wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] A celebration of the church's rich diversity

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7942 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

A celebration of the church's rich diversity
03396
September 22, 2003

A celebration of the church's rich diversity

By the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick
General Assembly Stated Clerk

LOUISVILLE - I was on a brief sabbatical this summer and studied the Book of
Acts.

It begins with the apostles gathered in an upper room on the Mount of Olives.
It was a picture of a traditional leadership group From the 1st-century
Jewish world - male, Jewish, and steeped in the religious tradition of
Israel.

How different the Christian community looked by the end of Acts! It was so
much richer and more alive because added to the twelve apostles were
"unlikely leaders" as Paul the Pharisee, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Italian
Captain Cornelius, Lydia, Priscilla and Aquilla, and countless others who
represented every "race, tongue, and nation." What a wonderful story of the
gift of God's rich diversity for the renewal of the church and the world!

I also read about the history of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and how the
church dealt with some of the painful divisions around the
fundamentalist-modernist controversy early in the 20th century.

One of the groups that helped our church to embrace unity in diversity was
the Commission of 1925. In my reading I found a picture of that group. It
looked no more diverse than the twelve apostles gathered in that upper room -
male, white, upper middle class, and English speaking. I give thanks to God
that we are a much more diverse church today.

What I observed this summer is that some of our most vital leadership and
movements for renewal are coming from Presbyterians who might have been
considered "on the margins" a short time ago. Here are some snapshots.

In June, I was privileged to be with the National Black Presbyterian Council
in Baltimore. I found a tremendous sense of renewal growing out of an
Afro-centric contribution to the well being of the PC(USA).

At the same time on the other side of the country - Hawaii - the National
Korean Presbyterian Council was celebrating the 100th anniversary of the
first Korean immigration to the United States and the tremendous gifts that
Korean-American Christianity has brought to our church.

In July, 4000 Presbyterian Women gathered in Louisville to celebrate and
affirm the gifts that women bring to our church.

And in early August, the Presbyterian Youth Connection Assembly brought
together 600 of our high school youth to teach all how to conduct an assembly
that builds up the church and gives glory to God.

These events demonstrate what incredible gifts exist within the diversity of
groups and peoples that make up the PC(USA). The apostle Paul reminds us that
the body of Christ is made up of many parts and that it only works well when
all the wonderfully diverse parts are honored, their gifts are welcomed in
leadership, and their hearts are centered on Jesus Christ, who is the head of
the church.

May such be true for us in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please send an email to
pcusanews-subscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org or
pcusanews-unsubscribe-request@halak.pcusa.org

To contact the owner of the list, please send an email to
pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org