Unified
Committee on Theology and Social Concerns
Purpose
Statement
Adopted by the 157th
General Assembly of the
June 1987
(Note: The 166th General Assembly
of the CPC, meeting in 1996, changed the name of the former Commission on
Theology and Social Concerns to "Permanent Committee . . ." The 169th
GA, meeting in 1999, and the 1999 GA of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in
America, approved the concept of a joint committee, creating the “Unified
Committee on Theology and Social Concerns.” The
following purpose statement has therefore been amended to reflect the
current name of the Committee.)
The Unified Committee on Theology and Social
Concerns is a duly authorized agency of the General Assemblies of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Churches.
It is the responsibility of the Committee to
stimulate theological thinking and discussion within our own denominations, to
serve as a liaison between the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches and the
Theological Committee of the Caribbean and North American Area Council of the
World
It is the responsibility of the Committee to
reflect theologically upon areas of social life which, in the mind of the
Committee, should be of special concern to Christians at a particular point in
time.
It is the responsibility of the Committee to
call to the attention of the church and the world those areas of social
responsibility which need addressing from a distinctly Christian viewpoint and
to provide the theological rationale for that viewpoint.
The responsibility of the Committee is in the
area of moral concerns and, therefore, always should be sensitive to the
creative tension which exists with the church whenever genuine and honest
differences about doctrine and moral application of doctrine occur.
It is the responsibility of the Committee to
provide both theological and factual background to the churches so that their
members can both study pertinent moral issues and act upon them out of a
Christian perspective.
While church judicatories usually enact laws,
they may also adopt resolutions which are, in effect, efforts at moral
persuasion. The Committee should recommend to the General Assemblies such
resolutions as it deems appropriate. Those resolutions not intended to be
enacted as the law of the church should be clearly identified as resolutions or
proclamations which are recommended for study and consideration.
The responsibility of the Committee is in the
area of moral concerns, or what the Confession of Faith embraces in its creedal
statement under the title, "Christians Live and Witness in the
World." It is the responsibility of the Committee (a) to formulate such
moral perspectives based on the revealed will of God in the Scriptures as are
relevant to contemporary issues, and (b) to explore and grapple with the
possible application of these perspectives to concrete situations as an
incentive to all church members to do the same. Care should be taken not to
attempt to make rules for every specific situation, but to formulate a moral
framework for discussion which provides the basis for responsible decision-making
on the part of members of the churches.