Your wish is my command.
Cheers!
Posted on 02/17/2011 6:14:50 PM PST by 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.
I know.
But it was such an appropriate verse.
I love how there’s something from Scripture for every situation.
Who would that be?
And as we now see, the Catholic church is filled with blasphemy by your own standards.
You're getting there.
LOL!
The author wrote:
And so I wrote the below fictional article, dated ten years hence, of what might happen if we choose this second approach (also published at http://theaquilareport.com). Please note that I do not know that my approach will bring growth. The point is that we don't know that the other approach will either. The only thing we must do then is to be faithful to what we understand to be truth, and to preach the Gospel and love folks. I just think if we do that as a denomination, we're going to be OK. Enjoy (if that is the word!):The fact is the PCA GA adopted the very plan that caused this author so much concern. What does that say about the future of the PCA?
I think that may be the very reason some have such heartburn whenever Scripture is preached today, they think it has lost its purpose or that man can do much better. Each time, they are proven wrong, and their response, instead of submission to the Scriptures, is rebellion and a frantic insistence of their “traditions” which supersede - in their own minds - God's holy word.
Well, it won't, it doesn't and it can't!
Not then, not now, not ever!!!
i DON’T think of thim as a horde by a long shot.
LOL.
CUTE.
So why are you complaining?
Cordially,
The difference that I see between what has been exposed in the Roman Catholic Church is that while there was terrible sin by some individuals within the ranks, those who oversaw those in the lower ranks quite frequently hid the "indiscretions", relocated the guilty to other places putting at risk another groups and, only in a minority of cases, removed the guilty in order to repair their behavior through psychotherapy or other non-confrontational modes.
I noticed that in each of the examples you gave of Baptist offenders, not only had they been arrested and prosecuted but they were no longer permitted to return to such a ministry. Why didn't the Catholic Church follow that lead? Why did the reputation of the Church, it's assets, it's concern about replacements, etc. prevent those who KNEW about such abuse for years continue to turn a blind eye? The fallout - as we can all see - from hiding such monstrosities and not dealing with them has deeply hurt the Catholic Church worldwide and they have no one to blame but themselves. "Be sure your sin will find you out." is a warning to us all NO EXCLUSIONS!!!
I’m sorry, I meant the “swarm.” Wasn’t meaning to be derogatory; the GRPL ping called themselves “the swarm” for the longest time.
You are welcome to be derogatory to me or any other whomever you feel it fits for—that’s between you and The Lord as to how fitting it is. I prefer candor.
I just felt like noting that I consider them a group of helpful sounding board brothers and sisters . . . some of whom disagree with me ALMOST as much as SOME RC’s do.
Anyway—thanks for your kind reply.
Do not carry the same argument from thread to thread. And don’t badger another Freeper, personally.
Yes, the immorality and lack of focus on God’s Word is why we are not Catholics! I carried over my comments from one article to another.
That happens.
They weren’t permitted to return to their ministries because they were ARRESTED by CIVIL AUTHORITIES; they weren’t SUED forty years after the fact. Yet the Southern Baptist Convention has repeatedly denied requests to revoke their credentials, or to participate in a database of offenders.
The truth is we have no idea how many Baptist ministers have been guilty of sexual assault. Because the Baptist conventions disavow financial responsibility for their congregations, even when they solicited funds to erect a new congregation, there’s no jackpot for lawyers to take cases. Usually when there are murmurs of inappropriate behavior, the minister is simply dismissed. But with nondisclosure agreements, no-one knows why; the chief concern is get rid of the pastor from that congregation before someone sues. The SBC could require that the congregation revoke credentials, or ban non-disclosures, but the accused would likely fight back, so they don’t. Absent such policies, then, the SBC is simply shuffling pastors around, in effect.
In essence, the SBC is still where the Catholic Church was in the 1970s. The Catholic Church trusted lay psychologists; they should have trusted in the sacraments and canon law, so I’ll fault them for that. The SBC knows better. And yet, they still allow pastors to get a new job in new congregations. The Catholic Church cleaned up 95% of its mess in 1990, before news media and lawyers even caught on to the problem. What’s the SBC’s excuse?
In both cases there are moral cowards, and people too concerned with money and administration than justice. The problems with the SBC prove that its not about priestly celibacy. The difference is that the Catholic hierarchy makes itself responsible for the diocese as a whole; the congregational churches simply disavow anything that makes them look bad. Just like the PCA disavows the PCUSA, rather than cleaning up the mess.
I always thought that the phrase "hardened Pharaoh's heart" suggested an intercession (which doesn't jibe with predestination), but it appears in both the grammatically passive and active sense and features Pharaoh as sometimes both object and subject. I don't want the position of scriptural interpreter, but I think the navigator still has a hand on the tiller.
Strawman rant / composite, based on many "naughty teacher threads."
Have a match?
Your wish is my command.
Cheers!
I think that is because the Communists seeded infiltrators into *several* layers of the Roman hierarchy; that, and the fact remains that the lavender mafia looks after its own.
Sometimes I wonder whether or not Matthew 23:15 was meant for the Marxists as much as the Pharisees...
NO cheers, unfortunately.
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