Truth Is In Order To Goodness
An historic principle of church order in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is that truth is in order to goodness (F-3.0104).
An essential tenet of ECO is pursuing the truth, even when such pursuit is costly, and defending truth when it is challenged, recognizing that truth is in order to goodness and that its preservation matters.
The resources below help pursue, defend, and preserve the truth about the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) consists of two volumes. Part I of the Constitution is The Book of Confessions, which contains the official texts of the confessional documents. Part II of the Constitution, the Book of Order, is published separately and consists of three sections: Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline.
PC(USA) Book of Order 2013-2015
Print Resources
Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, General Assembly Council Presbyterian Church (USA)
“The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord” Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship, General Assembly Council Presbyterian Church (USA)
Misrepresentations About PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly, May 2013
What Do We Believe? An Analysis of the PC(USA) by the Rev. Dr. Peter Hobbie, the Rev. Dr. Ellen Skidmore, and Ruling Elder Jim Rowell, Trinity Presbytery, February 2014
A Report on the PC(USA) by the Rev. Dr. Jerry Tankersley, Pastor Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church, Laguna Beach, CA, June 30, 2013
Why Choose the PC(USA)? by the Presbyterian Mission Agency, April 2013
Why I’m Staying in the PC(USA) by the Rev. Dr. Tom Erickson, Honorably Retired, Interim Pastor Tustin Presbyterian Church, Tustin, CA
Staying in the Church by the Rev. Dr. Ted Wardlaw, President, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, September 2013
Some Theological Thoughts on Why Stay in the PC(USA) by James S Currie, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, TX
Rethinking Church: Fresh Perspectives for a Tired Denomination by Edwin Chr. van Driel, associate professor of theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA), Presbyterians Today, December 2014
Inerrancy, Infallibility, and the Authority and Inspiration of Scripture by the Rev. Dr. Paul Hooker, Associate Dean for Ministerial Formation and Advanced Studies, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, September 2013
Our Challenging Way: Faithfulness, Sex, Ordination, and Marriage by Barry Ensign-George and Charles Wiley, Office of Theology and Worship Presbyterian Church (USA), November 2014
All in the Family: Conflict, Disagreement, Division, Schism, and Reconciliation within the American Presbyterian Church by Frederick J. Heuser, PhD, Executive Director, Presbyterian Historical Society
Bearing with One Another: The Pastoral Task in Times of Struggle by Sheldon W. Sorge, Office of Theology and Worship Presbyterian Church (USA)
Video Resources
Please note: During the presentation immediately below titled “Is Jesus ‘The’ Way?” Dana Allin says the PC(USA) General Assembly removed the call from the Book of Order for the Church to “present the claims of Jesus Christ, leading persons to repentance and acceptance of him as Lord and Savior.” This statement and belief is still in our Book of Order. Section F-1.0302d reads, “The Church seeks to present the claims of Jesus Christ, leading persons to repentance, acceptance of Christ alone as Savior and Lord, and new life as his disciples.”
Links
The Presbytery of Los Ranchos Awesome Things About the PC(USA)
Presbytery of New Covenant Denominational Resources for Congregations in Discernment
PC(USA) Why I belong
PC(USA) Positions
Abortion: Abortion Issues
When an individual woman faces the decision whether to terminate a pregnancy, the issue is intensely personal, and may manifest itself in ways that do not reflect public rhetoric, or do not fit neatly into medical, legal, or policy guidelines. Humans are empowered by the spirit prayerfully to make significant moral choices, including the choice to continue or end a pregnancy. Human choices should not be made in a moral vacuum, but must be based on Scripture, faith, and Christian ethics. For any choice, we are accountable to God; however, even when we err, God offers to forgive us.
Divestment: FAQ’s About Divestment
The 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved a measure recommending that the Board of Pensions, the Foundation, and its members divest from three corporations whose products it believes contribute to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The companies—Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions—are used by the Israeli government in the occupied territories and are not in compliance with the General Assembly’s policy on socially responsible investing. The PC(USA) has a decades-long history of socially responsible investing. The General Assembly measure also says that this action does not indicate an alignment with the overall global Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement. It affirms the importance of economic measures and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians that support and advance a negotiated two-state solution, and encourages Presbyterians to travel to the Holy Land to give broad support to the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities throughout the Middle East. The General Assembly also called for a study to determine whether a two-state solution continues to be viable. Regarding Zionism Unsettled, the assembly declared that the publication does not represent the views of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
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