Classical Protestant Resurgence: how the PCA got its mojo back

The Aquila Report ^ | 24 May 2010 | Chris Hutchinson

[Gamecock]

An AP article was sent to my computer which many might find interesting. Sometimes my computer dates things incorrectly, but never before has an article appeared this early. You will of course note that the writer shows a typical secular reporter’s ignorance about the Reformed faith, but otherwise it seems to be fairly written, though poorly edited in parts. Also, it would have been strengthened by more direct quotes from the actual participants, but I guess we should be glad for any press.

Here is the AP story: July 1, 2020

Classical Protestant Resurgence: how the PCA got its mojo back Part 4 of the Series, “Religion in Post-Obama America” Associated Press, Atlanta

Ten years ago, many thought that the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) was at a crisis point. Years of stagnant growth and divisiveness had taken their toll. In an effort to stem the tide, many prominent men within the PCA urged it to change her tack or risk irrelevancy. An effort was made to broaden the PCA’s appeal by severing its ties with doctrinally similarly aligned, but smaller denominations in favor of cooperation with larger and growing movements.

However, a surprising thing happened. Unconvinced that such a change in tactics was called for, the denomination instead chose to reemphasize her distinctives -- doctrines such predestination of an “elect,” the baptizing of infants, and the necessity of churches being connected in regional bodies called presbyteries. Many feared that such a doctrinal approach would weaken the PCA and make it less appealing to the newer generations of Christians which appeared to be flocking to newer movements such as the so called “emergent” churches of the day and the Acts 29 Network (now on its third iteration as the Acts 31 network).

Perhaps a greater challenge to the PCA came from allies within the Southern Baptist Convention. A renewed interest in Calvinism among Baptists of various kinds – ironically fueled in part by the success of the PCA – stemmed some of the PCA’s momentum as many younger Calvinists chose to practice their faith in a Baptist context. The PCA was no longer the newest and coolest Calvinist kid on the block. It had lost its mojo.

It was understandable then that some of the PCA leaders, wishing to keep up a perceived momentum from its earlier decades of rapid growth (due in large part to whole churches transferring in from other denominations), pushed for the PCA to accommodate herself to changing demographic trends.

What could not have been foreseen was the growing cynicism of the newer generations towards the marketing which had been directed towards them by these newer movements. Many recognized that the “emerging” churches had essentially employed the same strategy of the much maligned Willow Creek “church growth” strategies popularized in the suburbs of the 1980s and 90s. Only this time, instead of syncretizing Christianity with the American suburban sub-culture, the emergents syncretized the Christian faith with the gentrification sub-culture of American cities. (See Part 2 of this Series: “How religion played a role in the re-segregating of the American urban landscape.”) As sociologists have since shown, both rounds of syncretism served to accommodate evangelical Christianity to the predominant relativism of American culture, to the extent that doctrinal distinctives were often played down in hopes of churches appearing more open minded and relevant to the issues of the day.

At the same time, many of these disillusioned younger Christians found themselves attracted to the bold Calvinism found among a variety of Baptist preachers of the time, men such as John Piper of Minneapolis, Mark Dever of Washington, D.C., and Marc Driscoll of Seattle. These ministers supported doctrines such as predestination and held to a strong view of the church, and yet rejected Presbyterian principles such as standing presbyteries and baptizing infants in favor of local church autonomy and baptizing only those who could recount some sort of credible conversion experience. And while these popular Baptist ministers cooperated with other denominations, they made no bones about their distinctive Baptist convictions. Such humble confidence in the midst of the emergent, relativist landscape proved attractive and successful.

Against this backdrop, the PCA held their annual General Assembly in late June of 2010. Leaders from across the denomination were urging a new direction and a renewed emphasis on numerical growth in order to “be part of what God is doing in the world.” After days of debate, the denominational rank and file rejected such an approach in favor of a return to their roots as a Calvinist denomination, including those convictions which distinguished them from both the emergent churches and their Calvinist Baptist allies.

At the same time, there was a renewed emphasis across the PCA on doing the simple things well – preaching from the Bible, emphasizing the doctrine of “justification by faith alone” as central to the Christian life, praying in small groups, and taking church discipline seriously (that members must uphold their vows to follow Christ or face correction from church leaders). An emphasis was placed on local ministry rather than embracing a one-size-fits-all national strategy.

But this counter-intuitive approach to church growth paid off. Younger Christians of all backgrounds were attracted to the authentic, simple approach to faith which did not overly concern itself with marketing or social trends. At the same time, they were drawn to the certainty and stability which the PCA presented, and increasingly convinced of the Biblical rationale for infant baptism and standing presbyteries, once the PCA began to aggressively promote its views. Of course, a fine line had to be walked, both not to alienate other Christian denominations and to ensure that its own members did not confuse secondary matters with more essential matters such as the divinity of Jesus. But somehow, they pulled it off, and have seen steady numerical growth 7 of the past 10 years.

With the precipitous decline of the historically larger PC(USA), the PCA now appears on the cusp of becoming the largest Presbyterian body in the United States, with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church not far behind.

