FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 1, 2005
 
Contact:   
Glenn Birch
Director of Communications, Union-PSCE
(804) 278-4306
gbirch@union-psce.edu

Seminary Presidents Endorse Task Force Report
The presidents of the ten theological seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and presidents of the two in covenant with the denomination have signed a letter in support of the report from the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church.
 
The letter expresses “our collective hope that the 217th General Assembly, the governing bodies, and individual members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will receive the report favorably.” The 12 consider the report of the Task Force “to be a positive contribution toward a constructive and faithful future for this portion of the church universal.”
 
There are 20 Presbyterians on the Theological Task Force, which was appointed in 2001 and chosen for the wide range of backgrounds and views within the PC(USA). The group’s task was “to discern the church’s Christian identity in and for the 21st century” and to devise “a process and instrument” to help the church deal with issues that are causing conflict, including sexuality and ordination, interpretation of the Bible, questions about Jesus Christ and salvation, and the use of power in the church.
 
The Theological Task Force issued its final report in September.
 
Signing the document are:
 
Barbara G. Wheeler, President Auburn Theological Seminary
Theodore J. Wardlaw, President, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Laura S. Mendenhall, President, Columbia Theological Seminary
Sergio Ojeda-Carcamo, President, Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico
David L. Wallace, Administrative Dean, Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary
Dean K. Thompson, President, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Cynthia M. Campbell, President, McCormick Theological Seminary
C. Samuel Calian, President, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Iain R. Torrance, President, Princeton Theological Seminary
Philip W. Butin, President, San Francisco Theological Seminary
Louis B. Weeks, President, Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education
Jeffrey F. Bullock, President, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary

Presidents' Letter in Full  Adobe

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Called Meeting of Presbytery - Sunday, October 16, 2005

A Called Meeting of Shenandoah Presbytery was held on Sunday, October 16, 2005, from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Massanetta Springs Conference Center.  The meeting was set in the context of worship with holy communion, focusing on the theme of Peace, Unity, and Purity.  The Sermon was presented by Frances Taylor Gench, a member of the Peace, Unity and Purity Task Force, and a Professor of New Testament at Union-PSCE in Richmond. The day included break-out groups for dialogue and reflection, followed by a question and answer period with Dr. Gench. 

The text of Dr. Gench's sermon are available below as an Adobe pdf file.

Frances Taylor Gench October 16, 2005 Sermon  

Resources from the Task Force - link to the Peace, Unity & Purity Task Force website

Task Force Full Final Report    (from 9/15/2005)
This report includes cover page with complete index and Covenant.
This Adobe file is 56 pages long and will require an extended download time.

Bulletin Insert  

Visit the Peace, Unity and Purity Task Force Website