The Stated Clerk: An innocent abroad?
CHICAGO -- The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Clifton Kirkpatrick, spoke to the Theological Task Force Thursday afternoon and fielded a number of questions. He started out by telling the Theological Task Force that their existence helped tip the balance for him to decide to stand for his third term as Stated Clerk, and he thanked them.
Kirkpatrick spoke with characteristic enthusiasm and considerable heart about his experiences at the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) general council in Ghana, where he was recently elected WARC president. It was obviously an eye-opener for him and a moving experience. Sounding at times like an endearing high school kid who had had a wonderful time at church camp, and at other times like an eloquent international statesman, Kirkpatrick spoke of a number of things, including the controversial declaration by WARC about capitalism and the global economy. “We’re called as Reformed people,” he said, “to be a community together that challenges the order of this world,” which is “destroying the lives of Presbyterians” all around the world.
The economic details and the harsh wording of the statement seemed a little beyond him and not particularly important. He didn’t seem prepared to defend the particulars, when asked. What did capture his heart, it seems, was the vast need of desperate people, and the idea that we need to do something different in the global economy to help them.
The particulars of that something—particularly how anti-capitalism and harsh on "empire"-building America it is—is the problem many have with the WARC statement. But such details obviously are not Kirkpatrick’s passion. (That is understandable, but a little worrisome, since in economics, misinformed good intentions can lead to disastrously contrary results. And all the vague and arguably misplaced guilt heaped on America doesn’t really solve problems of inequality, as much as it may make liberals feel somehow absolved.)
Kirkpatrick also earnestly noted that “another challenge that came out of the gathering was our [U.S. church] lack of focus on the Bible, prayer, worship, and spiritual life together.” He observed the ardent spiritual life of the church in Ghana and among those in his small-group Bible study, and seemed to long for that fire in our Presbyterian church again. We on the renewal side of the aisle would second that!
In addressing the work of the task force, he noted that in the world Reformed community, “there are huge disagreements” about homosexuality, but the decision has been to stay together since “this shouldn’t be the dividing issue.” He said that of the 220 world Reformed churches, only 11 openly ordain gay and lesbian persons, and “the vast majority of churches, especially in the southern hemisphere, do not support it and in fact work vigorously against it”—some to the point of being homophobic. He acknowledged that it is most difficult for those churches in the Islamic world, because Christians there are persecuted for what we do here.
In responding to a question by John Wilkinson about how we can think more broadly about the world church, Kirkpatrick replied that “whatever decisions we make about church life here need to be made in light of the whole church around the world.” He said basically that in the years ahead and with the demographic trends we’re seeing in this country, if we can’t be in good relations with the churches around the world, we won’t have a Presbyterian church in the U.S.
When Portland (Oregon) pastor Vicky Curtiss asked about how the task force’s interactions will be made known to the larger church, Kirkpatrick replied in part: “I was astounded at how much WARC people know about what we do. They read our web pages. So if we don’t split the church and don’t marginalize people, if we’re not at each other’s throats, that will be a powerful message in itself.”
After that, the task force and Kirkpatrick quickly adjourned to a nice group dinner across the hall, for which this poor, wretched beggar could only languish, dispossessed, outside the door to plead for a crust of bread. But am I bitter, as a mere observer rather than a privileged task force member? Nooooo! Not me.
Kirkpatrick spoke with characteristic enthusiasm and considerable heart about his experiences at the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) general council in Ghana, where he was recently elected WARC president. It was obviously an eye-opener for him and a moving experience. Sounding at times like an endearing high school kid who had had a wonderful time at church camp, and at other times like an eloquent international statesman, Kirkpatrick spoke of a number of things, including the controversial declaration by WARC about capitalism and the global economy. “We’re called as Reformed people,” he said, “to be a community together that challenges the order of this world,” which is “destroying the lives of Presbyterians” all around the world.
The economic details and the harsh wording of the statement seemed a little beyond him and not particularly important. He didn’t seem prepared to defend the particulars, when asked. What did capture his heart, it seems, was the vast need of desperate people, and the idea that we need to do something different in the global economy to help them.
The particulars of that something—particularly how anti-capitalism and harsh on "empire"-building America it is—is the problem many have with the WARC statement. But such details obviously are not Kirkpatrick’s passion. (That is understandable, but a little worrisome, since in economics, misinformed good intentions can lead to disastrously contrary results. And all the vague and arguably misplaced guilt heaped on America doesn’t really solve problems of inequality, as much as it may make liberals feel somehow absolved.)
Kirkpatrick also earnestly noted that “another challenge that came out of the gathering was our [U.S. church] lack of focus on the Bible, prayer, worship, and spiritual life together.” He observed the ardent spiritual life of the church in Ghana and among those in his small-group Bible study, and seemed to long for that fire in our Presbyterian church again. We on the renewal side of the aisle would second that!
In addressing the work of the task force, he noted that in the world Reformed community, “there are huge disagreements” about homosexuality, but the decision has been to stay together since “this shouldn’t be the dividing issue.” He said that of the 220 world Reformed churches, only 11 openly ordain gay and lesbian persons, and “the vast majority of churches, especially in the southern hemisphere, do not support it and in fact work vigorously against it”—some to the point of being homophobic. He acknowledged that it is most difficult for those churches in the Islamic world, because Christians there are persecuted for what we do here.
In responding to a question by John Wilkinson about how we can think more broadly about the world church, Kirkpatrick replied that “whatever decisions we make about church life here need to be made in light of the whole church around the world.” He said basically that in the years ahead and with the demographic trends we’re seeing in this country, if we can’t be in good relations with the churches around the world, we won’t have a Presbyterian church in the U.S.
When Portland (Oregon) pastor Vicky Curtiss asked about how the task force’s interactions will be made known to the larger church, Kirkpatrick replied in part: “I was astounded at how much WARC people know about what we do. They read our web pages. So if we don’t split the church and don’t marginalize people, if we’re not at each other’s throats, that will be a powerful message in itself.”
After that, the task force and Kirkpatrick quickly adjourned to a nice group dinner across the hall, for which this poor, wretched beggar could only languish, dispossessed, outside the door to plead for a crust of bread. But am I bitter, as a mere observer rather than a privileged task force member? Nooooo! Not me.
posted by Jim at Thursday, October 14, 2004
1 Comments:
I must admit the comments of world economics are a real concern and I'm glad that the church is reminded of these harsh realities, even I really don't know what to do to address these issues.
However, what really amazed we was that the man now leading this group, the main spokesman for these issues, not only makes his living from the funds given by greedy and selfish, empire building American Presbyterians, but makes about two and one half times what I make!
I don't know the 2004 numbers, but last year the Clerk was making $121,107. I suspect there are some pastors making more than that, but I don't know any. It's over three times what some of the full time pastors in our Presbytery make. I would guess that the Stated Clerk was the best compensated church employee at the WARC meeting. Does anyone else see some irony in this?
I could get pretty convicted when Mother Theresa reminded us that we needed to look after the poor. It's hard to get worked up when someone, who my congregation helps pay, who makes far more than I ever be paid in my wildest dreams, tells me the same.
Is someone telling me it raining?
Al Sandalow
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