Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians honors Elicia Scobey, whose life of faith, music, service, and love was a gift to the Church and to all who knew her.Elicia shared more than 30 years of life and love with Allison Stewart. After they were legally married in 2016, their marriage became part of an important conversation within the church regarding inclusion. Those who knew them saw something even more personal and profound: a deep devotion to one another. As one friend said, “Of all the couples I have known, I don't think I have ever witnessed two people more devoted to each other than Allison and Elicia.”Throughout Elicia’s cancer journey, Allison remained faithfully by her side, caring for her with extraordinary love and tenderness. Their life together was a testimony to the depth of love that can be lived through ordinary days, difficult seasons, and the commitment to remain present to one another.In 2021, Elicia and Allison courageously shared their story in a video series created to help the Cumberland Presbyterian Church know LGBTQ+ members of the church as real people of faith and followers of Jesus Christ. Their hope was that, as the church continued its discernment, it would listen to the testimony of their lives, their faith, their love, and their experiences, and become more willing to hear the stories of others like them, coming to know the people behind the conversation.When Elicia shared her testimony, she had already served as pianist at Cool Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church for more than 28 years. She coordinated music and worship, directed children’s choirs and bell choirs, served as a Sunday school nursery teacher, and generously shared her gifts in the life of her congregation. Through music, teaching, service, and presence, Elicia helped nurture the faith of generations of Cumberland Presbyterians.Elicia was a beloved

Have you ever reread a book years later and discovered something you never noticed before? The words had not changed, but you had. New experiences, new questions, and deeper understanding allowed you to hear the same text in a new way. Reading is a conversation across time. The words on the page remain the same, yet every generation brings new questions, new experiences, and fresh understanding. A confession of faith is much the same. It bears witness to the church's understanding of the gospel and Scripture within a particular historical, cultural, and theological context. As a written witness, it preserves that testimony for future generations, but it cannot by itself answer new questions, correct misunderstandings, or respond to changing circumstances. Written words remain fixed while the church continues to deepen its understanding of Scripture, of God's world, and of the people God has created and loves. This tension between the permanence of written texts and the ongoing work of faithful discernment was recognized more than two thousand years ago. In the dialogue Phaedrus, Plato, through the character of Socrates, argues that writing is useful but limited. A written text cannot answer questions, clarify misunderstandings, defend itself against misuse, or adapt its message to the needs of a particular reader. Once it is written, it says the same thing to everyone. By contrast, a living conversation allows ideas to be tested, challenged, refined, and deepened. Wisdom grows through dialogue rather than mere recitation. Likewise, a confession of faith is an important testimony, but it is not the church's final authority or a substitute for the living work of the Holy Spirit in the community of faith. Like any written document, a confession cannot by itself respond when new knowledge emerges, when a marginalized community asks a question the writers never imagined,

​We invite fellow Cumberland Presbyterians to sign this open letter of March 20, 2026: We, the undersigned Cumberland Presbyterians, ministers, elders, and members, write in public support and affirmation of the right and responsibility of ministers and church sessions to carry out pastoral ministry in ways that faithfully serve the needs of their particular congregations and communities. Since its beginnings in the second Great Awakening, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has trusted pastors and sessions to minister with prayerful discernment and sensitivity, making decisions suited to the unique needs of their communities, valuing local discernment and contextual ministry over rigid uniformity. This spirit of trust and decentralized authority made possible historic developments such as the early inclusion of African Americans and women in ordained ministry, as well as the founding of some of the first higher education institutions to admit women. Christian ministry is not one-size-fits-all. Every community is unique, and every pastoral situation calls for wisdom, compassion, and attentiveness to the Spirit’s leading. As a denomination that from its beginning was especially attuned to the calling of individuals and the movement of the Holy Spirit, we affirm that in contexts where churches come to know, love, and affirm their LGBTQ+ members, this should include the freedom to extend the full ministry and blessings of the church—including marriage. We uphold the freedom of ministers and sessions to prayerfully respond with care and integrity, especially when celebrating the love, commitment, and covenant shared between two people, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. We understand that sincere Christians may differ in their discernment, yet we believe such ministry is a faithful expression of the Gospel—a Gospel that calls us not to judgment but to love, not to exclusion but to embrace. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church has long affirmed that “God alone is Lord of the conscience”

