103 articles from 57 issues, 1996 to 2026 · Page 3 of 9
What would presbyteries be approving if they replaced the whole Form of Government? Carol Shanholtzer reads the new Foundations section, the rewritten chapters and the advisory handbook, and warns of a more hierarchical church and a loss of ordination standards.
Could every congregation be made to fund benefits for same-sex partners through the mandatory pension plan? James Tony explains what the 219th General Assembly urged the Board of Pensions to do, why presbyteries will not vote on it, and what members can do.
Where does the Presbytery of Denver’s overture leave same-gender partnerships in the church? Three members of the special committee on civil unions and Christian marriage answer from Scripture, the confessions and the Constitution that the church cannot bless them.
What would the proposed new Form of Government mean for the local congregation? Carol Shanholtzer lists changes that would limit the session’s powers and place congregations under a more centralized, top-down structure.
Who chooses the commissioners whose votes shape a General Assembly? Gabrielle Avedian argues that presbyters must examine nominees, cites Pittsburgh and Los Ranchos as models, and shows how to change a presbytery’s election rules.
The new Form of Government task force recommends a paper on “missional ecclesiology” as required reading for Presbyterians. Viola Larson argues that it redefines the Church’s core message, the Nicene marks and the Reformation marks of the true Church.
What does an ancient wall-builder have to say to a denomination voting for the fourth time on the same question? Terry Schlossberg turns to Nehemiah’s strategy of lifting the people’s eyes from the rubble and urges a firm No on Amendment B.
Who holds the power to reform the church: the renewal groups, or the people in the pews? Sue Cyre argues that renewal’s successes belong to faithful commissioners, and that the constitution places the power with members, elders and clergy.
What is at stake when the presbyteries vote on Amendment B? This short note from the Board of Theology Matters introduces an issue gathered to help readers prepare for the debate over replacing the “Fidelity and Chastity” standard of G-6.0106b.
If homosexual orientation is created by God and not chosen, what follows for bisexual and transgendered candidates for ordination? Christopher Rosik poses three questions about consistency that, he says, advocates of ordaining sexually active gays and lesbians have yet to answer.
If a pledge to obey Jesus Christ can be separated from obedience to Scripture, what is left of the church’s ordination standards? James Edwards argues that Amendment B drives that wedge, and that the Book of Confessions refuses it.
Can a church seek the mind of the Holy Spirit without ever voting? Viola Larson examines the Guidelines for Communal Discernment and argues that consensus decision-making manipulates participants and takes away rights they would keep under parliamentary procedure.
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