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PW STAFFER MUST DECIDE
I was struck by a sense of déjà vu as I read Mark Tooley’s report on the “Women and the Word” conference that was held earlier this year at Boston University’s School of Theology. I thought to myself, “Here we go again.” Just about the time the Re-Imagining Community is forced to close its office in St. Paul, Minnesota due to lack of support, it pops up again in a seminary setting. That they met at a seminary comes as no surprise. Without a base of operations to call their own, the Re-Imaginers have found other venues in which to promote their heretical philosophies/ theologies – which, I might add, have become increasingly bizarre over time. But, that’s somewhat beside the point. My point is that there was something about this particular event that brought back bad memories. Just as in the 1993 Re-Imagining Conference, a PC(USA) staffer, Unzu Lee, was presenting at a symposium in which the biblical and constitutional standards of the PC(USA) [her employer] were openly and unambiguously mocked. Unlike Marianne Lundy, who participated in planning and development of the 1993 Re-Imagining Conference, Ms. Lee had nothing to do with setting up the event at the Boston seminary. However, she was a platform speaker, and in that capacity she openly questioned “the effectiveness of traditional spiritual practices, especially reliance upon ‘written text and preaching.’” According to Lee, reliance upon Scripture causes us “to lose our ability to intuit and listen to signs around us and be compassionate.” Unzu Lee is an ordained Presbyterian Minister who holds the position of PW Leadership Development Associate for racial ethnic concerns at the Presbyterian headquarters in Louisville – which fact exposes her to criticism, and possible disciplinary action on two fronts. First, I am saddened that any Presbyterian Minister of the Word and Sacrament would elect to present in any such conference. Still the Rev. Ms. Lee is not the first, nor will she be the last, to do so. I am even more distressed by her failure to uphold either her ordination vows or our church’s confessional standards relative to the authority of Scripture. But that is a matter between her and her presbytery of membership. Second, I am angered and appalled that, as a member of the Presbyterian Women’s staff, she would even consider participating in such an event – especially given the “explosion” that was set-off by the 1993 conference. It is my understanding that Presbyterian “staffers” may use neither
company time nor resources to attend a Re-Imagining event. If they
go, they must do it on their own time and at their own expense. But,
I have no reason to believe that Ms. Lee or her superiors ignored either
the letter or the spirit of this policy. Further, as this was not
specifically billed as a Re-Imagining conference, the policy may not have
pertained.
If, as a staffer, she failed to request permission from her supervisors before participating in the conference, she should be disciplined. If her superiors – all the way up the line to Curtis Kearns (Director of the National Ministries Division) – failed to do so, they should be disciplined, too. And, if she did ask permission, and if one of her superiors granted it, that person should be held responsible for her/his terrible decision. Supposedly, there is accountability built into the Louisville staffing structure. All paid staff – even those serving Presbyterian Women – are accountable to a “chain of command” that itself is accountable to the General Assembly Council. Among other things, they are responsible for upholding the church’s biblical and constitutional standards. And, the staff of Presbyterian Women is no exception. There is no question that the conference went beyond the boundaries of our Ecumenical Creeds, and that it promoted “unusual” sexual behavior. And there, right up on the platform, was Unzu Lee – a Presbyterian Minister and Louisville staffer – in open and blatant opposition to the official position of the church that employs her. This should trouble all Presbyterians. But it should especially trouble Presbyterian Women. We should be able to expect that the people serving PW as professional staffers will uphold our church’s standards. It seems to me that Ms. Lee has a choice to make. Either she can elect to remain faithful to her vows and to the responsibilities of her employment, or she can choose to resign her position. But, integrity demands that she do one or the other. If this concerns you, I encourage you to make your thoughts known. Write a letter to John Detterick, Executive Director of the General Assembly Council and let him know what you think. _____________ 1. See Feminist
Theologians Convene at Boston Seminary, Mark Tooley, April 16,
2004
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