As a part of the larger Cumberland Presbyterian community, Japan Presbytery humbly shares the following statement as an expression of its own commitment to the ministry of peacemaking. It is offered in the hope and prayer that our siblings in Christ, including those influenced by nationalism, will hear its witness and prayerfully consider its message. On the Occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the End of the War —A Commitment to the Ministry of Peacemaking— November 24, 2025 98th Regular Presbyterial Meeting Japan Presbytery, Cumberland Presbyterian Church “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Fifteen Years’ War, including the Asia-Pacific War, we confess before God and one another our sins in turning toward violence, and we renew our commitment to the ministry of peacemaking. In November 2022, we, the Presbytery of Japan, adopted a resolution declaring, “We oppose all acts that seek to impose one’s will through violence,” in response to the widespread reality of violence throughout the world. Since that time, however, conditions in many regions have not improved but have continued to deteriorate. In Palestine, in retaliation for attacks by the Islamic organization Hamas, Israel has undertaken military incursions, and the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry has determined that these actions constitute genocide against the Palestinian people. Even now, many continue to suffer unspeakable hardship as a result of violence. In Japan, security-related legislation permitting the exercise of the right of collective self-defense was enacted by the National Diet in 2015. Since then, as many citizens feared, military expansion has continued, and the defense budget for fiscal year 2025 has reached 1.8 percent of GDP. The Self-Defense Forces, advancing a “Southwestern Shift,” are proceeding with the establishment

The Resolution presented to the 2025 General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, “A Biblical Call to Followers of Christ: Speak Up Against Injustices,” invites us to reflect together on what it means to follow Jesus in a time when many people, including immigrants, refugees, racial and religious minorities, people with disabilities, and others, face injustice and dehumanization. ​A Biblical Call to Followers of Christ: Speak Up Against Injustices WHEREAS, God calls us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8), showing compassion and hospitality to foreigners, refugees, immigrants, and to all who are oppressed or subjugated (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Hebrews 13:2-3); and Leviticus 19:34 reminds us that aliens among us shall be as citizens, and we shall love the aliens as ourselves, for we were aliens in Egypt; and WHEREAS, God calls us to never be silent about injustice but to speak out for the rights of all who are destitute (Proverbs 31:8), to rescue all who are oppressed (Isaiah 1:17), as our Confession of Faith also declares (6.31): We are advocates for anyone the law or society treats as less than people for whom Christ died; and WHEREAS, God calls us to oppose anyone who encourages violence or hatred or who denies any person the full, fair processes of law for any reason, including persons violently targeted or illegally seized because of race, religion, gender, or immigration status. James 2:1-9 reminds us: As followers of Christ, we show no partiality in our treatment of others. We stand up for all the oppressed (Ezekiel 22:29–30; Matthew 23:23) because Jesus died for the whole world (John 11:52). As our Confession of Faith (6.30) affirms, we are to oppose, resist, and change all circumstances of oppression – political, economic, cultural, or racial – that deny persons the essential

By Edward H. Adair The Cumberland Presbyterian Church possesses a rich theological tradition and commitment to scripture.  Notwithstanding this tradition (or, more accurately, in part, because of it), the Church is faced with deeply held, differing views on the validity of LGBTQ+ relationships and the roles individuals in these relationships and those who support them may have in church leadership. Some within the Church interpret scripture to exclude LGBTQ+ individuals from such roles, while others advocate for their inclusion. Many in this latter category draw on Christ’s teachings of love, justice, and a contextual understanding of scripture to reach an understanding they authentically believe to be consistent with the will of God. This divergence has resulted in division among members of our denomination. Yet, I think there remains space within the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for these perspectives to coexist in mutual respect.[1]  By exploring these views in the spirit of our Confession of Faith, we can fulfill our mission of reconciliation, love, and justice without requiring uniformity on issues related to sexual orientation. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church has the theological depth and history of unity amid diversity to support both perspectives in mutual respect. By grounding this approach in the Confession of Faith, which emphasizes the interpretation of scripture in light of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection (COF 1.06) and the use of historical context in study (COF 1.07), we can find a foundation for harmony. Our Confession of Faith recognizes that believers may reach different theological conclusions as a result of Biblical interpretation and, because of that probability, encourages community engagement in interpretation (COF 1.07), affirming that theological exploration and dialogue are central to our faith.  This engagement should be undertaken with humility and acknowledging the inherent limitations of human understanding. COF 5.08:  Because the church in the world

