COVENANT OF DISSENT

As faithful Christians and loyal Presbyterians, our faith and conscience compel us to state the following:

  • Jesus welcomed all people who came to him in faith, refusing none by reason of race or condition, even when these conditions were clearly proscribed by law.
  • Jesus commanded us to love one another, even as he has loved us. Scripture and our confessions command us to love the Lord our God, love our neighbor as ourselves, deal justly with all men and women in word and deed, and defend the oppressed.
  • The gospel is to be preached to all peoples, as Jesus commanded, and the church is to be inclusive, as Peter and Paul preached. Our constitution affirms this by requiring only baptism and a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord for membership in the church (G-5.0101).
  • The church is exhorted to strive for justice (W-7.4001) which calls for dealing honestly with each other and redressing wrongs against individuals and groups in the church (W-7.4002).
  • The church is enjoined to practice openness and inclusiveness in the name of Jesus Christ (G-3.-0401b, G-4.04O3, G- 5.0103), and no-person shall be denied membership because of any reason not related to profession of faith (G-5.0103).
  • The right of the people to elect their own officers is inalienable (G-1.0306).
  • Active members are entitled to all the rights and privileges of the church, including the right to vote and hold office (G-5.0202).
  • Officers differ from members in function only (G-6.0102).
  • There are truths and forms with respect to which faithful Christians may differ (G-1.0305).
  • The decisions of church bodies may be in error (G- 1. 0307).
  • God alone is Lord of the conscience (G-1.0301).
  • The recently passed amendment to G-6.0106, which adds section b ("amendment B"), is not indispensable in doctrine or Presbyterian government nor is it an essential tenet of our faith.
  • The amendment relies primarily on our Confessions which, by their own admission, are subordinate standards in the church and in which no one statement is irreformable (C-9.03).

    • In obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, guided by scriptures and the legacy left to us by those who went before us our Confessions and the Book of Order, and after individual and collective study, consideration, and prayer, we have determined that we cannot agree to abide by the recently passed amendment to G-6.0106 ("amendment B") without violating our informed conscience, faith, and interpretation of our obligations.

    We covenant together to elect, ordain, and install as officers those members with suitable gifts who are called to ministry, who are persons of strong faith, dedicated discipleship, and love of Jesus Christ, and whose manner of life is a demonstration of the Christian gospel in the church and the world, without additional requirements or restrictions.

    Signed:
    date:
    Session of:

    Prepared by elders and pastors from National Capital region on March 25, 1997.
    Please return signed copy to Stonecatchers, 1313 New York Ave. N. W., Washington, D.C. 20005