By JOHN A. BOLT Associated Press Writer BILOXI, Miss. (AP) -- Presbyterians adopted a stud

By JOHN A. BOLT Associated Press Writer

   BILOXI,  Miss.  (AP)  --  Presbyterians  adopted a study paper
Tuesday establishing guidelines for  Christian-Jewish  relations,
making only minor changes in the document that had been rewritten
to answer concerns of Middle Eastern Christians.

   With  little  dissent,  the  199th  Generall  Assembly  of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) adopted "A Theological Understanding of
the Relationship Between Christians and Jews,"  and  accompanying
calls  for a conference between Presbyterians and representatives
of the Middle East Conference of Churches.

   The revised paper renewed a call for Palestinian participation
in negotiations on Israeli-occupied land and included a statement
that God's promise of land to Israelis was a  "biblical  metaphor
for sustainable life, prosperity, peace and security."

   "The  political state of Israel is not to be given theological
justification," said Harold Nebelsick, chairman of the  committee
that wrote the final draft.

   The  original  paper  has  been  extensively  rewritten  since
discussions began here in committee meetings Thursday.  The  Rev.
Benjamin  Weir,  a  former  hostage  in  Lebanon,  and two Middle
Eastern Christian leaders had  complained  that  the  paper  gave
Bibilical  support  to  Israeli  land  claims  in  Palestine  and
suggested that Christians should not attempt to convert Jews.

   That language was changed because "the modern state of  Israel
cannot   be  validated  theologically,"  said  David  Lenegar,  a
delegate from Bethel, S.C., who  worked  on  the  revisions.  "We
wanted to get God out of the real estate business."

   Weir, the  Rev.    Salim  Sahiouny,  head  of the Presbyterian
Church in Syria and  Lebanon,  and  the  Rev.    Albert  Isteero,
president   of   Cairo   Theological   Seminary,   all  told  the
commissioners Tuesday they supported the rewritten paper.

   "This paper can be used as a study paper to  reflect  on  this
very central issue," Sahiouny said.

   The  paper  was adopted for "study and reflection," and church
officials were directed to appoint  a  group  to  meet  with  the
Middle   East  Conference  of  Churches  and  come  back  to  the
denomination in 1989 with appropriate recommendations.

   In other action  Tuesday  evening,  the  assembly  refused  to
undertake  a study on whether it should reconsider its refusal to
ordain homosexuals.      The   denomination   permits   admitted,
practicing  homosexuals  to  become members, but refuses to allow
them to hold office.

   However the assembly voted later to undertake  a  "review  and
update  of  previous  studies  on  human sexuality," specifically
refusing to include language  which  would  have  prohibited  the
study from considering ordination of homosexuals.

   The  assembly  voted  later  to  ask the federal government to
eliminate "laws governing the  private  sexual  behavior  between
consenting adults," and ask federal and state governments to pass
laws forbidding discrimination in employment and housing based on
sexual orientation.

   Earlier  Tuesday, the Presbyterians narrowly voted to relocate
their headquarters to Louisville, Ky., accepting a  businessman's
offer of free office space overlooking the Ohio River.

   The  199th  General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA),
after  a  two-minute  silent  prayer,  rejected   two   committee
recommendations  and voted 332-309 to pick Louisville over Kansas
City, Mo.

   John Mulder, president of Louisville Presbyterian  Theological
Seminary  and a leader in the effort to bring in the headquarters
now jointly in New York  and  Atlanta,  told  the  commissioners,
"This is a  gift.  ...  It's not a traditional business deal.  It
comes with one condition.  You must accept it."

   "Stewardship is is  issue  before  you  today,"  Mulder  said,
adding  that  the  money  saved  can be used "for the sake of the
mission of the church."

   David Jones, chairman and chief executive  officer  of  Humana
Inc.,  offered  to the denomination an abandoned warehouse on the
riverfront, and the community offered $6.2 million for renovation
of the space.  State and city political leaders joined Louisville
religious leaders in Biloxi to press  their  case  with  the  650
commissioners at the nine-day assembly.

   A  finance  committee  report  said  that  after 10 years, the
denomination would be able to own the Louisville building for $1.
To own the site in the Kansas  City  proposal  would  cost  $21.5
million, the committe said.

   Most  of  the  move  will  be  completed by mid-1988, but some
agencies, mainly those related to publishing, will not finish the
move until the end of 1990.

   Presbyterian Church (USA) was formed in a 1983 merger  of  the
New York-based United Presbyterian Church (USA) and Atlanta-based
Presbyterian Church (US).

   In  the  afternoon,  the  assembly  adopted  without dissent a
resolution rejecting the "Christian Identity Movement," described
as  religious  groups  with  a  "theology   of   racial   purity,
anti-Semitism,  and  violent  overthrow of the government, all in
the name of Jesus Christ."

   The resolution appeals to members of  the  movement  "to  turn
from their  error."   The resolution says members of the movement
include the Ku Klux  Klan,  Posse  Comitatus,  Christian-Patriots
Defense League, The Order and Aryan Nations.

   
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