Confessing Church Movement

Session Resolution

The Confessing Church Movement and the Renewal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Enacted July 24, 2001

Part I.

The session of Northminster Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Arizona, meeting this 24th day of July 2001, joins faithful believers throughout the Church in confessing:

• That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, alone is Lord of all and "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).  [John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-20]
  
  
• That holy Scripture is God's revealed Word, the Church's only infallible rule of faith and life.  We celebrate that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). [Romans 15:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13]
  
  
• That God's will and guidance for all people, as revealed in Scripture, is a call to holiness and wholeness in all aspects of life.  This includes honoring the sanctity and fidelity of marriage between a man and a woman and chastity in singleness.  We uphold that "the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body" (1 Corinthians 6:13b).

The confession of these beliefs is here specifically declared because of a growing theological, spiritual and moral confusion within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  The recent actions of the General Assembly Council and the 213th General Assembly have demonstrated a failure to maintain and assert the foundational truths of historic and orthodox Christianity.

We, the session, believe God calls us to give strong witness to the truth of Jesus Christ to our Northminster family, to our sisters and brothers throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and to the world.

We, the session, therefore announce our commitment as a Confessing Church in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and register Northminster's participation in this movement with other congregations and the Presbyterian Lay Committee.

Part II.

In acknowledging the current state of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as seen in unprecedented expressions of unbelief within the denomination, the session invites the Northminster family as well as all congregations to a period of renewed reflection and prayerful study of these issues and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  The session commends to the congregation for study the Presbyterian Coalition's theological statement "Union in Christ: A Declaration for the Church." Copies of that declaration and this resolution are being provided to all members of the Northminster family.

Part III.

The session through its participation and partnership with Presbyterians for Renewal, for a number of years, has worked for spiritual renewal throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  In light of the current state of the denomination, the session again declares its support of Presbyterians for Renewal and its vision that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be a church that

• boldly proclaims Jesus Christ the incarnate Son of God and the only Savior and Lord of the world.
  
  
• confidently relies upon Scripture as the authority for our faith and life.
  
  
• effectively equips disciples to live abundantly in Christ.
  
  
• intentionally develops godly leaders for future generations.
  
  
• consistently supports congregations as the primary agents of God's mission in the world.
  
  
• willingly relies upon healthy governing bodies for accountability, mutual encouragement, and shared witness.
  
  
• courageously embraces action for social justice and evangelism as essential dimensions of our primary task, to proclaim the Good News.
  
  
• faithfully lives with holy abandon in the power of the Holy Spirit, willing to risk all and serve all in order to show the love of Christ to all.

Patricia Ann Curry, Clerk of Session
Andrew G. Ross, Moderator