News from the Interim Co-Executive Presbyters

It is all over now.  OR It is just beginning.  America had another election for federal and state offices.  Is the Church any different on November 6, then it was on November 4?  Has the purpose of Christ been changed in anyway?  What lessons can we learn or recall that will help us meet the situation of our CFP congregations and our community citizens and leaders?

We offer for comfort and challenge the entirety of The Theological Declaration of Barmen, a council of Reformed Christian Churches in 1934 German.  It is a very clear contrast in our ‘reformed siblings’ from another era that just may be helpful in our living as ‘reformed siblings/cousins’ in our current era!  Please do internet search, or explore PCUSA for the Book of Confessions and look for this document.  It can be read in a few minutes and it opens up opportunity to explore together the situations of our presbytery in its Interim time.

I close with # 6 of its evangelical truths: 

“Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)  “The word of God is not fettered.” (II Tim. 2:9.)
The church’s commission, upon which its freedom is founded, consists in delivering the message of the free grace of God to all people in Christ’s stead, and therefore in ministry of his own Word and work through sermon and Sacrament.
We reject the false doctrine, as through the church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans.

Here are our “take aways” to share……….
·         Focus upon the free grace of God, as a recipient;
·         Focus upon the living toward ‘all people in Christ’s stead’;
·         Keep Christ’s ministry as our ministry through worship and community witnessing;
·         Reject false statements, doctrines, practices, programs within the church;
·         Represent God’s free grace in any public policy discussion and decision making;
·         Display behavior that fulfills Christ’s behavior shown in Christ’s Word and Work;

As a presbytery, in this season of Advent, let us take time to spiritually rest.  Let us see this spiritual season of expectation in our 70+ communities of ‘fellowships, worshipping communities, and congregations’ as a season to opportunity to tell our faith stories, to stand against any force that threatens the people or ministry of our sibling Presbyterians and to give ourselves to lay down our lives so we take on the work of Holy Spirit together.

Peace,
Hoover and Olivia Haney

DECEMBER 2024

Rev. Dr. Hoover & Rev. Olivia Haney