November 21, 2003
by John Sniffen
The Presbyterian Outlook
Reprinted with permission

RICHMOND, VA - No longer facing the prospect of a hearing on charges of heresy and violating his ordination vows, the Rev. W. Robert "Rob" Martin III was installed in September as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto, CA.

An investigating committee of Western North Carolina (WNC) Presbytery declined to bring charges against Martin, whose move to California was put on hold over the summer while the heresy complaint - made by attorney Paul Rolf Jensen - were investigated. In the middle of the process, Martin asked the presbytery for vindication.

While the investigating committee found no basis for bringing charges against Martin, neither did it completely vindicate him. In fact, the committee found a bit of blame for all concerned, including the Presbyterian news media.

By the time the presbytery received the report on the vindication request on Oct. 25, Martin had already been installed as pastor of the Palo Alto church. The investigating committee told WNC Executive Presbyter Bill Taber in September that it would not be recommending charges against Martin, and he signed the transfer which had been approved earlier by the presbytery.

In his first remarks to the Palo Alto congregation in late September, Martin said, "If the radical right in our denomination today thought that their accusations would reel me in somehow, then they are deeply mistaken - for their actions have made me even more radical in working for a church where God's unconditional love is not defended but displayed, where it is not litigated but lived out, where it is not condemned but conveyed to all who desperately need to hear about grace and good news."

In its report, the WNC investigating committee noted that "Mr. Martin's sometimes intemperate language in sermons errs by including derogatory comments that do not further the peace, unity and purity of the church."

Jensen has filed an appeal of the investigating committee report with the presbytery's permanent judicial commission, according to Taber.

Jensen's complaint involved Martin's April 5 examination by San Jose Presbytery. Jensen claimed that during that examination Martin said "that he did not believe in the bodily resurrection and ascension into Heaven of our Lord Jesus Christ."

After interviewing numerous participants in the April 5 meeting, the investigating committee said that the Rev. David Rodriguez, a member of the presbytery, asked Martin about his belief in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. "Martin testified (to the investigating committee) that he heard the question as, 'Do you believe in the literal, physical, bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ?'"

Martin's first response to the presbytery was, "No, but " and he then attempted to explain himself. "There was a significant amount of distracting talk among persons present, and inattention to Mr. Martin's further statements," reported the committee. "There is very little agreement by some witnesses as to what he said at all. Much uncertainty exists as to exactly what question was asked and what answer Mr. Martin gave."

The investigating committee reported that Martin, under oath, told them that "he believes in the bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. He especially connects the resurrection with the church, and our experience of the resurrection with Christ as members of his body."

The committee concluded that "the allegation of heresy in the complaint cannot be reasonably proved, nor is there probable cause to believe that the offense charged was committed."

It also said that four other charges that Martin violated his ordination vows "could not reasonably be proved."

The committee's response to Martin's request for vindication continued in the same vein. It agreed that Jensen's charges could not be sustained, but said Martin was somewhat responsible for the situation.

"The committee finds that Mr. Martin contributed to the controversy by failing to articulate clearly his understanding of an important Christian doctrine. Complete vindication of Mr. Martin is not possible His public statements on the resurrection of Jesus Christ could an should have reflected the full witness of Scripture and the confessions. They do not, however, place him outside of the Reformed tradition and he cannot properly be called a heretic."

In its concluding remarks the committee said all Presbyterians should heed the admonition of Book of Order D-1.0102:

  "The power that Jesus Christ has vested in his church, a power manifested in the exercise of church discipline, is one for building up the body of Christ, not for destroying it. For redeeming, not for punishing. It should be exercised as dispensation of mercy and not of wrath so that the Great Ends of the Church may be achieved, that all children of God may be presented faultless in the day of Christ."

PCUSA News