Presbyterian Church (USA) News - Presbyweb - Letter Montreat PC, October 30, 2000

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October 30, 2000

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Note from the editor: The following document to denominational leaders was sent by Montreat Presbyterian Church concerning what it believes to be delinquencies of the General Assembly Council concerning the presentation of Rev. Dirk Ficca at the the 2000 Presbyterian Peacemaking conference. Earlier the session of Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX had also sent a letter asking the GAC to "cure delinquencies", but the session of the Montreat Presbyterian Church was not satisfied with the answer which was posted last week, saying that it fails to address the real delinquencies and cure the Christological issues raised..." Montreat Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 279, Montreat, North Carolina 28711 October 26, 2000 Peter Pizor, Chair, General Assembly Council John Detterick, Executive Director, General Assembly Council, Chair, Congregational Ministries Division Donald G. Campbell, Director, Congregational Ministries Division cc: Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (USA) Dear Brothers, Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the General Assembly Council meeting at Montreat, NC, on September 6-9, 2000, we believe the said General Assembly Council
1.	did fail "to warn or bear witness against error in doctrine or immorality in practice in or outside the church" by neglecting to correct the keynote address by the Reverend Dirk Ficca at the 2000 Peacemaking Conference. (G-13.0103p)
2.	did fail to "review the work of General Assembly agencies and bodies in light of General Assembly mission directions, goals, objectives, and priorities" (G-13.0201e), by neglecting to call the Peacemaking Unit to act in accord with the Creeds and Confessions of the Church, and
3.	did fail "to uphold the great ends of the church (G-1.0200), by not upholding the necessity of the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of all humankind.
	(The General Assembly is tasked in G-13.0103p with the mission "to warn or bear witness against error in doctrine or immorality in practice in or outside the church". Since the General Assembly Council is mandated with the responsibility in G-13.0201e to review the work of the General Assembly agencies and bodies in the light of General Assembly mission directions, goals, objectives, and priorities, then one responsibility of the GAC is to review the work of its own agencies and bodies so as "to warn or bear witness against error in doctrine or immorality in practice in or outside the church.")
The 2000 Peacemaking Conference was, in fact, an offering of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Office of the Congregational Ministries Division of the same General Assembly Council. We, the session of Montreat Presbyterian Church, believe that your failure to act as constitutionally required has resulted in delinquencies in the following particulars. We ask that you cure each particular at your upcoming General Assembly Council meeting. Delinquency # 1: Failure to bear witness against error in doctrine A delinquency was committed at the September meeting of the General Assembly Council when this council failed:
1.	to offer an official response by the General Assembly Council to the Rev. Ficca's presentation which would warn and bear witness against error in doctrine in the church; (G-13.0201p)
2.	to offer an official response of the General Assembly Council to the Rev. Ficca's presentation which would cultivate and promote the spiritual welfare of the whole church by bearing witness to the constitutional teaching of the Presbyterian Church (USA) concerning the nature of salvation; (G-13.0201a) (See Appendix 1.)
The 2000 Peacemaking Presentation of the GAC Office of Peacemaking In his address, the Rev. Ficca first described what he calls an “instrumental view” of Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers.
	"In the instrumental view, salvation comes solely through Jesus. Jesus is the sole and only instrument of God's salvation -- through one person at a certain point in history, who lived and died in a certain way, only through this person does God's salvation come into the world. Here the Gospel is about Jesus; Jesus himself, is the Good News." [Appendix 2 - The Jesus Debate - (page 10 of that document) paragraph 3]
Although the instrumental view is the constitutional doctrinal standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for missions and evangelism, Rev. Ficca labeled this view "not helpful" and "problematic" in dealing with other religions. He also closely linked the espousing of this view to the evil of ethnic cleansing. Rev. Ficca explained to the 2000 Peacemaking Conference,
	"What we are basically saying is: Your religious identity is not acceptable, and my job is to eliminate it from the face of the earth. Is there another way to relate to people of other religions that maintains the integrity of who we are, but doesn't engage in a kind of religious ethnic cleansing?" (Appendix 2, p. 3 of the Jesus Debate, par. 4; see also p. 2 of the Jesus Debate, par 4)
Ficca placed the ministry of missions and evangelism (to which the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been called by its Book of Order, Directory of Worship, Confessions, consistent General Assemblies, and the Scriptures) into the same category as those who have murdered hundreds of thousands in Rwanda, East Timor, Bosnia, and Kosovo. The Rev. Ficca’s keynote address consequentially impugned Presbyterians who would obey their constitutional mandate to bear witness to the Prince of Peace in all the world. After declaring the instrumental view of salvation to be "not helpful,” "problematic,” and a form of ethnic cleansing, the Rev. Ficca stated what he believes to be another way of salvation, which he states contains "integrity.”
