A REPORT FROM THE FELLOWSHIP OF PRESBYTERIANS GATHERING
This past week I attended, along with some other pastors from our presbytery, the Fellowship of Presbyterians event in Minneapolis. Almost 2,000 evangelical Presbyterians met there to begin to discuss ways to "a more faithful future" in their witness to the denomination and the world.
The newly formed Fellowship of Presbyterians called the meeting to help churches concerned by recent changes in the Book of Order to find ways to work within the Presbyterian Church USA, or to leave the denomination.
I am firmly in the “stay within the PCUSA” crowd, as were many attending the event. I feel that evangelicals can find ways to stay in the church and still be faithful in their witness to the Scriptures as they see the Biblical revelation.
Hard questions were asked by attendees and speakers. Some questioned how to go forward with what they saw as great differences within the PCUSA.
Last week’s event drew lay leaders and clergy from 830 congregations in 49 states. Like most events of its nature, it had powerful contemporary worship services, breakout lectures, and discussion groups.
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, our denomination's highest elected official, attended the meeting, and I thanked him for coming and representing general assembly denominational leadership. Parsons told newspapers that he hopes the attendees stay in the denomination and "make it a better reformed body. We agree the church is broken and we need to find ways to faithfully address that."
Also attending from the national offices were General Assembly Moderator Elder Cindy Bolbach and the Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council Elder Linda Valentine. I spoke with each of them briefly, and they echoed the sentiments of Parsons.
Fellowship event speakers spoke of "theological essentials" of historic Christianity, including the authority and inspiration of scripture, that Christ alone is the savior, and that God's kingdom is present on earth as well as in heaven, and the need for intentional evangelism and bold witness for Christ to a changing culture.
Featured teachers included Dr. Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, and renowned Biblical scholar and lecturer Dr. Ken Bailey.
A great number of ideas were shared at the event. The overall atmosphere was one of going forward in love and not in animosity – and the rule of love and compassion was emphasized by a number of speakers. There was also a great deal of contemplation, prayer and discussion that I thought was healthy.
In the end I witnessed a lot to consider prayerfully. But I do not see the way forward in a new denomination or association. I remain convinced that for me, and I hope many others, the way forward is to continue to work in God’s mission within our PCUSA denomination. We have a wonderful presbytery and much good is done by our churches here.
And I am certain that we can work with others of different views and perspectives, if we try, to accomplish Christ’s purposes. Some of my best friends in the presbytery had different positions on Amendment 10A than I did. But I know they love the Lord just as much as I do -- and we can and do work together for the work of God’s church in many ways.
It must also be said that there are some very good people who work for us on the national general assembly level in many areas. For example, our mission and disaster relief activities are great witnesses of Christ’s hands extended.
I am hopeful that all of our churches and members will stay in our presbytery and our denomination. May some of the things shared at the Fellowship of Presbyterians event be helpful to our churches and members in continuing to bind together in God’s mission in our time and place here in North Central Iowa.
IN CHRIST,
The Reverend Dr. S. Glenn Wilson
Published originally in the Presbytery and Synod in September 2011
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