We (as a denomination, the PC(USA)) are in the process of considering the addition of a new confession to our Book of Confessions. This, of course, is a difficult process and one which opens the doors to many questions... Why do we need more than twelve good solid confessions? Why do we have twelve already? Do we need confessions in language we can understand? Should we add confessions if they don't say anything new? What if they do say something new? Should we measure them against the Bible? Against the old confessions? Should we include or exclude confessions written for a specific time and place? Is there such a thing as a confession NOT written for a certain time and place? Does that matter, if it still teaches?
Many of these questions and more have been asked recently about the new Confession of Belhar. It's certainly not "new" except in being decades newer than our last addition, as Belhar was written in 1986. It was certainly written for a specific time and place (Apartheid in South Africa), though so was every other confession, the Declaration of Independence and the book of Isaiah. It is modern language and would be the first confession in our book not to come out of a very European and very pale background. Though none of those are reasons in and of themselves to add this confession, what is most important and convicting is that it does say something new.
Rather than being measured against our world, the Church and our denomination with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this Confession seems to be largely measured against the Confession of 1967. So let's start there. Someone at our Presbytery meeting said that we don't need Belhar because '67 already says racism and discrimination are evil and sinful. So who needs more? We do. Belhar goes farther. Belhar says that mere separation is sinful and not the full body of Christ. You see, in our denomination (and many others in America), we aren't practicing outright discrimination and racism. We don't have laws or rules or regulations saying that if you're of a certain skin color or ethnic background you cannot join us for worship, we just do it because it's comfortable. The studies say over 90% of our PC(USA) churches are more than 90% one race. So we have white churches, black churches and Latino churches and Asian churches... but hardly any "mixed" churches. Our sin isn't racism, it's separation.
Another colleague quoted II Corinthians. When Paul was asked for his brothers and sisters in Corinth for a letter of recommendation, he responded... "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone." My colleague said that we are the letter and therefore we don't need a new confession. However, if we truly were that letter, we wouldn't look like the church these studies see. 11am on Sunday morning wouldn't be the most segregated hour in America. We do need to be that letter. And I believe the Confession of Belhar points us there.
I would encourage you to go and check it out here. If you've never read the other confessions, give them a whack too. If you find them hard to read or confusing, don't worry, everyone does. The Denver Presbytery voted in favor last night, but it was close. It has to pass in 2/3rds of our Presbyteries before it can be voted on at General Assembly this year. If you'd like to talk more about it, drop me a line.
Many of these questions and more have been asked recently about the new Confession of Belhar. It's certainly not "new" except in being decades newer than our last addition, as Belhar was written in 1986. It was certainly written for a specific time and place (Apartheid in South Africa), though so was every other confession, the Declaration of Independence and the book of Isaiah. It is modern language and would be the first confession in our book not to come out of a very European and very pale background. Though none of those are reasons in and of themselves to add this confession, what is most important and convicting is that it does say something new.
Rather than being measured against our world, the Church and our denomination with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this Confession seems to be largely measured against the Confession of 1967. So let's start there. Someone at our Presbytery meeting said that we don't need Belhar because '67 already says racism and discrimination are evil and sinful. So who needs more? We do. Belhar goes farther. Belhar says that mere separation is sinful and not the full body of Christ. You see, in our denomination (and many others in America), we aren't practicing outright discrimination and racism. We don't have laws or rules or regulations saying that if you're of a certain skin color or ethnic background you cannot join us for worship, we just do it because it's comfortable. The studies say over 90% of our PC(USA) churches are more than 90% one race. So we have white churches, black churches and Latino churches and Asian churches... but hardly any "mixed" churches. Our sin isn't racism, it's separation.
Another colleague quoted II Corinthians. When Paul was asked for his brothers and sisters in Corinth for a letter of recommendation, he responded... "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone." My colleague said that we are the letter and therefore we don't need a new confession. However, if we truly were that letter, we wouldn't look like the church these studies see. 11am on Sunday morning wouldn't be the most segregated hour in America. We do need to be that letter. And I believe the Confession of Belhar points us there.
I would encourage you to go and check it out here. If you've never read the other confessions, give them a whack too. If you find them hard to read or confusing, don't worry, everyone does. The Denver Presbytery voted in favor last night, but it was close. It has to pass in 2/3rds of our Presbyteries before it can be voted on at General Assembly this year. If you'd like to talk more about it, drop me a line.
