A Cautionary Tale from the Episcopal Church Wars

I had the great privilege of attending the Fellowship of Presbyterians(FOP) meeting in Orlando last week along with several other members of my church. I was moved and inspired by the incredible worship and amazed at the progress made towards birthing the new denomination: Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO).

The meeting answered a lot of the questions I had before attending and raised more questions as the details of the FOP and ECO are taking shape.

At the same time I am pondering the meaning of a cautionary tale that one of my relatives (let’s call him Calvin) has been relating to me regarding his experience of leaving the Episcopal church over doctrinal differences.

Here’s the story. A couple of years ago Calvin was a member of the vestry (lay governing board) of his church. The bishop of the diocese visited the vestry meeting and issued an ultimatum: either find a way to accept the changes in the denomination or leave, but quit complaining. The next week the vestry met again and more than half of them declared their intention to leave.

This is a very large Episcopal church. Several hundred families left, including Calvin and family, but a couple thousand members remained. The breakaway group established a new church that eventually affiliated with the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA).

In due course a new rector was hired with AMiA credentials. However, Calvin became concerned about the way the new church was developing. So he sat down with the new rector for a frank discussion. To his shock he learned that the AMiA does not ordain women, permit women to serve in leadership, or teach the Bible to men, and there are no elections only appointments by the rector. Calvin says he and many other members of the new church are dismayed that these policies were not revealed at the time when they voted to affiliate with this denomination.

Now the new church faces further division as those who disagree with these positions ponder leaving yet again. Calvin is deeply grieved and prayerfully seeking guidance about what to do next. He cannot return to TEC and finds AMiA equally uncomfortable. 

"I may suggest women and men sit on opposite side of aisle, force the women to wear burkas and call it a day." he said." Good grief, AMiA makes me feel like a screaming liberal! "

Since Calvin was also raised in the Presbyterian church, he visited one a couple of weeks ago and was encouraged by what he found. Until he asked me about the state of the PCUSA and discovered he could be jumping from the fire back into the frying pan.

 

What does this mean for us fractious Presbyterians?

Here’s my conclusion: for those of us who drawn to the FOP and perhaps pondering dismissal to ECO, thorough vetting of alternatives is imperative. Calvin's experience illustrates some of the pitfalls awaiting those who act precipitously.

For those in the PCUSA who embrace the recent change in  ordination standards and continue to press for change in the definition of marriage: beware the cost of divisive actions that will leave a remnant isolated from most  other Christian churches around the country and the world and drain resources away from the Great Ends of the Church. 

The Episcopal Church is intolerant of dissent from its progressive theology, takes a hard line on church ownership of property, and, as a result, is beset by numerous lawsuits across the country. Many progressives, moderates and evangelicals in the PCUSA recognize the danger of following this path and seek to avoid it. We must do better.

The Fellowship: Birth of a PresbyPolity

For a PresbyPolity Wonk like me, it's been fascinating watching the Fellowship of Presbyterians create a new polity. 

I wasn't planning to go to the Covenanting Conference in Orlando this week, having sung my Farewell Song and all,  but then a couple of weeks ago my church asked me to join the group attending, so I plan to be there.

There's been speculation, confusion and angst on the internet about the nature of the process that will birth this new polity which has the very broad purpose of being an affiliation of PCUSA congregations, other Presbyterian congregations such as the EPC, and a stand-alone denomination.

This Outlook article clarified everything for me. The process is similar to that of creating any non-profit organization, something I have done several times. Once the corporate entity is legally created then the organizing board of directors adopts by-laws and other policies that will govern the organization.

In the case of the FOP, that includes the Theology and Polity statements. The board released a draft of these two statements in November and solicited comments, critiques and suggestions from interested folks. They will adopt the final versions and release them Thursday. 

At that point the documents will be subject to change and revision through the process set up by the Polity document to call a meeting of the new Synod (the GA of the FOP) with properly credentialed commissioners from congregations that have affiliated with the FOP. 

According to the Outlook article, that Synod meeting is being planned for sometime in 2013--after the next PCUSA GA in 2012.

