Presbyterian Church leaders move against Israel

by Shira Sorko-Ram

For years the Presbyterian Church leadership has had problems with Israel. Its church doctrine embraces replacement theology, therefore it does not consider it necessary to look to the Bible as its guide concerning Israel - since now Israel only exists as Presbyterians or other Christian denominations.

However, I must add that many good church people including Presbyterians don’t even know what replacement theology is, and don’t know they themselves believe it to be true as they have never heard an actual teaching about it one way or another.

Replacement theology is simply an accepted precept of conservative church denominations throughout the world – originating from the roots of Catholicism when the latter was the only organized Church.

This last week the Presbyterian Church USA executive committee of the 2.4 million members voted to pass a resolution endorsing a recommendation to divest all its investments with three companies: Caterpillar, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard because they have economic ties with Israel and so they support the “Israeli occupation.”

The church’s resolution will be up for a vote in the General Assembly in June.

Jewish reaction was immediate. “We are profoundly disappointed by the General Assembly Mission Council’s decision to recommend this report,” said Rabbi Steve Gutow, president of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. “It is tragic that national Presbyterian leaders are making the delegitimization of Israel a public witness of their church,” he said.

But Pastor John Wimberly of Washington D.C. and many other Presbyterians are very angry with the resolution and believes that the General Assembly will not ratify the vote. Wimberly says, “It will be a struggle; they [the anti-Israel faction] are very determined although a very small group. We just have to make sure this small group can’t do something very big.”

Since the Bible promised Abraham that God would bless those who bless his descendants (the Jewish people), and curse those who curse them, it does not bode well for the Presbyterian to place themselves under a curse.

Such a curse can cause this church to find itself in a spiritual desert and its power to change lives through the Gospel decimated.

If you are Presbyterian or you have Presbyterian friends, it would certainly be worth while to be active in overthrowing this anti-Israel resolution. For more information please check the website http://www.pcjcr.org or contact Valerie Munson, Co-convener Tel: 215.851.8434.