 "Photo: Jeremy Balkin | Daily Texan Staff")
UT journalism associate professor Robert Jensen has found himself at the center of many debates. This time, the conflict lies over his religious beliefs and membership in a local church.
The Presbyterian church he has been attending since last December was reprimanded Friday for admitting him as a member.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was told by the Mission Presbytery, the regional governing body of 157 Presbyterian churches in South and Central Texas, that the acceptance of Jensen into membership was "irregular." Furthermore, it was "void" because Jensen has said in the past he doesn't believe in God.
"I believe God is a name we give to the mystery of the world that we don't understand," Jensen said.
In a March article that appeared on several Web sites and the Houston Chronicle, Jensen wrote a piece entitled "Why I am a Christian (Sort of)," in which his first line reads, "I don't believe in God."
St. Andrew's was directed to move Jensen from the active roll to the "baptized" roll, making him a non-voting member of the church. St. Andrew's is also ordered to work with representatives to come up with an appropriate process for receiving members in the future. The church may re-examine Jensen's membership after these changes are implemented.
"The whole issue turns on the fact that the Book of Order's only requirement is that a person believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior," said Terry Nelson, stated clerk of Mission Presbytery. The Book of Order is equivalent to the Presbyterian Church's constitution.
After the decision was rendered, the presbytery motioned to wait 45 days before applying the ruling.
This period will hopefully allow people to cool off after a fierce debate that had both sides using the church's law to make their point, Nelson said.
"I have never seen a presbytery where the stated clerk was put on the spot to know the rules in the Book of Order so much, because every attempt to get around or to abide by the rules was being made," Nelson said.
The Rev. Jim Rigby, pastor of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, knew not everyone agreed with the decision to accept Jensen.
"Some people said, 'We want your head on a platter,'" Rigby said. "Jensen's membership was the perfect opportunity to come after us and take out a liberal church."
While on the surface the debate seems to concern Jensen's membership, there is a lot more to the argument, Rigby said.
"Can a modern mind be included in the church, or must we use medieval verbage?" Rigby said. "We are doing this for our children's children. If we don't address the times, we are going to lose a lot of people."
The vote, which may nullify his membership in the church, has nothing to do with whether or not he will still attend the church, Jensen said.
"If my membership is eventually declared null and void, I would still go," Jensen said. "The congregation at St. Andrew's has been very supportive and caring."
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