During the course of the Assembly, the OPC GA’s Committee on Arrangements continued its interactions with EU staff in investigating the incidents reported. On Tuesday morning [06/14/22], the final day of GA, the Moderator of the OPC GA, David Nakhla, reported with thanksgiving that new information had come to light.
As reported previously, on Thursday, June 10, Eastern University (EU) provided the GA with reports of four incidents of racially disparaging interactions on its campus by those associated with the OPC GA [Orthodox Presbyterian Church General Assembly] and stated that one more incident would mean expulsion of the OPC GA from the campus, in light of EU’s zero-tolerance policy on racism.
The OPC GA was visibly shocked and appalled by the reports and believed it could best serve Christ and his church by communicating immediately to the school staff and students (and beyond) that there is no place for racial disparagement in the OPC or anywhere in Christ’s church.
The Scriptures teach us that every human being is created in God’s image and as such is to be treated with that basic respect and dignity befitting such image-bearers. Accordingly, the OPC GA adopted and communicated the Statement of Regret and Sorrow the following day. EU received the statement with thanks and communicated with the OPC GA that, as far as they were concerned, the matter was closed.
While the OPC GA was thankful for the warm response of EU, the commissioners continued to be eager for resolution to the four reported incidents and to be reconciled with those offended.
During the course of the Assembly, the OPC GA’s Committee on Arrangements continued its interactions with EU staff in investigating the incidents reported. On Tuesday morning [06/14/22], the final day of GA, the Moderator of the OPC GA, David Nakhla, reported with thanksgiving that new information had come to light.
The first two incidents were confirmed to be a clumsy and misguided attempt at friendly humor by one commissioner, who has since acknowledged his poor choice of words and desires to pursue reconciliation with the offended parties. The third and most egregious was determined not to have come from an OPC GA commissioner, since, according to EU, the one reported to have used such offensive language had not been seen on campus since the incident. The Committee on Arrangements continues to look into the matter. Finally, the fourth was understood to be a confusing interaction that was misunderstood by those present.
We give thanks that, in God’s good providence and timing, the matter as a whole had been resolved by the close of the Assembly.
