To the Editor:

There was a popular song back when I was in school that said, "Whoops, there it is." The same might reasonably be said of the frank and somewhat shocking admissions to be found in the letter by the Rev. Barbara G. Hager, attorney and member/clerk of the Southern New England PJC. I have often been baffled by some of the strange decisions (and indecisions/inactions) that have come forth from some of our governing bodies regarding the enforcement of our PC(USA) Constitution. Well, if that letter is any indicator of what is to be faced in some of those presbyteries, I am baffled no longer. There you have it, my friends, in black and white. You could ask for no clearer sign that our Church and its Constitution is in deep, deep trouble. Trust the system? Yeah, sure (wink, wink). Take your complaints to the liberal oligarchy, and you, too, can be vilified like Paul Rolf Jensen.

The question is, what to do about it? It's going to take concerted action. Inaction will only allow an elitist and extremist liberal minority to further entrench itself in its stranglehold on some of the vital parts of our denomination. There is no need to leave the denomination. There is no need to disregard the Constitution as some folks seem to do on a regular basis with no qualms. We can play hardball the way the liberal elite does. We have the strength, and we have the spiritual fortitude to do what needs to be done. Pray. Pray hard. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide. Then, act accordingly. May God bless you as you seek to do His will.

Rev. JP Thornton
Bland, VA