April 2002
Dear Friends,
As many preachers have noted, the good news of Easter can be nearly as alarming as it is reassuring. If God can overturn all our expectations, what may God expect of us as we live in the time to come? What may acknowledging that "Christ is risen indeed!" mean, for us or for our church?
We and others who share our vision of the Presbyterian Church are deeply disappointed that the church did not embrace the peace offered, we believed, by proposed Amendment 01-A. We had hoped that this might be the year when the church would choose to move beyond annual battles over scriptural interpretation and allow faithful Presbyterians to follow conscientiously held convictions about God's ability to call to ordained service whom God will.
As we said after the loss of Amendment A (in the statement reprinted on page 2), we will not abandon our convictions about the reach of the gospel. We will endeavor in our congregations to continue to show Christ's own generous welcome to all who accept him as Lord and Savior and desire to participate in the mission and ministry of the church. It is, after all, his church, not ours.
It is now evident, however, that we must, all of us, find ways to be faithful that do not depend on immediate legislative change. As we are hearing from people across the denomination, we in the Covenant Network have work to do work of study, interpretation, pastoral ministry, and witness. We intend to stay the course. With renewed commitment we will celebrate a welcome beyond our own creating.
Some have suggested that "the legislative season is over; it is time for the judicial season to begin." We reject that idea. We do not believe that most Presbyterians, regardless of how they voted on Amendment A, want a church whose members pursue each other through the judicial system. They do not want to involve sessions and presbyteries in expensive and draining cases, diverting funds and attention from evangelism and mission.
We can do better than that. Surely our Presbyterian tradition, not to mention the bright promises of the gospel, show a far different and broader vision. We in the Covenant Network hope instead to embrace the new life that God in Christ offers to us all. We will continue to seek opportunities for both witness and dialogue. We will continue to seek to live together with the others whom God has given to us in the church.
May God grant all of us the Easter eyes to recognize our sisters and brothers in all whom we meet.
Grace and Peace,
Joanna M. Adams
Co-Pastor, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago
Eugene C. Bay
Pastor, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr, PA