Daring to Hope: Preparing for the Church of Tomorrow

Kirsten Kingdon, Elder,
New York Avenue Presbyterian Church,
Washington D.C., and Board Member

Reformed and always reforming. How to balance our loyalty to tradition with the need for fresh interpretations in an ever-changing world emerged as a theme during Covenant Network's second southeastern regional conference held May 12th and 13th at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The keynote speaker, the Rev. Jack Rogers, moderator of the 213th General Assembly of the PC(USA), demonstrated this balance superbly. He went through a change in heart and mind as he applied the tools he used as a theologian and historian of doctrine to a new context of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their appropriate role in the church of today. His presentation, rich with examples from his experience, scholarly expertise and intensive study of church history and the Bible, drew on his recently published book, Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality. One of his thought-provoking comments was that Jesus never went on a moral crusade against those marginalized in their society, but befriended them. It is no wonder that his book is in its third printing!

The conference began with an overview and update on the reception of the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church by Frances Taylor Gench, Professor of New Testament at Union Seminary - PSCE, and member of the Task Force. Following her concise, comprehensive presentation, small groups discussed what excites and encourages them about the report and the questions and concerns they have about it, as well as the May 9th Covenant Network statement, A Time for Hope in the Church. Frances and a group of Covenant Network leaders fielded questions and comments.

The conferees appreciated the format of a mix of plenary presentations, small groups addressing specific questions, followed by a chance for questions and answers in the whole group. This format worked particularly well in the more intimate setting of a regional conference.

The worship services were comforting, strengthening, meaningful, powerful and provocative. The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson preached about blind Bartimeus, and brought his life as a marginalized person vividly to life, as he did the modern parallels to that story, in his sermon, "Who Is Really Blind?" to bring the conference to a fitting conclusion.