Hopkins' letter in disagreement with Presbyterian doctrine

Editor:

I am writing to let you know that while I agree with Mr. Hopkins about “half-naked girls running around the sanctuary” being a bit extreme, I do not share his opinion about the point that women should not be allowed to be ordained. By reading his opinion article in the January 20, 2004, issue of The Almanian, I was shocked, hurt, and enraged by his derogatory comments toward the Rev. Christine Vogel. Let me remind you that Alma is a Presbyterian college, and that the chapel and the chaplain fall under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Lake Huron. Let me further point out some facts about the Presbyterian Church (USA). First, as some background, the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Constitution is made up of two parts, the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The first states what we believe as Presbyterians, and the second contains several items, including our Form of Government, Directory of Worship, Rules of Discipline, and the Formula of Agreement.

The section I wish to focus on in this letter is the one on Form of Government in the Book of Order. Section G-4.0403 of the Book of Order states, “The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. Persons of all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition, as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed, or divorced) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in the decision making of the church.” In summary, all persons are invited to partici-pate in worship, and become a member of a congregation. Section G-6.0105 of the Book of Order reads, “Both men and women shall be eligible to hold church offices. When women and men, by God’s providence and gracious gifts, are called by the church to undertake particular forms of ministry, the church shall help them to interpret their call and to be sensitive to the judgments and needs of others. As persons discover the forms of ministry to which they are called, and as they are called to new forms, they and the church shall pray for the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit upon them and upon the mission of the Church.”

To wrap up my use of the Book of Order for now, Section G-6.0203 says, “When ministers are designated as educators, chaplains, pastoral counselors, campus ministers, missionaries, partners in mission, evangelists, administrators, social workers, consultants, or in other specific tasks appropriate to the ministry of the church, they shall evidence a quality of life which helps to share the ministry of the good news. They shall exercise pastoral care of those for whom they are responsible and shall seek to fulfill their ministry by serving Christ and their fellow men and women, strengthening the church and equipping it for concern and service to the life of the human community. In addition to fulfilling the particular responsibilities to which they are called, they shall participate in a congregation, in their presbytery, and in ecumenical re-lationships, and shall be eligible for election to the higher governing bodies of the church and to the boards and agencies of those governing bodies.” With just these rules set down by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Rev. Vogel has clearly been doing her job as both a minister and a chaplain.

I have a few suggestions for Mr. Hopkins. My first suggestion is that before he decides to quote someone such as Dr. Martin Luther King, he studies first and learns what the person’s teachings were all about. Dr. King taught that there should be no oppression towards others, that all people should be free, and that adversity had no place between different people. My second suggestion is that when he quotes the Scriptures, he keeps his quotations in context. Anyone can go through the Bible and copy a sentence. The challenge is to use the words in the way that they were meant to be. Thirdly, I suggest that Mr. Hopkins not be so quick to judge others until he has truly experienced the gifts and talents of those he is judging. Not once, since the beginning of the school year, have I missed a chapel service, and I can honestly say that I have never seen him in attendance. Finally, I invite Mr. Hopkins to come to a chapel service just to experience it first-hand. When, and if, he decides to accept this invitation, I feel that it would not be asking too much of him to suggest that he publicly apologize to the Rev. Christine Vogel for the mean, hurtful, and untrue statements he made about her in his article.

Christina L. Jensen (07)

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