Church Options - Day 6 and It Hits the Fan!

Before looking at the next option a church can take in response to the HORRIBLE decisions by the General Assembly I must take a few moments to comment on the latest news on the Presbyterian front. Thank you Presbyweb for your excellent coverage of happenings in the PCUSA and the Church around the world! Yesterday’s edition had two excellent and thought provoking links. The Presbyterian Lay Committee’s directors issued an exceedingly interesting statement on the 217^th General Assembly of the PCUSA. They are critical of the Assembly’s handling of the Trinity document and the report of the Peach, Unity and Purity Task Force. The directors said, “Accordingly, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has broken covenant and invited schism.” They went on to say, “Reluctantly, and with deep sorrow, we conclude that current renewal efforts within the Presbyterian Church (USA) are not capable of reversing the denomination's plunge into apostasy. Continuing the remedial course that our renewal organizations have pursued for more than four decades will not save this ecclesiastical body; for its sin is so systemic as to render it impervious to change from within. This institution begs not for improvement, but for Reformation and transformation… We call upon Presbyterians at every level of the church to challenge its seismic breaches of covenant. We urge sessions to seek counsel and take all necessary steps to ensure that all gifts and the real property entrusted to them are used for ministry in Christ's name. Further, we urge them seriously to explore fellowship with other like-minded Presbyterians who share their commitment to the historic Reformed Christian faith.” WOW!! The “stuff” has hit the fan! It sounds like they are seriously advocating that local churches leave the denomination and take their property with them. The second item of interest on Presbyweb was a letter by the senior pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. The Reverend Scates says the the Presbyterian Global Fellowship will be the "new way of being 'PCUSA' in the years ahead." These are powerful words! I wish that I had the time and financial means to attend the upcoming meetings of the Coalition, the Confessing Churches and the Presbyterian Global Fellowship meetings! (I will be attending the New Wineskins meeting.) The PCUSA may be facing a new Reformation!

Today’s option is one where the local church stays within the PCUSA and the pastor leaves the denomination. This will be the most painful option! The connection between a pastor and a congregation is complex. The pastor is leader, shepherd, counselor, confidant, teacher and friend. The pastor pours him/herself into all aspects of the local church and the people who call it “home.” This option will cause a split in the local church! Some church members/attenders will choose to stay with the PCUSA and some will choose to leave with the pastor. It is very possible that the pastor will start a “new” church just down the road from the church that decided to stay in the PCUSA. Feelings will be hurt. Close friends will be torn apart.

With the possibilities listed above, why would a pastor choose this course of action? The reason… the calling of God! God calls a pastor to a particular congregation. The PCUSA ceases to be a part of the world-wide Christian Church when it moves away from biblical standards of belief and ministry. So… in a very real way, the pastor is not “leaving” the church, the church has left the pastor! The pastor may still be called to minister to the “faithful remnant.”

This option is a very real possibility for me. Would Evergreen vote to leave the PCUSA? I’m not sure if it would! The possibility would then exist that I would start a “new” church in the same geographic part of Pierce County. Some (and maybe many) of Evergreen would leave with me to form that new church. Those who stay in the PCUSA could (and probably would) have very hurt feelings. To be honest, leaving the PCUSA would not break my heart. I am tired of living in a denomination that is at war with itself. However, I do not cherish the possibility of a “split” at Evergreen.

Church Options - Day 5

The fifth option for a church that has EXTREME differences with the PCUSA is to leave the denomination and become an independent church (non-denominational might be the appropriate title).

Why would a church seriously consider this option after being affiliated with a denomination? To put it bluntly, the denominational age is a thing of the past. Oh sure, there are denominations and denominations will continue to exist. There was a time when “brand loyalty” was important: a family would buy a Chevy and never a Ford, a person would only vote “Republican” or “Democrat,” a person would be a Baptist or a Presbyterian until the day they die. Such brand loyalty is NO MORE! This shift has to do with institutional mistrust, shifts in the basic beliefs of denominations and from a “perceived” separation between the people-in-the-pews and governing body leadership. People want to have more control over how their giving dollars are spent. Many denominational seminaries have shifted so far to the theological left that people interested in the pastoral ministry go to non-denominational seminaries to get a better biblical foundation for ministry (I am one of those people!). So why would a church consider becoming a non-denominational church? Many of the “benefits” of the denominational system are no longer there for the local congregation.

An independent church does not have to feel all alone. Twenty years ago the situation was very different. Today, a church can belong to the Willow Creek Association. This “association” can provide many of the benefits that use to come from the denomination. Quality, biblical CE materials a available for all ages. Small group studies abound. National gatherings provide training by leaders in the field. Jobs boards help the local congregation find a new pastor. The list goes on and on! Oh, by-the-way, the Willow Creek Association isn’t the only group out there doing this type of partnering.

This option would be particularly attractive for a church that has moved away from a “liturgical” style of worship. Those congregations that prefer the “liturgical” style would be better served looking elsewhere--the “independent” option may not be the best for those congregations.

Church Options - Day 4

The fourth option for a church that has EXTREME differences with the PCUSA is to leave the denomination and join something new and fresh. It is possible that one or more new “denominations” will form in the wake of the 2006 General Assembly. It is possible that the Confessing or New Wineskins churches form a new denomination. Neither are talking about “leaving.”

The New Wineskins has the “potential” of being a successful denomination in a post-denominational era (see tomorrow’s post for a discussion on the post-denominatinoal age). They are proposing a very “loose” structure that can quickly adapt to the changing church climate of today. They have a strong list of essential beliefs. Each church will send representatives to the “national” meeting. Churches are encouraged to form partnerships for shared ministry and mission. There would be a STRONG emphasis on the local congregation as the front-line of ministry.

