OVERTURE SPEECH
PRESBYTERY OF CHICAGO
FEBRUARY 13, 1996
MY HOPE IS THAT THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY WILL FIND A NEW WAY TO TALK
ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO
FIND SOME TIME AND SPACE IN WHICH TO
CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW IN
UNDERSTANDING AND IN CHARITY AND LOVE.
THESE OVERTURES -- ELOQUENTLY STATE
THE CONFLICT IN THE OLD TERMS, TERMS WE
ALL KNOW AND HAVE KNOWN LONG BEFORE THE
THREE YEAR STUDY PERIOD.
THEY DO NOT ADD NEW INSIGHT NOR
MOVE THE DISCUSSION AHEAD. RATHER THEY
PROPOSE A RESOLUTION ON THE OLD TERMS OF
ONE SIDE WINS, THE OTHER LOSES.

1

BoTH CITE SCRIPTURE AND THE
TRADITION IN DEFENSE OF THEIR
CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR
RESOLUTION. AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING
ABOUT WHICH I AM SURE, IT IS THAT
PRESBYTERIANS OF INTELLIGENCE, GOOD
WILL, SCHOLARLY SOPHISTICATION AND
SIMPLE FAITH -- DISAGREE ON THIS. AND
EACH SIDE CAN LINE UP BIBLICAL AND
THEOLOGICAL EXPERTS AND FIRE AWAY LIKE
TWO LINES OF FIELD ARTILLERY.

I THINK NO ACTION WOULD BE AN
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.

AND WHATEVER WE DECIDE, MY HOPE IS
THAT WE WILL ALL TRY TO FIND A NEW WAY
TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND HOLD ouR CHURCH

TOGETHER,

THEOLOGY OF MISSION
PRESBYTERY OF CHICAGO

Last JULY oUR MODERATOR, Marg
CARPENTER CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF
THE 207TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY WITH HER
PHRASE "MISSION MATTERS." SHE HAS BEEN,
EVER SINCE, A REFRESHING AND VERY
IMPORTANT VOICE REMINDING THE ENTIRE
PRESBYTERIAN FAMILY THAT WHILE WE ARE
ARGUING WITH ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THE
BOUNDARIES OF THE REFORMED TRADITION,
WHO WILL BE ORDAINED, AND WHERE ALL THE
MONEY WENT, VITAL MISSION HAS BEEN GOING
ON - ALL OVER THE WORLD: THE MISSION OF

JESUS CHRIST, CARRIED OUT BY

PRESBYTERIAN MISSION WORKERS,
REPRESENTING THE PRESBYTERIAN PEOPLE AND
SUPPORTED BY THEIR DOLLARS.

In FACT MODERATOR CARPENTER'S
PERSONAL MISSION HAS BEEN TO REMIND ALL
OF US THAT WHEN WE REDUCE OUR SUPPORT
FOR PRESBYTERIAN MISSION, THE EFFECT OF
THAT REDUCTION IS FELT NOT JUST IN AN
OFFICE IN LOUISVILLE, BUT IN A CLINIC IN
PAKISTAN, A CHURCH IN GUATEMALA, A
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN BANGKOK, OR - A
SETTLEMENT HOUSE ON THE WEST SIDE, A
CONGREGATION IN THE SUBURBS, A YOUTH
PROGRAM IN THE INNER CITY.

MISSION IS WHAT WE ARE ABOUT. WHAT
WE ARE FOR AS A CHURCH. THE MISSION OF

JESUS CHRIST IS WHAT WE SHARE REGARDLESS

OF OUR THEOLOGICAL OR IDEOLOGICAL
POSTURE.

AS WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING FOR THE
MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH THE
PROGRAMS OF THE PRESBYTERY OF CHICAGO
SOME OF US HAVE BEEN CONCERNED THAT AT
THE MOMENT OF GREATEST NEED AND GREATEST
OPPORTUNITY WE SEEM TO HAVE LESS AND
LESS RESOURCES. WE'RE CONCERNED BECAUSE
WHILE PRESBYTERIANS HAVE MORE - AND GIVE
MORE THAN EVER, THEY SEEM RELUCTANT TO
BE IN MISSION TOGETHER AS A CHURCH - AS
A PRESBYTERIAN FAMILY. SOME OF US
AREN'T SURE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IF WE DO NOT SHARE

SOME COMMON DEFINITIONS OF OUR MISSION

AND SOME CONCRETE, PRACTICAL COMMITMENT
TO IT.

AND SO WE SUGGESTED, AND THE
PRESBYTERY AGREED, THAT OUR FIRST
PRIORITY WAS TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER
ABOUT THE THEOLOGY OF MISSION - BEFORE
WE TALK ABOUT THE DOLLARS.

OUR SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE LISTEN,
AS A PRESBYTERY, OVER AN EXTENDED PERTOD
OF TIME, TO PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN
MISSION AND PEOPLE WHO CARE REFLECT
THEOLOGICALLY ON MISSION: THAT WE TALK
TO ONE ANOTHER ABOUT WHAT WE ARE
HEARING, AND THAT WE LISTEN, VERY
CAREFULLY TO ONE ANOTHER. OQuR
ASSUMPTION IS THAT EACH OF US CARES VERY

DEEPLY ABOUT MISSION AND THAT WE HAVE

THINGS TO SAY TO ONE ANOTHER THAT WE
NEED TO HEAR.

AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
BEGINNING TONIGHT.

In GRouPS OF 3 oR 4 PLEASE TALK TO
ONE ANOTHER ABOUT TWO QUESTIONS -

dL. WHAT THEOLOGICAL/BIBLICAL VALUE
SHOULD INFORM THE PRESBYTERY'’S THINKING
OF MISSION?

AT THE 206TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY THE
PHRASE “THEOLOGY MATTERS" GAINED SOME
NOTORIETY. THIS IS AN EXERCISE IN
THEOLOGY MATTERS; IN DOING THEOLOGY
TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE.

WHAT THEOLOGICAL/BIBLICAL VALUE
SHOULD INFORM THE PRESBYTERY'’S THINKING

OF MISSION -

“IS IN Gop’S LOVE

-IS IT JUSTICE OF Gop’S REIGN

-IS IT THE CALL TO GO INTO ALL
NATIONS AND BAPTIZE

AND

2. WHAT MISSION COMMITMENTS SHOULD
GUIDE THE PRESBYTERY’S FUTURE MINISTRY?

THIS IS STRATEGY - AFTER WE HAVE
TALKED ABOUT THE WHy? OF MISSION, WE
TURN TO WHERE -

~NEW CHURCH DEVELOPMENTS

-CHURCH REDEVELOPMENTS

-START A SCHOOL

~BUILD A CLINIC

-BEGIN A STREET MINISTRY
DREAM/ VISION

WE HOPE YOU WILL WRITE ABOUT THESE
QUESTIONS AND YOUR ANSWERS WILL HELP US
PLAN THE NEXT FIVE PRESBYTERY MEETINGS.

SOMETHING IMPORTANT IS GOING ON IN
THE WORLD ... SOMETHING DESCRIBED
ELOQUENTLY BY THE PROPHET

"Do NOT REMEMBER THE FORMER DAYS,

BEHOLD I AM DOING A NEW THING.

Now IT SPRINGS FORTH, DO YOU NOT
PERCEIVE IT?”

IT'S A QUESTION OF MISSION THEOLOGY
AND MISSION STRATEGY.

HAVE FUN - TALK ABOUT

MINUTES.