Committee recommendation lifts up Christ as UCC’s Lord and Sovereign

The United Church of Christ ^ | July 4, 2005 | Michelle Carter

[lightman]

Committee recommendation lifts up Christ as UCC’s Lord and Sovereign

Written by Michelle Carter Sunday, 03 July 2005

(UPDATE: ADOPTED BY FULL SYNOD ON MONDAY, JULY 4) A consolidated proposal that would reaffirm both Jesus Christ as Lord and Sovereign and urge continued use of the UCC's tradition cross and crown logo will be the recommendation of a Synod committee. It suggests that two previously separate resolutions be combined into one Synod statement.

The Rev. Brent Becker of St. Paul UCC of Cibolo, Texas, was author of the original “Jesus is Lord” resolution.

“I just wanted to make it specific and explicit, to have people say, ‘I do accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.’ What’s the problem to reaffirm this? What’s the harm?” he asked. “It’s neither a conservative nor a liberal issue. Surely this is one thing we can all agree on.”

The merged resolution, which still requires approval by Synod delegates, “celebrates and reaffirms our Church’s faith in Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, whose true humanity and divinity are declared in our constitution, our liturgies, our hymnals and our ecumenical commitments.”

The committee specifically omitted a doctrinal requirement that all authorized ministers and churches “must adhere to this most basic of all Christian teachings.”

Several committee members expressed concern that such a requirement would establish a sort of litmus test for issuing privilege of call to clergy, a responsibility that, according to the UCC’s polity, now rests with individual Associations, not the national church.

As for the UCC’s cross, crown and orb logo, the committee will ask General Synod delegates to “strongly commend its continued use.”

[lightman]

At least they got ONE right. As of this moment "marriage equality" has been recommended for passage but has not yet been voted.

[Gamecock]

Only 2,000 years after the rest of Christianity, the UCC finally figures it out.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"The committee specifically omitted a doctrinal requirement that all authorized ministers and churches “must adhere to this most basic of all Christian teachings.”

Uh. WTF? (What the Faith...?)

[muawiyah]

THat's so they can practice buggery with each other in private and not have the topic brought up in church any time soon.

These people are totally transparent ~ and drifting about 6 inches off the ground.