About a month ago the Moderator of the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Heath Rada, issued a “Call to the Church” to rethink what the PCUSA should look like and in doing so build trust within the church. This started the wheels in motion for a discussion in the denomination about what the identity of the PCUSA is now and what it should be. Specifically he said in his remarks:
It became apparent [within a small task force on mission funding] that we all believed a painful situation existed [in the PCUSA ] and for anything significant to be accomplished we must find ways for that trust to be restored. It was felt that our denomination needed to explore these matters in depth and that I should announce a CALL TO THE CHURCH to help in addressing them.
The statement goes on to list five areas of importance, from the church’s changing place in the wider culture to the theological institutions to the urgent need for action. And with that the statement outlines five steps to take but at multiple points emphasizing the need to involve all levels of the church.
In a follow-up article in the Presbyterian Outlook he updates us on the response he has gotten and what next steps might be. While some are a bit further off – specifically part of the preparation for the 222nd General Assembly – other steps were being implemented quickly. This past week we saw the first of those and that is a survey opened up by Research Services to gather input from the full breadth of the PCUSA . You are encouraged to “Join the Conversation” and you have until November 13 to respond on that survey.
Another step is the announcement of two Twitter chats with the Vice-Moderator of the 221st General Assembly, Larissa Kwong Abazia (@LarissaLKA). The first chat begins this afternoon at 6 PM EDT (3 PM PDT) and will use the hashtag #pcusaidentity. The second chat is on Thursday November 12 at 9 PM EST (7 PM MST).
In reading that follow-up article a few things jump out at me.
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It must first be remembered that the genesis for this effort was not some perceived sense of theological crises or drift, not some sense of wanting to reform the ‘church’, not some drive to become a more theologically inclusive or diverse church. But that the PMA was/is running out of money. Then the alarm bells went off at Louisville. “Oh my, who is going to pay our bills and how do we bring them to the table”. Hence the now imperative to seek inputs and ideas.
But this is the PCUSA, and much like their much trumpeted ‘grand’ discussions on race, family, sex. They are discussions and conversations in their own ideological echo-chambers and closed loops of their little ecosystems. They only seek the data and inputs that will confirm for them, the course and trajectory the ruling plutocracy of careerist church bureaucrats, academics, and connected identity interest groups desire and want. They are much vested in the current system, why change?
I think you are right. Otherwise why do they need to know my age, financial status, political ideology, and education level. Then they want the ethnic make up. I think all this survey will do is feed into the White Privelege narrative expressed by Grady Parsons.
There is no desire for real spiritual revival. The suggestions on this
blog only are more educational mumbojumbo…….when what we need are leaders who will lead the denomination in renewal of faith and submission to God. It left me weeping.
I think I hear the sound of one hand clapping down in Louisville.