Separation

Crescent Hill’s Hunter Farrell and Maria Arroyo joined several other PC(USA) World Mission personnel and several hundred listeners and questioners Thursday to dialogue about how the PC(USA) and the Presbyterian Church in Mexico came to be separated and what might come next, including for the many PC(USA) and Mexican congregations in partnerships and with trip plans, some as soon as next week. Mexican church leaders – who had taken a break from their partnership with the PC(USA) once before – had been following the vote on Amendment 10-A, which opened the door to possible ordination of gays and lesbians as deacons, (ruling) elders, and ministers (teaching elders). After the amendment passed both the PC(USA) General Assembly and enough presbyteries, this summer – Hunter, Maria, PC(USA) Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons, and others met with Mexican church officials to try to talk them out of breaking with the PC(USA). They asked tough questions, and the next day the all-adult male delegates to the Mexican General Assembly voted something like 110-30 in favor of severing the relationship, immediately after rejecting ordination of women again. Subsequently, Mexican church leaders have instructed Mexican presbyteries and congregations to maintain relationships only with PC(USA) presbyteries and congregations that voted against 10-A and are willing to sign a statement repudiating the adoption of the amendment. (The Mexicans have already asked Living Waters for the World to do this.) The church has said it will welcome back the PC(USA) into partnership if the PC(USA) reverses its stand.

Hunter, Maria, and others didn’t really have responses for all of the tough questions participants swamped them with via webinar. In particular, it wasn’t clear exactly what congregations and presbyteries with payments or visits planned for the next few weeks should do. PC(USA) leaders hedged on the exact meaning of the vote. On the one hand, to honor the decision, maybe we should not work in Mexico. On the other hand, very important ministries are going on in Mexico, on the U.S.-Mexico border, and in the United States with Mexican Americans others, and perhaps we can found other church, parachurch ministries, and even secular groups to partner with to carry out these existing ministries or start new ones (they hinted about Habitat for Humanity).

You might recall that the Guatemalan church – meeting back in May – shortly before the amendment passed the presbyteries – indicated they disagreed with the vote but would not break with the PC(USA)> Maria said no partner churches other than the Mexican church has broken with the PC(USA), but hinted that other churches – when their General Assemblies take place over the next year – may consider it. There’s no indication that the Guatemalan church will reconsider its position because of the stance of its northern neighbor church (in Mexico). However, questions may arise about it, and – should Crescent Hill folks own up to the fact that we initiated a version of the amendment in Mid-Kentucky Presbytery – something that Mexican church leaders, but perhaps not Guatemalan church leaders, may be aware of – interesting discussions may ensue.

PC(USA) leaders indicated that – historically – the Mexican church has been relatively conservative theologically, and note that on paper the Guatemalan church ordains women, while the Mexican church does not. Leaders also mentioned that – with 2 million members – the Mexican church is now almost as big as the PC(USA). They did not also mention that their country (Mexico) is slowly becoming a rising power in the world economy.

-- Perry