	"The revelatory view says that salvation comes through the Spirit. And that the Good News is not the good news so much about Jesus, but the good news of Jesus: The Good News that Jesus preached." (Appendix 2, p. 10 of the Jesus Debate, par. 4)
In explaining and declaring his commitment to this “revelatory” view of salvation, the Rev. Ficca misquoted and offered a revision of the words of Jesus. Without attributing the quote to Jesus, Mr. Ficca declared, “‘I am the way of [sic] the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father but by me.' I believe that…”, (Appendix 2, p. 11, par. 2). What does this revision of Jesus’ teaching mean? Mr. Ficca explained:
	"I believe no one comes to a parent/child, father/child relationship with God except through the likes of a human being. If a rock is your central symbol of your religion, it doesn't convey love, nor would a tree. But if a human being who came and loved us, without reservation, if that's the central symbol of your religion then that can help you understand God as a loving parent,” (Appendix 2, p. 11, par. 2).
In fact Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," (John 14:6). By twisting the words of Scripture, Mr. Ficca’s “revelatory” view turned the means of salvation, declared in the consistent witness of the Constitution of Presbyterian Church (USA), into an exercise in observing Jesus or following an attractive model of loving and caring. Such a view has no essential need for the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of every person. Such a view denies the clear Biblical teaching and the confessional standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that calls all people, everywhere to repent of having sinned and fallen short of God's will. The “revelatory” view also denies the scriptural and confessional position that forgiveness and restoration comes only through the saving work of Jesus Christ. The Constitutional Standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Our constitution does underscore the need to demonstrate the character of Christ in the world. G-3.0200a. reads,
	"The Church is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality which God has made available to people in Jesus Christ."
But the Constitution also clearly explains how people might come to experience the new reality, which God has made available in Jesus Christ. The Confession of 1967: “The Risen Christ is the Savior for all men. . . To receive life from the Risen Lord is to have life eternal; to refuse life from him is to chose the death that is separation from God.” The Larger Catechism: Q. 60 Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? A. They who having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church." Book of Order G.3.0300 reads:
	2	The Church is called to tell the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord, proclaiming in Word and Sacrament that
		the new age has dawned God who creates life, frees those in bondage, forgives sin, reconciles brokenness, makes all things new, is still at work in the world.
	2	The Church is called to present the claims of Jesus Christ, leading persons to repentance, acceptance of him as Savior and Lord, and new life as his disciples.
	2	The Church is called to be Christ's faithful evangelist
		Going into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all he has commanded.
Granted, the Rev. Ficca, in his service to the Parliament of the World’s Religions, has the right to say anything he wishes or to state any belief he chooses. A conference may have no control over what an invited speaker says or does not say. There may be benefit in the presentation and discussion of various religious views. But for a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister to rise at an official Presbyterian Church (USA) conference to
compare the “converting [of people] to Christianity” to ethnic cleansing, suggest the Presbyterian Church would have integrity if it adopted a view of salvation contrary to the Creeds and Confessions and receive the tacit agreement of the supervising agency, the General Assembly Council,
then a serious offense to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the entire Presbyterian Church (USA) has been committed. Summary of Delinquency #1 By the General Assembly Council's failure to give any form of corrective response to the Rev. Ficca's presentation, the General Assembly Council has committed a serious delinquency in not cultivating and promoting the welfare of the whole church. The Council has failed to review the work of the Office of Peacemaking and its 2000 Peacemaking Conference. Moreover, the Council has grievously failed to warn and to bear witness against serious error in doctrine in the church, for the Council has not upheld the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) concerning the nature of Jesus Christ and the sufficiency and necessity of Jesus Christ alone for the salvation of all people everywhere. (For additional constitutional standards violated, see Appendix I.) Delinquency # 2: Failure to counsel with the Peacemaking Unit The General Assembly Council is charged to “review the work of the General Assembly agencies and bodies in light of General Assembly mission directions, goals, objectives and priorities” (G-13.0201e). The Council, at its September meeting in Montreat, North Carolina offered no review of the work of the particular General Assembly agency, the Office of