The Welcoming Blog

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

To the members of Presbytery del Cristo, Greetings to all of you in the name of Jesus Christ! May the One who loves and holds the Church be with us, now and always. I’m writing to offer my thoughts to you with regards to the proposed amendments which will come before our Presbytery next week. Passions are high and perhaps we’re coming to this meeting with anxiety and with the

February 25, 2024 To our beloved partners in Christ in Del Cristo Presbytery, The staff and session of Grace Fellowship Community Church in San Francisco write to share our concerns with you over the proposed amendments to our Constitution. While we whole-heartedly affirm the letter from the former Moderators of the General Assembly from August 31, 2023, we wish to add our own thoughts to the conversation. Our life together

Persons seeking to bar from ministry individuals who choose not to marry, engaged couples who have relations before marriage, or persons in same-sex relationships, often claim the Confession of Faith as their authority in the matter, despite the fact it never rejects same-sex relationships nor addresses the topic of sex outside of marriage. It is important to note that the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church elevated the importance of

February 2024 Dear Friends and Family of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Presbytery del Cristo, I write this letter with trepidation, because I know how emotional the upcoming vote on the proposed amendments has become. I’ve been impressed with the thoughtful letters shared from several of you and so I would like to offer my input in that same sense of civility and connection. For those of you who don’t

Rev. Tami Terpstra Staff Chaplain and Specialty Chaplain in Adult Psychiatric Care Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO Original Date of Submission: September 30, 2019 Initially addressed to the Unified Committee on Theology & Social Concerns (UCTSC), this letter was revised on February 29, 2024, and is now offered for consideration in conjunction with proposed constitutional amendments currently undergoing review in the church presbyteries. As a recently ordained minister of

Have you ever been confident in your views but then found the need to reconsider them as you gained more information and experience? Rev. Dwight Liles once penned a letter to the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine expressing his belief, based on his interpretation of certain biblical passages, that homosexuality is a sin. However, something occurred that led to a complete transformation in his perspective. He now declares, "I affirm that my

The Confession of Faith in Cumberland Presbyterian History Author: Hubert W. Morrow Source: The Journal of Presbyterian History (1997-), FALL 1998, Vol. 76, No. 3 (FALL 1998), pp. 187-197 Published by: Presbyterian Historical Society JSTOR Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23335461 Dr. Hubert Morrow's essay explores the evolving understanding of the nature and authority of a confession of faith in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In general, it is that a confession of faith is

As follows is a letter from Honorably Retired Minister, Rev. Dr. George R. Estes, expressing opposition to proposed amendments to the Church Constitution. These amendments intend to remove persons in same-sex relationships from church leadership: In a church fight, the first casualty is the gospel. Those whom our Lord especially charged to love one another find themselves harboring feelings of suspicion, anger and competitiveness toward brothers and sisters in Christ.

Faithful servants of God and the church are facing a profound challenge as they await a decision on the amendments being deliberated in the presbyteries. These are their stories... God Has Called Me To Serve Anonymous Cumberland Presbyterian Minister In the rural area where I grew up, we assumed that everyone was alike. The reality, as I came to understand, is that everyone is different in their own way. I

As presbyteries deliberate upon proposed amendments that intend to exclude a whole class of persons, let us bear in mind the gravity of these changes. They will profoundly impact the lives of individuals already faithfully serving within our denomination, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+, their families, and their congregations. For personal insight into these issues, we share a story from an anonymous Cumberland Presbyterian minister. Their story serves to

Presented below are the proposed constitutional amendments taken from the "Summary of Actions" provided by Michael Sharpe, Stated Clerk of the Assembly. These amendments were deliberated upon during the 192nd General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which convened in Denton, Texas, from June 19 to 23, 2023, where they narrowly passed with a one-vote margin. The next step involves presbyteries voting. However, they cannot be incorporated into the church

We are grateful to share an open letter from thirteen of nineteen former General Assembly Moderators who stand united in opposition to the proposed exclusionary constitutional amendments. These individuals, representing various theological perspectives, have come together out of their deep love for our denomination and shared hope for its vibrant future. They wisely implore us to consider the harmful implications of these amendments, urging thoughtful discernment and reflection. We encourage

Ed Adair This article highlights how the proposed amendments present multiple issues relative to their interpretation, implementation, application, and enforcement. Originally published as a Letter to the Editor in the Cumberland Presbyterian magazine, it has been reprinted here with some edits. The author, Edward H. Adair, holds a law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law, class of 1985, and has served in roles such as

Rev. Dr. Thomas D. Campbell was honored on the evening of June 21, 2023, at the 192nd General Assembly for his service and contributions to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Program of Alternate Studies. Dr. Campbell was the Director of the Program of Alternate Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary for sixteen years. He has served as the moderator of General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination, moderator of Texas

Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians is an independent grassroots movement of LGBTQ+ Cumberland Presbyterians and clergy, elders and laity who wish to increase participation in the church by living out our confessional calling to seek reconciliation among all groups of people (CoF, 6.32) and embrace all people in the life of the church (CoF, 6.16). The proposed amendments seek to modify the Constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in such a way

Welcome to our new series of videos, where Cumberland Presbyterian clergy and laity share their personal journeys of reconciling faith and the Bible with acceptance and support for our LGBTQ siblings. Inspired by the 1984 Confession of Faith, which encourages us to embrace one another (6.16) with the grace of Christ (5.10), share insights, and grow together (1.07), this series aims to foster a spirit of dialogue and understanding. Watch

A message from Reverend Lisa Anderson, pastor of Colonial Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Moderator of the 184th General Assembly: Nine years ago a very unexpected thing happened. After saying no four times to people in my presbytery, I agreed to be nominated for Moderator of our General Assembly. About this time on that Monday I began to read all of the texts, messages, emails and listen to voice mail messages from

As described in the Confession of Faith for Cumberland Presbyterians, the church, both as a collective and through its individual members, has a calling to promote reconciliation, love, and justice among all individuals, classes, races, and nations (6.32). These values are at the core of our beliefs as a church, and so we should strive to live them out in our daily lives. That's why we're excited to share "Song of

On March 11, 2023, Japan Presbytery publicly announced their official response to the proposed exclusionary amendments to the Constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. Japan Presbytery urges the church to carefully consider its concerns and reject the proposed amendments, in part, because their approval will hinder the church's evangelistic efforts. The full statement follows: Japan Presbytery’s Response to the Proposed Amendments to the

Statement from a grassroots body of concerned Cumberland Presbyterians who take seriously our Call to love and minister in partnership with our siblings in Christ without regard for race, gender identity, or sexual orientation toward the realization of the Kingdom of God: In anticipation of our 191st General Assembly held in June 2022, many Cumberland Presbyterians were aware that Commissioners to that Assembly would be considering at least two exclusionary

By Matt McDonell Are we to be distracted by questions about sexual orientation, when we allow murderers to stand in the pulpit? Okay, I admit it, that headline is sensationalized and intended to grab your attention, but if you’re willing to stick with me for a bit I think you’ll see what I’m trying to say. There has been sharp division among Christians on the question of killing for as

Ecumenical/Interfaith Anti-Violence Initiative Sunday, October 8, 2023 (or anytime in October) Join us in observing Solidarity Sunday, October 8th, 2023. Individuals from diverse faiths will pray together for an end to violence, hate, and harassment directed against our LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) neighbors, as well as all groups subjected such injustices. Anti-LGBTQI+ violence, hate, and harassment are a plague upon our churches, communities and world. In

Rev. Dwight Liles Rev. Dwight Liles writes regarding the exclusionary statement approved by the 191st General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church: I cannot be silent about this, at whatever risk. I cannot be silent. The Confession of Faith of my denomination, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, states in article 6.31 the following: "The covenant community affirms the lordship of Christ who sought out the poor, the oppressed, the

There are a diversity of Cumberland Presbyterians faithfully serving the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and they have been gifts to the denomination throughout its history. We invited a few folks to share their stories in order to help people throughout the church know a few of those whom the exclusionary amendments and discussions on LGBTQ+ inclusion affect most directly. These stories reveal deep faith and commitment to the church but

Welcoming Cumberland Presbyterians is a grassroots movement of LGBTQIA+ Cumberland Presbyterians and clergy, elders and laity who wish to increase participation in the church by living out our confessional calling to seek reconciliation among all groups of people and embrace all people in the life of the church. We have read and studied the memorials from Arkansas and Grace Presbyteries and find them to be divisive, exclusionary, unnecessary and even

When I was an adolescent, I pictured my conscience as being God’s way of speaking to me—reminding me, when faced with a choice of two paths to take, that there was generally a right path and a wrong path, and helping me to choose the right one. Or if I chose the wrong path—as I sometimes did, despite the urging of my conscience—that the guilt I subsequently felt was the

A Theology for Inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ Community in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) by Rev. Chris Warren The inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community in Christian Churches is an important topic for the Church of the early 21st century. Many have chosen a “side” and have become entrenched. Something like a battle line has been drawn. For the traditionalist, a common sense reading of scripture is clearly against same-sex relationships.

To: The Unified Committee on Theology and Social Concerns From: A grassroots body of concerned Cumberland Presbyterians advocating for the freedom of conscience bequeathed to all of us by our founders, specifically concerning a denominational position on human sexuality Pursuant to the granting of its request (from the 189th General Assembly) for more time to consider the issues surrounding the development of a denominational statement on human sexuality, the Unified

June 28, 2021 Dear Members of the Committee on Theology and Social Concerns and Unification Task Force, First, I want to thank you for your dedication and attention to this matter. I know that many in our churches have pushed for a quick answer or a hurried response, and I am heartened and grateful for your deliberateness and careful consideration of each person’s voice. Attached to this note is the