Posted on 09/22/2007 7:43:55 PM PDT by Terriergal
Top officials of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have come to the conclusion that they cannot continue "doing church" the way they have been.
Fri, Sep. 21, 2007 Posted: 15:57:06 PM EST
Top officials of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have come to the conclusion that they cannot continue "doing church" the way they have been.
Churches within the PC(USA), the nation's largest Presbyterian body, have "hit the wall" and "come to the end of the string," seeking new directions amid a growing exodus from the denomination.
"It is as if a tsunami of change has hit us," said Joan Gray, moderator of the General Assembly during a Sept. 17-21 GAC (General Assembly Council) meeting in Louisville, Ky., according to the Presbyterian News Service. "I recently spent time in the Midwest, and these areas are drying up. The people are not there any more. In Detroit, 3,000 people a day are leaving to emigrate elsewhere. That is just the tip of the iceberg.”
The PC(USA) has suffered continual losses in membership and now claims a little less than 2.3 million. More dissident Presbyterians and some historic congregations have voted to split from the PC(USA), citing that the denomination is not consistent with written theology in such areas as the singular saving Lordship of Jesus Christ and homosexual ordination.
Many are moving into the smaller and more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
“Much of our discomfort is really about our coming to grips with the overwhelming change that is coming at us from all sides. The bottom line is that we simply cannot continue doing church the way we have been," said Gray, according to PNS.
"One thing I am seeing is that some of those churches and presbyteries who have come to the end of the string are making a choice,” she added. “They are letting go of what they had been doing and opening the way to what God is doing.”
The PC(USA) is set to undergo some dramatic changes.
One major change includes the re-writing of the denomination's Form of Government, a major portion of the PC(USA) constitution, that hasn't been changed since 1983, according to Mark Pammen, director of Constitutional Services for the General Assembly.
The new Form of Government would be a major change in the way the church conducts its ecclesiastical business, as PC(USA) head the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick said at the meeting.
“We may move away from a somewhat over-regulated polity to one that frees us up to be a more flexible General Assembly,” said Kirkpatrick, who announced recently that he will not seek a third term next year as stated clerk.
Breakaway Presbyterians have expressed their discontent with the PC(USA)'s "bureaucratic, centralized authority, and hierarchical top-down leadership" that doesn't work anymore in the postmodern era, the Rev. Dr. D. Dean Weaver, senior pastor of Memorial Park Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, which recently voted to leave the PC(USA), said previously.
Following Christ faithfully into the next millennium relates to a paradigm shift in polity, said Weaver.
Kirkpatrick compared the PC(USA) to a recent flight he took in which the plane was having a few problems.
"The pilot says, 'You really can’t expect a 40-year old plane not to have a few problems,'" Kirkpatrick said as he told the story.
"Then the pilot and flight attendants leave and another crew comes onboard. Then, first thing you know, you are heading down the runway and on your way and will perhaps arrive ahead of time. It’s like that in the church.”
A change in PC(USA)'s Form of Government would focus more directly on local congregations and provide more flexibility. If the new Form of Government is adopted when the General Assembly considers it next year in June, it would be a "significant change," according to Pammen.
Weaver, however, isn't optimistic that he would see any major changes take effect in the PC(USA) any time soon.
"Big ships turn slowly," he had said.
Baptisms have decreased in the PC(USA) in recent years along with the largest membership dip of 2.05 percent in 2005.
Although concerned about the exodus from the denomination, Kirkpatrick has expressed optimism for growth and said the church is in a "potential tipping point of renewed growth and vitality."
Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
yup.
But it seems at least a few here don’t realize it wasn’t their beauraucratic structure that caused the problems either.
Thanks I’ll have to check it out. I have 4 coming from Amazon already. Two by Roger Oakland, one “Driven away by purpose” by Daniel Chew, and “more than a purpose” by .. Marshall?
lol
Acts is full of evidence of a hierarchical church, from the selection of Matthias to replace Judas, to the commissioning of Paul, to the council of Jerusalem, and on from there.
there is no word about all the bleeding heart lefties that think the church is the Audobon Society or the Sierra Club and is but another institution for use as a societal tool to promote their agenda.
I’m glad to know that there are others who have left
better to have your services in a dead language no one can comprehend
Let's look at what happened there:(all verses from DR, unless otherwise noted)
Act 1:15 "In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty)"
So it was a congregational meeting, not the actions of a Bishop
Act 1:23 "And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. "
And a plurality elected two candidates, and lots were cast to to see who had been called by God.
to the commissioning of Paul
In Acts 9 Ananias is described as 'a certain disciple'. He isn't even described as the leader of the church at Damascus, and there is no indication that he was part of the so-called apostolic succession.
to the council of Jerusalem
Which models a reformed synod or assembly of ordained and lay church leaders.
Act 15:6 "And the apostles and ancients assembled to consider of this matter." (Note, the word translated 'ancients' in the Douay-Rheims is the Greek presbuteros, or elder. And the decision was made by the mixed body of apostles and elders, not by a single apostle or elder.
Act 15:22 - 23 "Then it pleased the apostles and ancients, with the whole church, to choose men of their own company and to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren. Writing by their hands..." Act 15:25 "It hath seemed good to us, being assembled together, to choose out men and to send them unto you, with our well beloved Barnabas and Paul."
To continue the analogy, the others who left might not want to run the risk of the new crew piloting the vessel via uncharted waters into slightly warmer latitudes.
yup.
Hey, I’m a protestant. I don’t fear history. Not sure where that came from unless you were just trying to make a gratuitous ad hominem.
Technically he didn't walk out. He figured since the Catholic church was keen (or said they were) on following Scripture that the Pope would be on his side. He didn't realize how far the infection went. He did not intend to leave the catholic church, but hoped somehow to correct it. It had other ideas though.
Why the building fund? Why support them in anything? These churches juggle funds around anyway, it’s not like if they were short in another area they wouldn’t take from a different purse.
I’d tell her not to give at all but send to a good ministry that you can benefit from (like someone online if there isn’t something in your area). We give to discernment ministries like Critical Issues Commentary with Bob DeWaay, Discernment Ministries International with Bob Liichow, etc. who are great ‘watchmen’ for the church.
Love ya sister. :)
You’re so positive!
Agree with your first proposition. Why support them in anything?
Will check out your recommendations.
Still it would be nice to take over this church and use a really good building for Jesus, not for purposes which may be anti-Christ.
Just a realist.
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
And that whole book of Jeremiah, pretty much. Boy he was a downer.
First of all, you’re responding to the wrong person.
Second of all, I get off on God’s judgment of a man made religious institution that has a form of godliness, but denies the power. Let them wither and die on the vine. Yep, I’m overjoyed about it!!
Meanwhile, He takes the hungry and thirsty people within this screwed up denomination, and brings forth new life. He always does— and the Kingdom advances.
Like I said earlier, this is excellent news.
Here’s a good one that I bought for several pastor friends a couple years back - http://www.amazon.com/Deceived-Purpose-Warren-Smith/dp/0976349205
Thank you for jumping in with a clear explanation.
I think another way that Christians might want to consider this question is who do you believe the twelfth Apostle seated in Revelation will be, Mathias or Paul. Also, throughout Scripture it is the congregation that is selecting it's elders based on the gifts they have recieved and their Christian walk.
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