funds annually.

Also, in the process GA agreed to fund a $750,000 curriculum venture by the same organization that lost millions in the past with nothing more than assurances that this time will be different. The Assembly also allowed to stand the staff's refusal to bring our official Sunday School curriculum on sexuality into conformity with our fidelity-chastity standard -- as ordered by three previous General Assemblies. It agreed to accept the morality of the destruction of premature babies whose mothers sought abortions in a virtually unlimited number of circumstances, thus abrogating the previous position of General Assembly.

A national governing body that fails to defend its own Constitution, weakens the accountability of its staff, ignores the direction of the GA itself, declines to operate according to its stated mission priorities and meets less often will have a hard time holding the allegiance of its most committed people and congregations. So, I suspect, unless this trend is reversed by next year's GA, that more and more the PC (USA) will become a loose association of congregations with little mutual accountability and less integrity. The ties that bind us together are loosening. Maybe that's the way of all institutions in our present age. For me it feels like the loss of community. Further, I believe that next year will be the last opportunity for a while to make a vital difference because 2004 will concern itself with preparing for a year off, and that GA will elect a Stated Clerk. Next year is also crucial because it elects PJC members.

214th GA index

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