There would be two major drawbacks to moving from the PCUSA to a New Wineskins-type of denomination. First, the formational stages of a new denomination will be challenging and time demanding. It will take several years to work out the kinks. The second drawback is that there will be a limited number of churches in the “new denomination.” I am confident that more would eventually join.

The New Wineskins national gathering is scheduled for July 19-22 in Tulsa. I plan on attending this event even though our church is not a “voting member.” I hope to gain first-hand information on this blossoming ministry. Will it become the “biblical” Presbyterian Church that surfaces following the 2006 General Assembly? Only time will tell.

Church Options - Day 4

The fourth option for a church that has EXTREME differences with the PCUSA is to leave the denomination and join something new and fresh. It is possible that one or more new “denominations” will form in the wake of the 2006 General Assembly. It is possible that the Confessing or New Wineskins churches form a new denomination. Neither are talking about “leaving.”

The New Wineskins has the “potential” of being a successful denomination in a post-denominational era (see tomorrow’s post for a discussion on the post-denominatinoal age). They are proposing a very “loose” structure that can quickly adapt to the changing church climate of today. They have a strong list of essential beliefs. Each church will send representatives to the “national” meeting. Churches are encouraged to form partnerships for shared ministry and mission. There would be a STRONG emphasis on the local congregation as the front-line of ministry.

There would be two major drawbacks to moving from the PCUSA to a New Wineskins-type of denomination. First, the formational stages of a new denomination will be challenging and time demanding. It will take several years to work out the kinks. The second drawback is that there will be a limited number of churches in the “new denomination.” I am confident that more would eventually join.

The New Wineskins national gathering is scheduled for July 19-22 in Tulsa. I plan on attending this event even though our church is not a “voting member.” I hope to gain first-hand information on this blossoming ministry. Will it become the “biblical” Presbyterian Church that surfaces following the 2006 General Assembly? Only time will tell.

Church Options - Day 3

This series of posts is looking at the options that local congregations can take in response to their frustration over the direction the PCUSA is heading and the approval of the PUP report. The first option was to submit, stay and try to work within the “system” to bring about positive change. The second option was to stay, fight, and to use the PCUSA’s tactic of not investing in specific corporations until they change the way they do business against the PCUSA itself. This third posting will begin looking at the option of leaving the PCUSA.

Let me begin by acknowledging that there are no perfect denominations. There will always be disagreements; there might even be divisions. A church that leaves the PCUSA expecting to find “the promised land” will be severely disappointed. The reason for leaving (and I believe the only reason) is for biblical reasons. The cause for the fighting in the PCUSA isn’t the ordination of GLBT persons that are sexually active—that is only a symptom. The cause is how we view scripture. A significant minority (or is it?) of the leadership of the PCUSA chooses to read scripture in a way that was never intended. They are so caught up with “peace and justice” that they are blinded to clear biblical teaching on sexual issues. Their blindness allows them to be willing to open the doors of the church leadership to any person who believes almost anything, lives just about any lifestyle and teaches that such departures are ok. For YEARS a professor at San Francisco Theological Seminary taught that Jesus was not the Son of God, wasn’t born of a virgin, didn’t do all of those miracles, didn’t raise from the dead, etc. The Bible is the key factor in denominational unity or dis-unity (if there is such a word). If a church leaves the PCUSA for an already existing denomination it must look closely at the beliefs of that denomination and see make sure that they are biblical.

Leaving the PCUSA for an Already Existing “Presbyterian” Denomination.

There are many “Presbyterian” denominations. Most of these denominations are relatively small in the number of churches and membership. I believe that most of the PCUSA churches that leave to join an already existing “Presbyterian” denomination will go to either the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) or the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). These are the two largest of the “other” Presbyterian denominations.

The PCA was born is December of 1973. It was formed with approximately 260 congregations and 41,000 members. It left the former “southern church” because of the southern church’s theological liberalism, authority of scripture and the ordination of women. In 2004 the PCA had 1,288 churches with 261,675 communicant members. The PCA has spread across the county but still has its highest concentration of churches in the south. This denomination does not ordain women to be pastors, elders or deacons and will not change their “rules” to ordain women.

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church had its beginning in the fall of 1980 and the spring of 1981. Pastors and elders came together because of their disagreements with the northern and southern wings of the Presbyterian Church family. They were concerned with the denominations’ views on theological liberalism and the authority of scripture. They have focused on the evangelistic fervor of the founders of Presbyterianism. Their theme is “in essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.” The EPC is very specific about its essential beliefs. Unity on these beliefs builds trust. That trust makes it possible to have liberty in non-essentials. The EPC realizes that some churches believe that the Bible forbids the ordination of women and others believe that scripture supports the ordination of women. The EPC lets each church make its own decision on the ordination of women. In 2001 the EPC had 189 churches with 69,000 members. The highest concentration of EPC churches is in the central part of the country, with churches spreading throughout most of the rest of the country. “Vision 21” is the slogan for their current push for starting new churches, membership growth and spiritual vitatity.

The advantages of this option:

1. Those who bleed “Presbyterian” will love keeping those Presbyterian ties.

2. Both of these denominations are CLEAR on their essential beliefs!

3. The local congregation owns the church property!

4. Evangelism is a HIGH priority of these denominations.

The disadvantages of this option:

1. Those who STRONGLY believe in the ordination of women will be totally dissatisfied with the PCA and frustrated with the EPC’s congregational-choice policy.

2. Many states have few, if any, churches in these denominations.

3. “Presbyterian” is still hard for visitors to spell.