Since the Covenanting Conference is open to all comers, having a vote by those in attendance to adopt or alter the documents risks the credibility and authority of the process. Many of those coming may not be authorized to represent their congregation at the conference. 

Of course 2013 will too late for some congregations who will move for dismissal to other reformed denominations, like the EPC, that are already fully organized and operating before that date. They will have the option of later affiliating with the FOP. Time will tell whether those congregations will have any interest in doing so.

A gathering of Presbyterians without our trademark business meetings, done "decently and in order", will truly be something new under the sun. Speaking for myself, turning a conference of over 2,000 attendees whose authority to represent anyone other than herself into a committee of the whole would be a nightmare. So I think the projected process is preferable, although I won't be surprised if pressure to set the Synod meeting date earlier than 2013 is successful.

Prayer After Adoption of 10-A

My thanks to Rev. Dr. Robert Austell, webmaster of the site GAHelp, for  sharing this prayer he wrote. It is helping me put my grief at  the passage of Amendment 10-A in perspective.
 __________________________________________________________

Heavenly Father,

We are divided on much. Chances are that the person beside us will vote differently on significant issues, passionately held. It is so easy to see one another as “the enemy” and yet you declare those who hope in the Lord Jesus Christ to be family.

You declare it – in Christ, we are one family! Yet, we struggle so to experience it! Some of us believe truth is at stake; some of us believe justice is at stake; some of us distrust each other, and we struggle with other issues that would drive us apart. Some will leave rejoicing; some will leave in sorrow; some will not know what they feel.

What hope do we have apart from your grace through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? What hope? Grace seems a fragile flower in a room full of elephants.

Give us a vision for your grace – unconditional, true, winsome, and strong. Help us see the person on our left and on our right, not as the enemy, but like us, a broken son or daughter for whom Christ has died. Help us cling to your Word and live in your Spirit.

We ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen!

Amendment 10-A Fails in New Covenant

(PresbyGeek Alert! This post is about PresbyPolity in action.)

Presbytery of New Covenant voted on Amendments 10-A through O to the Constitution of the PCUSA at its meeting this morning. Amendment 10-A (to change the language of section 6.0106b relating to standards for ordination) was defeated by a vote of 156 to 144 with 4 abstentions.

There was a large turnout and the debate was respectful, "decent and in order", and pretty much covered every pro and con argument I have ever heard.

We did hear from a corresponding member from East Africa who spoke against the amendment saying that if it passed it would negatively affect relationships with Presbyterians in other parts of the world. This concern was echoed by several other African and Asian speakers.

For the record, I voted with the majority because I believe we are to be obedient to scripture, not merely guided by it.  That will come to no surprise to my faithful readers who followed the Sola Scriptura discussions with our vice moderator, Landon Whitsitt. I know if this amendment isn't approved by a majority of the presbyteries we will be doing this all over again in 2012. And if it is adopted, there will be other serious ramifications. But I also have faith that God has a plan for His church that neither side of this debate can see now.

~Aside: After all the years this issue has been argued, I can't imagine anyone abstaining. But they did.~

The only other amendment that drew debate and required a counted vote was 10-C which requires all governing bodies to adopt and implement a sexual misconduct policy. It was approved by 195 to 99. Those voting against it were concerned that there was no definition of sexual misconduct and that putting this requirement in the Constitution could expose churches that fail to follow it to litigation.

The other amendments, 10-B and D through O passed by voice votes.

New Covenant will vote on the proposed New Form of Government at its January meeting and the addition of the Belhar Confession at its June meeting. I'm glad these issues are being addressed separately because 10 A-O was quite enough polity for one day.

(End of PresbyPolity Geek Report. As you were!)

QG Meets THE Moderator

Saturday morning I had the opportunity to meet Cynthia Bolbach, the Moderator of the PCUSA, at a reception in Houston. 

I was very happy to have the chance to make her acquaintance in person because she is one of QG's Gentle Readers and I got to talk with her over the phone and by podcast when she, the Vice Moderator Landon Whitsitt and I recorded the podcast discussing the Sola Kerfuffle.

Cindy and I may not see eye to eye on everything. However in person we see exactly eye to eye, literally! We can agree that the best Moderators are women attorneys of a "certain age" and well over 6 feet tall. ~grin~

We had a small but eager group from Presbytery of New Covenant gathered for a Q&A session. Cindy displayed the same ease and good humor she showed when she moderated GA this summer. She is honest, forthright and even-handed in her comments.

My question to her was what "elevator speech" I could give to the new elder training class I am involved with at church about the difference between the proposed NFOG and the current provisions in the Government section of the Book of Order. (Sorry for the PresbySpeak, y'all, but if you don't know you don't really want all the details.)

Her answer was both succinct and very usable: the NFOG represents a Constitutional, or broad principles, concept of church government as compared to the detailed rules and procedures manual that this section of the BOO has become over the years as it has been expanded by multiple amendments. 

I can make the comparison to the Texas Consititution which has umpty-ump-umpteen amendments versus the Constitution of the United States which has only 27, including the 10 called the Bill of Rights. Of course the federal statutes are WAY longer and take up multiple shelves on the bookcases of legal libraries and law firms. The Texas Constitution has become a Rulebook while the US Constitution sets forth broad principles of governance.

When someone asked Cindy what would prevent future GA's from continuing the practice of multiple amendments to the NFOG if it were passed, she readily admitted that there was no way to guarantee that would not happen. Habits and the culture of the denomination are hard to change. 

Liberals and conservatives alike have expressed frustration with the difficulty of complying with the present form of government provisions of the BOO. But a lack of trust on all sides may prevent the NFOG, or any major overall of the current system, from passing.

I really appreciate the fact that Cindy is highlighting the importance of ruling elders in the Presbyterian Church. I mentioned to the group her excellent article from The Presbyterian Leader, The Awesome Task of Elders, and had several folks ask me afterwards how to find a copy of it for their sessions. Here is the link.

Thanks, Cindy, for taking the time to meet with us in Houston and for your service to the church. May God guide and bless you during your term!

Eight Habits For Building Faith Apathy in Kids

Pastor Randy Lubbers, First Presbyterian Church of Crystal Lake, Illinois, published this insightful essay on his blog (Still Up In The Air): Eight Habits for Building "Faith Apathy" in Your Kids yesterday.

I found myself nodding and muttering "preach it!" as my inner DCE came out of hiding while reading it. Especially his points about what I view as the obsessive cult of youth sports.

Go over and read it! Then share it around your church.

Meeting Myself Coming and Going

How many church meetings is too many church meetings?

Three in a 24 hour period? Six within four days?

Presbyterians are famous for their meetings and fall is always Meeting Season.

'Tis the season to be meeting. Fa-la-la-la-la!

The Layman Reviews the Podcast

For those of you who haven't had time to listen to the full podcast conversation between me and vice moderator Rev. Landon Whitsitt--and you know who you are--the Layman posted an article today reviewing the discussion here.

It seems like a pretty fair summary of the debate to me. Of course the Layman's point of view is much closer to mine than it is to Landon's.

I must say that thanks to their link I learned what "all that and a bag of chips" means. So color me clueless....

Sola Kerfuffle: The Podcast with the Moderators!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "Sola Kerfuffle" in response to remarks by Rev. Landon Whitsitt, the newly-elected Vice Moderator of the PCUSA reported in an interview. Whitsett said that Sola Scriptura is dead or dying in most churches, which created a stir in the PresbyBlogosphere.

Subsequently I was contacted by Moderator Cynthia Bolbach, who told me she is one of QG's readers! She asked me to continue the conversation about the authority of scripture with Landon and her in a podcast. We got together by phone a couple of weeks ago to do this and now Landon Whitsitt has posted it on the Vice Moderator's blog:
http://pcusa-oga.typepad.com/vicemod/2010/09/sola-kerfuffle.html

I'd like to express my thanks to Cynthia and Landon for the invitation. Cynthia tells me that she hopes this will be a model for future respectful conversation between different points of view in the PCUSA. That is a great idea and I look forward to future podcasts with others.

