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The General Assembly's Executive Committee makes the following affirmation and recommendation regarding OUO:
The Bible affirms that the church is, in the words of the Confession of Faith, "one, holy, universal, apostolic church. She is the body of Christ, who is her head and Lord. The church is one because her head and Lord is one, Jesus Christ. Her oneness under her Lord is manifested in the one ministry of word and sacrament, not in any uniformity of convenantal expression, organization, or system of doctrine." (5.01-5.02) This biblical affirmation is expressed in the way the church orders and manifests her life in a world alienated from God. In so doing her members respond to God's gift of grace joyfully and gratefully. One aspect of this response is known biblically as stewardship, the grateful sharing of God's grace through the ministry of word and sacrament, witness and service, teaching and nurturing in the name of the Lord Christ.
The Bible affirms that stewardship, in the words of the Confession, is a recognition that "God gives to the human family a variety of gifts, including gifts to each person for which each person has responsibility. God desires that each person engage in the mutual sharing of these gifts so that all may be enriched." (6.12) This biblical affirmation also is expressed in the way the church orders and manifests her life in a world alienated from God. This response is known biblically as the church in mission.
When the church creates programs of ministry, sets persons apart to implement these programs, provides for their spiritual support through prayer and orderly financing, and reviews their effectiveness and their necessity to the evangelical calling of the church, the church is fulfilling her mandate and reason for being. Cumberland Presbyterians do this through their governing bodies from the particular congregation through the general assembly. Our United Outreach is nothing less than "one, holy, universal, apostolic church" providing for the "mutual sharing of...gifts so that all may be enriched." Its purpose is to provide for a grateful response to God in an orderly and responsible manner. And because it is expressive of the church's unity, to support one aspect of the church's life is to suport the whole of it. It is not a "tax"; it is an aspect of evangelical mission. It is not a burden; it is the joyful and grateful response of God's people to what God has done for them. It is not an assessment; it is an avenue to a wider sharing of God's good news.
With this understanding of biblical faith and the nature of the church, it is imperative to affirm that when a Christian shares his/her gifts with the church, whether in a particular congregation, a presbytery, synod, or general assembly program, those gifts, whether small or large, are shared with the WHOLE church because the church is ONE. And just as the sharing of gifts is a glad response to God's grace, the receiving of those gifts is cause for rejoicing and gratitude on the part of the WHOLE church. Such is the description of the church in the Corinthian letter and elsewhere in the New Testament.
This understanding prompts us to recommend firm and positive action to the General Assembly with regard to the corporated stewardship of Cumberland Presbyterians. It is time for the programming of the church to live within a generous but sound sharing of gifts by individuals and congregations. It is time for individuals and churches to live out of grateful response to God in the sharing of gifts with the programs of the church. It is time to live with a scripturally sound, responsibly conceived, easily understood, and economically valid means of supporting denominational programs. It is time to affirm and celebrate that all sharing of gifts is voluntary and therefore should be as free of legalisms as possible. It is our belief that a ten percent sharing of income by congregations meets all of these criteria. It is simple. It voluntary. It is fair. It is stable. It is sufficient.
Recommendation 6: That OUO giving by congregations to denominational programs be ten percent of the congregation's total current income.
Recommendation 7: That funding for OUO be planned in this way for a minimum of the next ten years and with the expectation that it will continue indefinitely.
Recommendation 8: That all boards and agencies plan programs funded by OUO with this firm and stable guideline in view.
Recommendation 9: That local congregations plan their giving with this firm and stable guideline in view.
Because stewardship is not a tax or assessment, no exclusions should be made. Exclusions are not made for the tithe biblically. God's plan is a simple plan.
Moreover, Second Mile Giving is built on the teaching of our Lord with regard to gladly extending oneself beyond what is required or expected. It would be, therefore, a violation of the very notion of Second Mile Giving to make it an exclusion from congregational giving. Therefore, we make the following recommendation:
Recommendation 10: That the memorial from Knoxville Presbytery with regard to excluding Second Mile Giving not be granted.
Page updated on April 17, 2002