[Cronos]

did you ever hear the joke about being shaved by Grace?

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Amen!

And your tag is STILL one of my favorites. 8~)

[Squantos]

This sort of freeper activity was what I understood was probable cause for being banned on FR regardless of the subject matter when debate ends, insults an disruptivé comments are all they post.

Just my opinion....stay safe an thanks for the ping...

[buccaneer81]

http://daaixin.wordpress.com/

Have you actually read this? Pope John Paul II in hell? I suppose there are loads of misguided protestants and hateful liberals who would love to believe that. But what really showed me the silliness of the article was the assertion that an EIGHT YEAR OLD BOY was in HELL for being disobedient to his parents and watching cartoons like Pokeman on TV.

Is it any wonder why some Christians are ridiculed?

[HossB86]

He comes to a site owned by a Christian, who has declared his site to be God-friendly, and attempts to remove God?

Good point. And very telling indeed.

Hoss

[Dr. Eckleburg]

What a great thread, Gamecock! Thanks for posting it.

[HossB86]

Hoss was predestined to say that — it had nothing to do with reasoning. (duck’n & runn’n)

I was indeed! Now that was funny; I don't who you are!

:D

Hoss

[HossB86]

should read, “I don’t care who you are!”

Sorry!

Hoss

[circlecity]

"I was indeed! Now that was funny; I don't who you are!"

yep and it shows up on every single reformed thread and has for at least the last 12 years. You can set your watch by it.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Whether it was wrong or right you were predestined to say that. Now go non-figure.

[Quix]

I see below . . . one of your respondents seems to have forgotten how to think . . . DOH! . . . if they ever knew. LOL.

$3 billion and counting.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Remind me to quote Mel Gibson or a lesbian “priestess” as a Catholic authority in a future thread.

lol. The RCC is all things to all people. There's not a single belief or practice that cannot be twisted, turned, supported or repudiated by its doctrines.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Actually, this kind of hitting the nail square on the head very rarely shows up in Arminian vs. Calvinist debates. It kind of has a way of ending all discussion.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

ALEX MURPHY: I hear kids can get a free copy of “Being Friends, Being Safe” at their local parish, but the coloring book cost the Catholic Church over three billion dollars to produce!

DANGUS: Please tell me you’re joking, and you don’t really believe that, because otherwise I’d have to say something jokingly like, “Well, I heard that the PCA tore down 2.5 million square miles of Brazilian rain forest because they were afraid someone might try to build a cross.”

See, parody, in order to be effective and actually humorous must have its genesis in fact, not fiction, or else it's just goofiness masquerading as something more.

Alex Murphy's line was both funny and effective because it grew out of a factual situation with real statistics.

Your's wasn't and didn't.

[circlecity]

"Actually, this kind of hitting the nail square on the head very rarely shows up in Arminian vs. Calvinist debates. It kind of has a way of ending all discussion."

Really? I don't see how confusing Calvinism with some wierd type of hyper-providence does much to move the discussion at all.

[Quix]

Couldn't you have strung em along a while longer?

We could have talked about silver pages and gold ink . . .

or lapis lazuli covers . . . or . . . special oil, 'holy' water and kisses anointings of Pope something or other . . .

Maybe some special editions with the aromas of the caricatured Fatima ET Mary personage . . .

Maybe special $3 million editions that 'guaranteed' only a week in purgatory . . .

And maybe special $1 million editions that 'guaranteed' that "Mary" would come and sing the sheeple buyer to sleep on their birthday every year for 10 years. Or for the $10 million edition--every year for life.

I mean . . . the possibilities are considerable . . .

THEN after a suitable amount of fun . . . given the unlikelihood many would have thought beyond their noses enough to realize what you were alluding to originally . . .

we could have lowered the heavy hammer of reality.

It's just that given their obsessions with fantasies . . . why not join in and spin a few for them to get really wound up about.

I agree it's unlikely but it is also conceivable that a few thereby might just learn that fantasies are not to be trusted--regardless of what UFO the fantasies ride in on!

. . . any more than the priests' fantasies about the altar boys should have been trusted.

/s

[HiTech RedNeck]

So art thou programmed? Or do you champion a kind of hybrid philosophy which leaves room for human participation in reasoning and choosing right things, however necessary divine empowerment may be in the same?

[Quix]

I wasn’t there.

I didn’t get the same trip.

However, others have reported similar things for more than 30 years—some would say for 100’s of years.

I’m not aware of anything UNBIBLICAL in the narrative.

I think such narratives are at least instructive and illustrative sufficiently to hopefully drive us deeper into God’s Word to check out God’s authentic priorities . . .

and

deeper into GOD HIMSELF—THE ONLY REAL PRIORITY.

[circlecity]

We have free will to do whatever we want to do, just not what we ought to do. Pretty simple.

[Quix]

BTW, what

DOES

the Vatican Alice In Wonderland School Of Theology, Reality Mangling, Chronic Professional Blaming, Wailing and Whining Cult

teach about THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY?

My background suggests it’s an individual thing between each individual and God—essentially—when the child can intellectually seriously understand the difference between right and wrong and the eternal consequences thereof.