Chicago Jerusalem Council Responses

(April 16, 2005))

 

 

 

1. What values do we hold in common that inform our capacity to live with profound differences in interpretation of Scripture?

 

Comments:

• Love, fruits of the spirit
• Recognition of our differences
• Soul freedom
• Right and responsibility to interpret
• Unity of the spirit
• History of ABC
• Recognition that we are all sinners
• Faith in Christ
• Healthy family
• Power of and faith in Holy Spirit
• Teachings of Jesus
• Clarity of purpose of Ministers Council
• No fencing the table of the Lord
• Christ is our model
• Authority of Scripture
• Common mission
• We want to grow more Christ-like
• We’re all made in the image of God
• We need each other
• We are called to share the Gospel in word and deed

2. What do you have to say to the Senators about the Proposed Amendment?

Comments:

• Regions should have the right to choose the Senators they want
• The proposed change is not helpful to the work of the Senate or to the church
• The Code of Ethics doesn’t adequately address sexual integrity
• The proposed amendment has no integrity
• Those who propose the amendment need to be informed by Acts 15
• The amendment creates a second class of citizenship and centralized power and sets a poor precedent
• Amendment shows a distrust for autonomy of churches/regions
• Proposal is too limiting for Christian leadership
• It is against our polity
• If we embrace the world as neighbor, how can we exclude ministers?
• The ’92 Resolution is not ABC policy
• The amendment is all about control

3.  If God were to show us a way forward together, what would it look like?  What can we imagine?  Is it possible?

 

Comments:

• People who focus on our faith and our mission first
• People coming together arm and arm
• We love each other as God’s children
• We love each other because we’re family
• We see the conversations about this as an opportunity rather than a burden
• We will look for common missions that will bind us together in the body of Christ
• We would be a group of churches reaching out to deal with people’s meaninglessness and self-absorption and deal with social justice issues
• We won’t have to go through this again
• Rev. 7:9: “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.”
• We celebrate our diversity intentionally