Evangelical Group to Reconsider Inclusive Stance

DALLAS, March 6 (RNS) -- The National Association of Evangelicals has decided to reconsider its recent membership rule permitting church bodies of the more theologically liberal National Council of Churches to hold dual membership with the evangelical organization.

Bishop Kevin Mannoia, NAE president, said the board of the organization Monday asked its bylaws committee to restudy the issue after a representative of the Presbyterian Church in America made a motion that the new rule be rescinded.

"The position of the NAE remains unchanged as it relates to membership," Mannoia told reporters at a news conference after the closed board meeting. "But we will probably be going back and making sure that that's the position that we mean to take."

The Rev. Roy Taylor, clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, told Religion News Service his denomination views the NAE's move as "inconsistent with the unique nature" of the evangelical organization.

"The uniqueness of the NAE in its founding was to be an evangelical association in contrast to the more theologically diverse and pluralistic NCC mainline denominations," he said.

Taylor said the PCA assembly, held last June, directed its interchurch relations committee to request that NAE reverse its action.

He said other reasons for the request included concerns about "doctrinal integrity" and the possible departure of some denominational members of NAE if member denominations of the NCC join the evangelical umbrella organization.

"This does not seem to us to be a clear witness in our post-modern culture where the emphasis is on relativism rather than our standing very clearly for the uniqueness of the Christian faith," Taylor said.

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