Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: wideawake
The Episcopal Church in America is probably ten times wealthier than the PCUSA and probably has a much longer list of church properties as well.

The PCUSA controls more financial assets/liquidity than the ECUSA. Check out the Presbyterian Foundation for stats and figures. Colleges, universities and seminaries outstrip the ECUSA. That said, the assets are much of the reason both conservatives and liberals remain together in the denomination - theological convictions about unity aside. Many a conservative/orthodox PCUSA'er is loathe to see the financial legacy and heritage built on the blood, sweat, tears, prayers and good faith of past generations given over to Sophia-worshiping gnostics, by cutting and running in a schism. Perhaps it would be better in some sense if the assets and finances were not there, but they are, and God's people are to wisely use covenant wealth to build the kingdom.

The PCUSA, like the Episcopals, have lost touch with the central tenets of their own founders and is probably less than half the size it was 25 years ago.

2,560,201 versus 4,000,000 is about the look of membership attrition since the boomers and hippies of the 1960's began moving into leadership positions. A serious loss of members, but not half.

There is no point in being an English-speaking Presbyterian anyway if you do not assent to the Westminster Confession.

Since 1729 and the Adopting Act, teaching and ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church have had to affirm and receive the WCF in its essential tenets, without strict subscription. I know of no Presbyterian whether USA, PCA, ARP, et.al. who affirms and conforms to the Westminster Standards in their entirety without exception or scruple.

The Reformed tradition is a confessional tradition different from the Lutherans in that sense. The Reformed faith issues confessions to confess the Gospel in different situations and circumstances that call for a fresh restatement of the Gospel in the language and idiom of a particular context - for instance the Theological Declaration of Barmen, the Confession of 1967 and so on. Given too that there are more Presbyterians now in Kenya, Nigeria and Sudan than the U.S. who are formulating and confessing the faith for the 21st century in Africa, slavish subscription to the WS is becoming a moot point.

The PCUSA is dying and will need to merge with some other denominations or it will cease to exist.

There are a good number of denominations smaller than the PCUSA. I'll think we'll be just fine. The trend seems to be that top heavy bureaucratic denominations ARE dying - being replaced with networks, still within discernable denominational families or theological traditions (Calvinist, Lutheran, Baptist, etc.), bound not by a central HQ, but by theological and doctrinal affinity. For instance, there is more community and sense of unity between renewal/orthodox Methodists, Presbyterians and Congregationalists than between liberals and conservatives of the same denomination.
39 posted on 08/10/2004 4:45:30 PM PDT by PresbyRev (fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess Heb.3:1)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies ]


To: PresbyRev

Hey, PR, just to put things in perspective...I am a MethoREV....so I know the B.S. you have to put up with. My denom is probably worse.


44 posted on 08/10/2004 6:10:20 PM PDT by xzins (Retired Army and Supporting Bush/Cheney 2004!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson