Another Voice
The Question of
Parker
Charlotte Johnstone's column in the January/February 2001
issue of Horizons inspired spirited conversations among many
of our readers-several of whom chose to respond via letter or
email to Ms. Johnstone. The following is a collection of excerpts
from a few of those responses, providing an ounce of insight
into the varied opinions and beliefs held by members of Presbyterian
Women and our denomination.
 I
just opened my Horizons and read about the nominating
committee at Forbearance. Right on, sister! ---Rev. Gretchen
Graf, Grand Forks, North Dakota
The article written by Ms. Johnstone was in very poor taste,
due to the sensitivity of the subject, and the timing was terrible.
This is still a great issue before our church and it needs to
be handled with kindness and wisdom, which I found neither of
in this article. I do not believe Horizons magazine is
the place for bandstanding one's views without consideration
of the backlash. ---Zoe Coutts, PW moderator, Glacier Presbytery
I have been enjoying the dispatches from Forbearance Church
for a long time. Thank you for this most recent message. You
said what needed to be said. I'm sure you will get negative feedback
on this, but bless you for writing it and bless Horizons
for publishing it. It must be the nature of people of faith to
accept others and to support them, to show love for all, to acknowledge
our own sins and to know that God loves us all. ---Carol Hornbuckle,
First Presbyterian Church, Shenandoah, Iowa
We write to express our disappointment with the underlying
assumptions found in "Parker and the Question of Sin."
Let's be clear: we are not in our current denominational mess
because the Parker Buckhouses of this world are preoccupied with
sex. We are in the situation we are in because the homosexual
community is unwilling to take no for an answer. ---Dr. and
Mrs. Brant D. Baker, via email
Through humor and incisive clarity, you have raised the issue
that is so poignant for our nominating committees and sessions.
Thanks for a job well done. I will share it with members of our
session and I know they will enjoy it, too. ---Rev. Jon Walton,
via email
I am writing to show my disgust with the article written by
Charlotte Johnstone. It was blatant criticism of Parker Williamson*,
who I believe to be a concerned Christian in the Presbyterian
church. It sounds like Ms. Johnstone would like a church with
no standards as set forth in the Bible, nor any standards as
set forth in the Book of Confessions, nor any moral standards
at all. If there is no sin, why did Christ die for us? Why is
Ms. Johnstone in any Christian church? ---Linda McCreery,
via email
Thank you for your email concerning my Forbearance Church
piece in Horizons magazine.
Section G-6.0106b is a contentious subject-good people in our
church are, to put it mildly, divergent in their opinions-and
you certainly have a perfect right to adamantly argue with the
premise of that particular piece. It is a debate engaging each
of us as we attempt to work our way through the issues involved.
Each of our voices deserves to be heard.
However, I would like to clear up a misconception evident in
your message. You wrote that my piece was "a blatant criticism
of Parker Williamson" and I must tell you that, prior to
writing this piece, I had never heard of Mr. Williamson. I do
not know the gentleman.
The Forbearance character, Parker Buckhouse, appeared in the
very first Dispatch from Forbearance, Horizons
July/August 1998, as a lawyer and "a stickler for due process,"
and as such, was a natural for the role I assigned him in "Parker
and the Question of Sin." His first name, Parker, was lifted
in 1998 from a most mundane source used by many fiction writers---"2001
Names for Baby," published by Avon Books. It is a name with
a certain heft to it and that is what I wanted to suggest. My
Parker Buckhouse is entirely a product of my imagination and
has no relation to the Mr. Williamson to whom you refer.
My fictional characters are just that---fictional---and, as they
say in this business, "any resemblance . . . is purely coincidental."
Thank you for allowing me to clear that up. ---Charlotte Johnstone,
Horizons magazine
*Editor's note: Parker Williamson is the name of the executive
director of The Presbyterian Layman.
"Another Voice" is an opportunity to speak out about
issues of faith, the church or how you think the church should
be responding to what's going on in the world. Opinions expressed
by individual authors are not necessarily those of the publisher.
The space limit is 650 words, but there is no limit to your
topic. To ask questions or submit your opinion call 888/728-7228,
ext 5366; fax 502/569-8085; write Horizons, 100 Witherspoon
Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396; e-mail Lbradley@ctr.pcusa.org.
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