Peacemaking, with regard to the Rev. Ficca’s keynote address. By not engaging in any official review in light of G-13.0103e and in light of the Church’s historic creeds and confessions, (See Appendix 1.) the General Assembly Council. did fail to "preserve the purity of the church,”(D-1.0101), did fail to " correct and restrain the wrongdoing,” (D-1.0101), and did fail to "restore the unity of the church by removing the causes of discord and division,” (D-1.0101). The Constitutional standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is "to counsel with or even to discipline one ordained who seriously rejects the faith expressed in the confessions", (G-2.0200). The Office of Peacemaking should receive no less than “counsel” and “discipline” from the General Assembly Council for allowing to stand such a serious rejection of the faith, as expressed at the 2000 Peacemaking Conference by the Rev. Dirk Ficca. The General Assembly Council's failure to do this at its September meeting constituted a serious delinquency. Summary of Delinquency #2 Our deep concern is for the General Assembly Council to supervise and hold accountable all the agencies for which it is responsible, and specifically the Peacemaking Unit. Delinquency # 3: Failure to uphold the Great Ends of the Church The General Assembly Council, at its September meeting in Montreat, North Carolina, neglected to uphold the Great Ends of the Church, as it did fail to uphold the “proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind,” (G-1.0200). did fail to keep the “preservation of the truth,” (G-1.0200) and did fail to honor all those who labor under the Church’s constitutional mandate to share the Good News of the Gospel, (G-3.0300a,b,c). It is grievous for an entity of the General Assembly Council, the Peacemaking Office of the Congregational Ministries Division of the GAC, to arrange an official conference of the Presbyterian Church in which an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister, the Rev. Dirk Ficca, explained the advantages of abandoning the historical, biblical, and constitutional faith of the Presbyterian Church so the church may better relate to a non-Christian religion. The Rev. Ficca asked, "Okay, well if God is at work in our lives whether we're Christian or not, what's the big deal about Jesus?" (Appendix 2, p. 10, par. 2). Rev. Ficca may or may not believe Jesus is a "big deal". But for the General Assembly Council to remain silent when an official Presbyterian Church (USA) conference, organized, underwritten, and promoted by one of its own agencies, demeans the clear and consistent constitutional faith and biblical standards of the Presbyterian Church (USA), then a serious abdication of responsibility has been committed by the General Assembly Council. In so far as, "The governing bodies are separate and independent, but have such mutual relations that the act of one of them is the act of the whole church performed by it through the appropriate governing body (G-9.0103)", the General Assembly Council's willingness to allow the Rev. Ficca's remarks to stand without correction, refute, or warning constitutes an action of the whole Presbyterian Church (USA). As such the General Assembly Council has not only violated the constitutional standard of the Presbyterian Church (USA), but has committed a grievous offence against all who labor under the Presbyterian Church’s mandate to share the good news of the gospel, as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), throughout the world. Summary of Delinquency #3 The General Assembly Council has, in its tacit approval of the Rev. Dirk Ficca’s speech, failed to uphold the Great Ends of the Church for the proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of humankind. The General Assembly Council has also committed a grievous offense against all who labor under the Church’s mandate to go into all the world to preach the Gospel. Summary of Delinquencies of the General Assembly Council Speaking to those who have been appointed officers in the Presbyterian Church, the Historic Principles of Church Order (G-1.0303) reads,
	That our blessed Savior, for the edification of the visible Church, which is his body, hath appointed officers, not only to preach the gospel and administer the Sacraments, but also to exercise discipline, for the preservation of both truth and duty; and that it is incumbent upon these officers, and upon the whole Church, in whose name they act to censure or cast out the erroneous and scandalous, observing, in all cases, the rules contained in the Word of God.
By failing to "to exercise discipline, for the preservation of both truth and duty" in so far as they grievously failed to "censure or cast out the erroneous and scandalous" presentation at the 2000 Peacemaking Conference, the General Assembly Council, acting in the name of the whole Presbyterian Church (USA), committed serious delinquencies. In light of G-1.0304
	That truth is in order to goodness; and the great touchstone of truth, its tendency to promote holiness, according to our Savior's rule, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ And that no opinion can be either more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon a level, and represents it as of no consequence what a man's opinions are. On the contrary, we are persuaded that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise, it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it.
