By Edward H. Adair
The continued efforts of those who seek to redefine our Confession of Faith to impose a narrow, exclusionary interpretation divert valuable time, resources, and energy away from the church’s true mission. The church’s mission is to “worship God and study the word of God, to join together in a common witness to the gospel and to engage in the good works to which Christians are called . . ..” (Constitution 2.01) These ongoing attempts to legislate specific doctrinal positions on contentious issues detract from spreading the love and compassion of Christ, serving those in need, and working for justice and peace in the world. This misallocation of efforts hinders our ability to fulfill the Great Commission and embody God’s inclusive and transformative love.
Moreover, recent events, such as the vote on proposed amendments precluding a particular class of people from serving in leadership roles within the church, have led to division, ill will, and hateful speech. “[A]ll who are united to Christ by faith are also united to one another in love. In this communion, they are to share the grace of Christ with one another, to bear one another’s burdens, and to reach out to all other persons.” (Confession of Faith 5.10.) We must prioritize our duty as a Church over divisive and distracting debates that undermine our unity and effectiveness in ministry. We are “to bear witness to God’s saving activity in such a way that those who have not been saved, redeemed, and reconciled might believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and experience salvation.” (Introduction to the 1984 Confession of Faith).
As Cumberland Presbyterians, we are a global community of individuals united in our ongoing reflection and action to understand our collective role in society and history. This unity, guided by Christ’s life, teachings, and ministry, is not just a value we uphold but a fundamental aspect of our mission. The example of Christ’s teachings and selfless compassion, as evidenced in Holy Scripture, should be interpreted through rigorous, scholarly methods that consider the historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts of Scripture. Such interpretations ensure that the Church’s actions and doctrines remain faithful to the spirit of Christ’s message and mission in an ever-changing and diverse world.
Our denomination should not only embody and promote compassion, justice, and transformation—all products of God’s unmerited favor made available to “whosoever will” but also continuously revisit and reinterpret our rich historical, theological, and spiritual legacy. This is not a one-time task but a continuous process that ensures our relevance, impact, and continuity with the will of God as revealed and understood in changing times. By doing so, we can view ourselves as a source of continued spiritual inspiration and an inherently dynamic and ever-evolving human institution shaped by our members’ diverse cultures as we adapt to societal changes.
Our denomination has room for various Christian doctrines, scriptural interpretations, and theological and liturgical traditions, provided these uphold Christ’s core teachings concerning grace, love, service, and community. Following Christ’s teachings, these traditions should be evaluated based on their ability to foster a genuine relationship with God and our neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)
Ultimately, God alone is the arbiter of who belongs to the Church Universal and who is called to be among its leaders. Humanity can either acquiesce to God’s will and call upon the hearts of others or choose to begin the prideful task of exclusion. Denying fellow siblings in Christ the free expression of their conscience and rational understanding of Holy Scripture based on a logical, reasonable, yet different hermeneutic is a dangerous and arguably unchristian practice.
There is room for us to continue working together to spread the Gospel and share Christ’s love and compassion in a hurting world. This should be our goal and focus rather than attempts to redefine Cumberland Presbyterians as exclusionary fundamentalists or to coerce a single interpretation of scripture on such a diverse body of believers loved and chosen by God.
As we continue to wrestle with the issue of same-sex relationships, let us do so with a spirit of openness and inquiry, always ready to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s]” (Romans 12:2). In this journey, we are reminded that our efforts are nothing more than reflections of a greater truth known entirely only to God. We must approach the task with courage and caution, be ever mindful of our limitations, and be ever grateful for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As we live out the reality of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in and for the world, may we do so in a manner that honors our calling and bears witness to the enduring love of Christ.
Edward H. Adair
June 4, 2024