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church does not impose a singular view on abortion. According to our Confession of Faith, "God alone is Lord of the conscience and in matters of faith and worship, God frees believers from the opinions and commandments of others that are contrary to his word..." (CoF 6.02). This statement affirms the sacred agency and conscience of each individual who seeks God’s will. Rev. Dr. A. B. Miller was a leading minister, educator, and author in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and he served as Moderator of its General Assembly in 1877. His most significant work was Doctrines and Genius of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, published in 1892. This book became an influential articulation and defense of the denomination's theological positions. In it, he emphatically stated:  “No pope or counsel or creed can bind the conscience in this respect. Only the word of God is the rule of faith and practice, and it is such to every [individual] in the sense in which [they understand] it through an honest effort to arrive at its meaning. This doctrine, common to Protestantism, is the key to progress in the interpretation of scriptures. To give it up is to go back to the spiritual bondage of the middle ages….the spiritual death in which [persons] repose unquestioning faith in the opinions of a fallible [person] or council of fallible [individuals]." The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, with its history of honoring individual conscience, exemplified this approach during the 1991 General Assembly when addressing the contentious topic of abortion. Rather than imposing a singular viewpoint, the church embraced the validity of diverse interpretations within its covenant community. This inclusive stance fostered unity and underscored the significance of aligning one's actions with Christian conscience. EXCERPT FROM "SANCTITY OF PERSONS" (1991) Since Cumberland Presbyterians affirm a variety of

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

In his Letter to the Editor of the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine, Mark J Davis critiques a faction's insistence on excluding LGBTQ Christians from leadership roles, despite the constitutional rejection of such measures by presbyteries. Davis advocates for a return to the denomination's tradition of tolerance and compromise, urging a focus on real ministry rather than internal power struggles. To the editor: “Let it go to Presbyteries. It is their right to decide on our direction and future.” This was the demand from a group of Cumberland Presbyterians who, unsatisfied with a Statement on Homosexuality approved by the 165th General Assembly (although they apparently subscribe to most of the text), nevertheless consider exclusion of LGBTQ Christians from leadership positions in the denomination one of their highest priorities in ministry. One can only assume that their exhilaration at having successfully fomented the split of one of our presbyteries over the issue now leads them to their efforts to extend what they surely know will be further discord and ugliness wrought by that split to the entire denomination. But we are, after all, Presbyterian in our government, so we did. We did let the question of whether or not we would be a denomination known for codifying exclusion in our foundational documents go to our presbyteries, “to decide on our direction and future.” And despite what by many accounts was a very aggressive (and, I would argue, unseemly) effort at lobbying on behalf of exclusion, the presbyteries responded to that constitutional question by saying, NO. But now, I understand that having failed in that effort, that same group of Cumberland Presbyterians has apparently decided that the only way to get their way—to indulge their preoccupation with the sexual orientation of others whom they rarely know personally, or with whatever sexual activity may or

By Rev. Chris Warren Like many in our denomination, I am grieving the division that is threatening our very existence. I have not always been Cumberland Presbyterian. I was called as a musician to serve a Cumberland Presbyterian church when I was 19. I had no expectation of being called to ministry in that same church years later. I start here because I deeply love the Confession of Faith. I read that document, and it is the reason I became Cumberland Presbyterian. At that time, I was just developing my faith, my understanding of scripture, and my place in God’s world. The beauty of the language in our Confession-- the ability we have as Cumberland Presbyterians to be a part of the same church even though we may understand some things about scripture differently--was one of the most important reasons I had for choosing this church as my home. I have never wavered from my commitment to the Confession of Faith. I imagine any of us can look at any written word and see something a little different from each other. I may read those words the same way you do, or I may read them in a different way than you do, but I want to be clear that I revere the words in the Confession. In many ways I feel that the division in our church has been created intentionally. I have read recently that this division has only been revealed, not created, and it seems natural that as a diverse group, we may experience some differences in understanding of scripture and the meaning of at least some parts of the Confession of Faith. But I don’t think the division needs to be as gaping as some claim. In fact, I think that whatever crack existed has been