Eric Nielson, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Presbytery – Northern Waters.

The Layman is asking each candidate to identify the top five issues at the upcoming General Assembly, and share your position on each. (Answers are printed exactly as received – each candidate had a 500-word limit)

The most significant issue coming to this General Assembly is the discussion around the definition of marriage……I pray the Assembly maintains and protects the traditional definition of marriage as supported by the Bible, the Book of Order, and the Confessions.

But in saying that I also pray that the General Assembly will wrestle with the hard choices about how do we love each other in the midst of the conflicts that may arise……

We live in a covenant community and marriages occur within that context. Marriage is not a private event. Marriage is not just a commitment made between a couple; it is a covenant between the couple, God and the community of faith witnessing. Marriage is also a public witness of the Church about how relationships should be lived out……

God has called us to covenant community and we are to seek reconciliation with each other. May we all reach out with sensitivity and concern to those with whom we disagree as we work to better understand each other and love persistently those around us……