Doctrines, and thoughts about what is happening in the Church. Here is a list
of some of the main papers and presentations:
• Closing the Back Door: Factors causing decline in the Church – The Rev.
David Lindrooth
• Four Myths: How Well Do We Understand the Impact of Same-Sex
Marriage? – The Rev. Jeremy Simons
• Love of Dominion by Means of the Word – The Rev. Eric Carswell
• A Taxonomy of Doctrinal Construction – The Rev. Christopher Barber
• Spiritual Care Workshop – The Rev. John Odhner
• Abhorring Evil in a Tolerant World – The Rev. Bradley Heinrichs
• The Grammar of the Divine Human: Understanding Coupled Adjectives in
Swedenborg’s Latin – The Rev. Derrick Lumsden
• The Lord’s Glorification Series – A Case for Real Spiritual Growth – The
Rev. Göran Appelgren
• Emotions, Affections, and Delights: An examination of the Heavenly
Doctrines in Search of the Seat of Emotions – The Rev. Scott Frazier
• Freedom and Morality: The Necessity of Moral Judgments in Society – The
Rev. Stephen Cole
• Testimony: Speaking from Life – The Rev. Ron Schnarr
There was also a presentation from Steve David about the New Christian
Bible Study, approval of a process about the choice of our next bishop after the
Rt. Rev. Brian Keith retires in a few years, additions to the Clergy Handbook,
the report of the committee on Women’s Roles, and various other items.
A theme that emerged in the discussions and papers was about the best
ways to respond to the changing cultural environment here in the West. We
noted the contrast with the rest of the world – a world well represented by our
growing number of colleagues from Africa and Asia. There were 23 ministers
there from Africa, out of about 40 on that continent, and about five representing
Asia, out of about 10 there, and one from India. Issues like declining church
attendance, issues related to marriage and sexual morality, how to expand the
roles of women, the growth of social service ministries among us, and our
struggles to pass on the church to the next generation, came up repeatedly.
The meetings even made a local TV newscast on Friday evening, with an
interview of Chelsea Odhner and the Rt. Rev. Peter Buss Jr. about a display of
shoes contributed by community members at the Dining Hall door. The shoes
represented the voices of women who hope to see a change in the General
Church ordination policy.
On Friday afternoon, the clergy met with the General Church Board
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