I look forward to your reading your responses in the comments!

Virtual Church Meetings

An ongoing problem in the Presbyterian church (and other mainline churches) is that it is difficult to find younger members who are willing to serve on the session because of the number of meetings--not only of the session but of session committees--that are required.

All too often those meetings are scheduled during the day which makes it impossible for many of these folks who are working to attend. The result is that the church elects more elders who are really "elders", i.e. retired, delaying the transition in leadership to the next generation.

I've been thinking about ways to address this and wonder if any of you have implemented changes that are working in your churches? Of course the current leadership needs to be more flexible and willing to schedule meetings at times when younger people could attend, but the number of meetings is still a big issue for most families today.

Can't we make better use of our digital capabilities for meetings? For example, are you cutting down on in-person meetings by using conference calls, Facebook private groups or some other method? Anyone know a cheap and effective way to video conference with a group? I don't think you can Skype with more than one other person, but if I'm wrong let me know.

Certainly there are some committees whose work is best done in person, but for most of them I suspect that a lot of things can be done through virtual meetings thus reducing the number of times a committee has to gather in person at the church. After all most businesses and other organizations do that these days.

If we are going to bring younger working people into church leadership--and we MUST do this-- then we have to rethink the ways in which we have always done our committee meetings. Your thoughts?

LC Presbyterians vs. GB Presbyterians

El Jefe, ever the historian, subscribes to the Journal of Presbyterian History which publishes an issue twice a year. I just know many of you have it on your coffee table as I write ;-).

This week he shared a very interesting article with me written by Louis B. Weeks, former president of Union Presbyterian Seminary, titled "American Protestants Today: Thriving, Tottering, and Tinkering Together on the Mainline." That's some powerful alliteration, isn't it?

We're all too familiar with the labels for the different divisions within the PCUSA, but Weeks offers yet another major division: the Local Church Presbyterians (LCPs) and the Governing Body Presbyterians (GBPs). Weeks and a colleague, William Fogelman, first published this idea back in the 1990's. Their thesis is that when congregational leaders ask "how is my church doing?", they are "asking mostly about their own local church and others like it...Only a minority of Prebyterians thought first of the denomination."

Weeks offers a thoughtful analysis of what this difference in viewpoint means in practical terms. I checked the society's website, but this current issue is not available online, so I'm going to briefly summarize this part of the article.

Weeks says that most Presbyterians (and other mainliners) belong "first and foremost" to their local congregation and only a small percentage of these LCPs become involved in the wider denomination and become GBPs. He observes that this works well when a denomination is healthy as the LCPs provide money and a pool of potential members for the GBPs who in turn provide seminaries, pastors, curricula, hymnals and support for the LCPs.

But in times of decline, Weeks says that the different goals and values of these two groups create sharp conflicts. LCPs look at mission, evangelism and outreach from the perspective of their local congregation and do not want direction from the GBPs, especially if their goals and values differ significantly. Indeed, that is the case.

It's an article well worth reading. Weeks covers several studies of mainline church congregations and encourages "tinkering" with the local church as a tool for "thriving" churches.

So, how is your church tinkering?

Giant Puppets in Worship--Trend or Tragedy?

There's been some snickering in the blogosphere about the opening worship processional at the 219th General Assembly, particularly over the giant puppets that were in evidence. One wag dubbed this "the Lion King meets the PCUSA."

(If you are like me and didn't attend, then you can see a clip on You Tube here and here.)

The blog Bad Vestments even called them the Giant Paper-Mache' Calvinist Puppets of Doom. I have to admit I was sad to realize that I can't kid my Episcopalian brother about their Clown Eucharists anymore!

Yesterday Bad Vestments revealed that he had found a trend in the use of Giant Puppets in worship among several Protestant denominations and ranted: "what the hell is the deal with giant puppets during Christian worship?"

So, Gentle Readers, what say you?

poll by twiigs.com