Mainline Renewal Leader Calls for Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) to Reject Anti-Semitism

by Staff
June 30, 2008

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MEDIA ADVISORY, (christiansunite.com) -- Association for Church Renewal President David Runnion-Bareford, today called on the Presbyterian Church USA, meeting in General Assembly in San Jose, California, to reject overtures to their meeting which contain anti-Semitic theological presuppositions, biases, and prejudices and to reject a June statement by the Presbyterian USA Commission on Interfaith Relations that has caused great pain and hurt to our Jewish brothers and sisters. "Statements and overtures with inherently faulty anti-Semitic theology and prejudices such as those before your General Assembly for consideration, damage all of us who serve Jesus Christ in the ecumenical church. We ask you instead to repair the breakage your church has created with our Jewish brothers and sister in a spirit of repentance, humility and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Background: In 2004, the PCUSA passed an overture on divestment from Israel which deeply offended the Jewish community. Dialogue between the PCUSA and several Jewish groups resulted in a statement in May 2008 by the Presbyterian Commission on Interfaith Relations which was widely applauded and created a basis for healing. Then, in June 2008, a "revised" statement once again reasserted language and concepts widely condemned as anti-Semitic. The Jewish community has been outraged. Two or more overtures are presently before the General Assembly meeting this week in San Jose that would reassert the offensive language and action of the 2004 resolution.

The Association for Church Renewal is a strategic alliance of over 30 renewal groups and movements bearing witness to the apostolic, ecumenical Christian faith in the mainline denominations of North America. Rev. David Runnion-Bareford can be reached at associationforchurchrenewal.com