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Excerpt from Letter from the GA
Moderator
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 Hi
Friends,
I feel led to address an opinion I have heard from several people in my
traveling around the country. The statement is usually made in response
to my assertion that everyone who believes in Jesus as their savior is a
brother or sister in Christ to every other believer. It goes something
like this: "Gay and lesbian people are not my brothers and sisters;
they can't be Christians," or "Gays and lesbians would not be
allowed to join my (Presbyterian) church." I am deeply grieved when
I hear this opinion, and I believe it not only wrong but deeply
pernicious heresy for the following reasons.
First, our Book of Order makes a profession of faith in Jesus Christ the
only requirement for church membership. Refusing people membership in the
church for reasons not related to profession of faith in Jesus as savior
is forbidden by the constitution of the church. Second, the Authoritative
Interpretation of the Constitution delivered in 1978 which is the basis
of our understanding of how the church relates to homosexual persons
states that homosexuality or homosexual practice is not a bar to church
membership. Again, nothing unrelated to profession of faith in Jesus
Christ can be used to bar people from church membership.
The most serious and
pernicious thrust of this point of view, however, is what I call the
"Jesus and" heresy. What does it take to be a Christian? Some
say it takes Jesus and good theology. Some say it takes Jesus and good morality.
Some say it takes Jesus and a way of life that is free of all unrepented
sin. And so on...
I believe that the idea
that we need anything but Jesus to be saved and therefore a member in the
body of Christ is a form of works righteousness and should be repudiated
by all right thinking Christians. Even mild forms of "Jesus
and" theology constitute a slippery slope that leads us back into
the bondage Paul rails against in Galatians. Yes, being in a saving
relationship with our Lord does require us to live a holy life. The fact
that we have significant differences about what a holy life entails,
however, does not entitle some of us to lock others of us out of the body
of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Joan S. Gray
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Bits of News
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 Anderson
Meals on Wheels will have a SPAGHETTI DINNER FUNDRAISER on September
6. Lunch will be available from 11:30 - 2:00 and Dinner from 5:00 - 7:00.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Meal includes
spaghetti, bread, salad & dessert. Event will be held at Meals on
Wheels, 105 S. Fant St., Anderson. For more information, contact Heather
Beavers at 222- 6624 or heather@acmow.org.
The DOXOLOGY INSTITUTE
VOCAL ENSEMBLE is holding auditions for sopranos, altos, tenors, and
basses ages 17 and older. For information about The Doxology Institute,
go to www.doxologyinstitute.org.
For audition details, email Barryzbox@aol.com
or call 422-8339 and leave your name and mailing address.
The BOWDEN GAMEDAY
BREAKFAST is being hosted by Fellowship of Christian Athletes on
Labor Day Monday, September 3, at Carolina First Center in Greenville.
This is the morning of the Clemson vs. Florida State season opener.
Proceeds from the breakfast benefit the high school and college ministry
of FCA in Upstate South Carolina. To register online, go to www.BowdenBreakfast.com.
Don't forget the Annual Polar
Bear (pictured above) Challenge at Camp Buc on Saturday, September 1,
11:00 - 3:00. For more information, visit the link below.
Polar Bear
Challenge
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Connecting Teachers and Leaders
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Connecting Teachers and
Leaders in the 21st Century Church will be held on Saturday, September
8, at 9:00 a.m. at John Knox Church. Highlighted workshop for this week
is "Horizons Bible Study for 2007-08." The Rev. Tom Malone will
lead this brief overview of "Above and Beyond: Hearing God's Call
in Jonah and Ruth." There will be a study lesson-by-lesson,
highlighting main points and suggesting how to teach the various lessons.
Outlines for Jonah and Ruth will be provided along with other suggestions
for supplementary resources.
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Joys and Concerns
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Prayer list for this
week: (This is a rotating list taken from the presbytery directory.
Several people will be listed each week, and we ask that you especially
remember these people in prayer.) Don Cooke, Honorably Retired
Pastor; Jan Culpepper, Landrum Pastor; Doug Cushing, Tyger River Pastor;
Mel Davis, Midway Pastor.
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Presbytery Meeting at Camp Buc
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 Camp
Buc staff is excited and eager to host the Stated Meeting of Foothills
Presbytery on August 21. Make plans now to carpool with folks from your
area and enjoy the day in the mountains. You should have your
Commissioner's Handbooks by now - be sure and bring them with you to the
meeting. A Stewardship notebook will be available at this meeting for
each church.
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South Carolina United as One Voice - Save
Darfur
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Hundreds of thousands
have died in Darfur - millions have died across Sudan. What is going
on in Darfur, Sudan? The people of that region are victims of a
ruthless genocide. This genocide, which is defined as the deliberate and
systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group, began in early
2003. At this time armed opposition groups emerged in the region in
response to economic, political, and social marginalization of the
African population of Darfur. Rather than focusing on combating these
rebel military forces, the Sudanese government chose to attack innocent
men, women, and children in what is described as "ethnic cleansing."
These victims have fled attacks by their own government - they have
endured mass killings, torture, arbitrary arrest, the torching of homes
and entire villages, rape, and the deliberate destruction of crops and
livestock. This has resulted in the deaths of over 400,000, mass movement
of others to refugee camps, and the dependence of over 3,000,000 on
humanitarian aid, largely funded by the U.S. The perpetrators have not
been brought to justice, and the situation is deteriorating!
What can we do to help? On Sunday, September 16, the Darfur
Action Group of South Carolina will conduct a Rally to support the
millions of victims of the genocidal policies and actions of the
Government of Sudan. Your voice makes a difference. Join with other South
Carolinians and people from around the world in working to stop the
genocide in Darfur. The goal is simple: stop the wanton, lawless violence
and bring about a just and lasting peace.
The Rally will be held on
the steps of the S.C. State House in Columbia, S.C. on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER
16, at 3:00 P.M., rain or shine. State and local elected officials
and community leaders are supporting the rally, and many will attend. All
candidates for President are invited, and it is expected that some will
attend and discuss their position on Darfur.. All 50 colleges and
universities in S.C. will encourage their students to attend. All
religious communities in the state and surrounding areas will urge their
congregants to attend. Local, state and national media are invited.
Trinity Presbytery in
Columbia has had a partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Sudan for
over twenty years, and they are supporting this Rally and encouraging all
faith communities to be present. For more information, visit the link
given below or call 803- 233-2410.
Save Darfur
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