By allowing the Rev. Ficca's presentation to stand without official corrective action by the General Assembly Council, it has given, by their silence, support to not only a "pernicious" and "absurd" opinion, but has actually allowed falsehood to be elevated over the level of truth in the Presbyterian Church (USA). In so doing, they have allowed the "goodness" of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the promotion of "holiness" to be seriously diminished. This failure constitutes grievous delinquencies for which we request the following cures. Cure of Delinquencies: We request that the General Assembly Council cure the above listed delinquencies at its next meeting by taking the following actions: Preparing and publishing a written rebuke of error concerning the serious doctrinal violations in the Rev. Ficca's presentation at the 2000 Peacemaking Conference. This bearing of witness against serious error is to be published in an official denominational publication and mailed to the session of each individual church of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Preparing and publishing a written summation of the teaching found in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) concerning the nature of Jesus Christ and the necessity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone for salvation of all people everywhere. This summation is to be sent to every Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation and reproduced in an official Presbyterian Church (USA) publication. Develop guidelines based on the mission directions, goals, objectives, and priorities of the General Assembly as shaped by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) that will govern the Office of Peacemaking, in specific, and all other agencies in general, in arranging all future programs and conferences of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Require all Presbyterian Church (USA) denominational staff, in so far as they are acting in their official position as employees of the church, or operating at the expense of the Presbyterian Church (USA), or during such hours as they are being paid by the Presbyterian denomination, to assent annually in writing to abide by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in all their official actions, pronouncements, program, presentations and functions. Issue an affirmation of the mandate for missions and evangelism as defined by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to encourage faithfulness to the great commission. This is to be mailed to all Presbyterian Church missionaries and congregations. Publish a call to exalt Jesus Christ in the world by praying, supporting and encouraging more Presbyterians to engage in missions and evangelism as defined by G-3.0000. We send you this request in humility and with our prayers. Yours is a daunting task to watch over this denomination. We certainly do not wish to add to your workload, but this issue touches the core of our faith. If we lose Jesus and his death as the means of salvation for all people, then we have lost the center, we have lost it all. Our conviction is that some day we will stand before our Lord Jesus Christ and give answer to Him for how we honored Him and served the world with His gospel. His sobering words from Luke 9:26 have moved us to action: “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” We pray that the General Assembly Council’s response to these delinquencies will make unnecessary Montreat Presbyterian Church’s pressing a remedial case before the Permanent judicial Commission and the courts of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Humbly yours in Christ, Steven Foster, Clerk of Session, Pro Tem Richard White, Moderator of Session Montreat Presbyterian Church (USA), Montreat, NC Appendix I - Constitutional Standards - Creeds and Confessions The Book of Order: G-3.0000 (cited above) Directory For Worship: W-7.201 God sends the church in the power of the Holy Spirit
	To announce the good news that in Christ Jesus the world is reconciled to God, To tell all nations and peoples of Christ's call to repentance, faith, and obedience, To proclaim in deed and word that Jesus gave himself to set people free, To offer in Christ's name fullness of life now and forever, To call people everywhere to believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, To invite them into the community of faith to worship and serve the triune God.
The Nicene Creed: 1.2, 1.3 The Apostles' Creed: 2.2, 2.3 The Scots Confession: 3.16 "For since there is neither life nor salvation without Christ Jesus; so shall none have part therein but those whom the Father has given unto his Son Christ Jesus, and those who in time come to him, avow his doctrine, and believe in him."
The Heidelberg Catechism: Q.29 (4.029) "Q.29. Why is the Son of God called JESUS, which means SAVIOR? A. Because he saves us from our sins, and because salvation is to be sought or found in no other." The Second Helvetic Confession: Chapter XI (5.077) "For however many seek salvation in any other than in Christ alone, have fallen from the grace of God and have rendered Christ null and void for themselves…" The Larger Catechism: Q. 60 (7.170) Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? A. They who having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Savior only of his body the church." The Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter XIV (6.079) "But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace." The Shorter Catechism: Q. 33 (7.033) "Q. 33. What is justification? A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone." The Theological Declaration of Barmen (8.10,11) "In view of the errors of the "German Christians" of the present Reich Church government which are devastating the Church and are also thereby breaking up the unity of the German Evangelical Church, we confess the following evangelical truths: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6). 'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber…I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved." (John 10:1,9.) Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death." The Confession of 1967: Part I (9.10,11) "The risen Christ is the savior for all men." "To receive life from the risen Lord is to have life eternal; to refuse life from him is to choose the death which is separation from God. The Bible: Acts 4:12 (RSV) "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Appendix 2 The Jesus Debate - The text of Rev. Dirk Ficca's presentation at the 2000 Presbyterian Peacemaking Conference
INDEX to Jesus Debate back to Presbyweb's Front Page