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So this book [For a Continuing Church: The Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America] was officially released [Dec. 11]. Through the efficiency of a shipper I received my copy a few days early and so far I have only had time to skim through it. It looks good, from what I have seen, and I hope to carve out a bit of time later in the month to more carefully read it.
But what I have found interesting in the lead up to this has been a certain amount of push-back I have gotten from several different quarters as I have unapologetically indicated my interest in, and anticipation of the book before its release. My overall interest in Presbyterianism and Presbyterian history is enough to justify my anticipation of this book. But it was further heightened earlier in the year when the author, Sean Michael Lucas, was featured in a documentary produced by Union Presbyterian Seminary called “Division and Reunion.”
The push-back I have received, both in general over my years of blogging and specifically regarding this book, usually can be boiled down to the statement of either “But they ordain (fill in the blank)” or “But they do not ordain (fill in the blank).”
So here is a response and why this book matters in either case.
First, it is easy to just view this as an academic exercise. I am interested in global Presbyterianism, history and polity. That alone is enough for me to be interested in this book.
But let me dig in a little deeper. Please note the subtitle of the book, “The roots of the Presbyterian Church in America.” (emphasis added) What are those roots? It is predominantly the PCUS, one of the predecessor denominations of the current PCUSA. Hate to break it to some of the mainline folks but this is a book that is mostly about your roots too.
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In pre-revolutionary America, about 1 out 7 baptized people came out of a reformed/Presbyterian tradition. If adjusted just for population growth from 1775, there should be about 46 million “Presbyterians” in America in 2015. So what happened? A very good question. One way to look at it is that for about 230 years Presbyterians, in general, have been in systemic decline.
One conclusion is that our polity structure is very volatile and given to splits, schisms, very unstable. All that “always reforming” and seeking theological purity and all that.
The biggest splits and schisms in Presbyterianism is not much so much the liberal-fundamentalist endless war, but the split between the pietist-activist wings of the church in the 1880s.
What makes the contemporary PCUSA mad as hell about the ECOs/PCAs/EPCs of the world is that they never bought into the liberal activist, social gospel narratives of folks in their pews getting out to the streets in the never ending quests for “social-justice”, and they have never forgiven them for it.
I have held for sometime that Presbyterianism in America will continue, just under a ECO/PCA/ARPC/CPC/OPC/EPC banners. What is called the PCUSA today is morphing into a post-modern neo-Quaker, pacifist, theistic entity that that more or less seeks to retain a Presbyterian polity but with characteristics of polytheism and eastern, native American constructs.
The other narrative could be that Presbyterianism, at least its older mainline version in general is moving in a path of the “E” word, extinction.
I have to admit that most of Pastors I listen too on the radio or TV are PCA, The late Dr. Kennedy, Steve Brown, Sproul etc. The PCA has more missionaries on accident than we have on purpose.
I also expect to mergers in the future maybe the PCA with the OPC or something of that nature. As our PCUSA is shrinking the other smaller presbyterian churches are filling in the gaps that we have left behind. This is why I’m so opposed to the trust clause, it’s stealing by any other name. Let the churches go and continue the mission they were founded upon.
If the progressives are so sure of God’s will, then they should trust that He will provide for those of us still in the PCUSA, and not hold congregations hostage with their own property.
Could be subtitled, “Keeping Women Quiet In Church Since 1972”?
What also makes them (PCUSA hierarchy) mad is that they (the breakaways) also didn’t by in the Church-as-real estate model.
I have been attending a PCA church since a job change brought me to north Texas in May last year (no EPC church can be found within a 1/2-hour commute from my new home). I have found no evidence that these folks are trying to “keep women quiet in church”. My wife has not felt suppressed or denigrated in any way, and it was she who brought up tranferring our membership there.
The PCA is the second largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, whereas those closest to it in theology and polity—the OPC, the RPC, and the ARP—are significantly smaller and have been around for much longer. These latter three have well-established identities that would probably be significantly diminished if they were to merge into the PCA.
In point of fact, the OPC and PCA did have merger discussions back in the mid-1980s, after the RPCES merged into the PCA in 1982. However, despite the close affinity between the OPC and the PCA, the two remain separate denominations today.
The PCA has done alot of things right, wish the louisville sluggers would take note!
The PCA gets the Gospel right. If the PC(USA) would get that right, most of its present controversies would disappear, genuine reform would begin, the hemorrhaging of members and churches would stop, membership would grow, and denominational divisions with the ECO and possibly the EPC could be healed.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (II Chron. 7.14)
At some point the PCUSA will merge with some entity, and there will a number congregations that will not want to lose their presbyterian identity, and I think this will happen within 10-15 years, as things move forward in the PCUSA, the future will be very interesting, and not in a good way.
So they have women pastors, Elders, and other leaders in the church? Separate but equal is inherently unequal.
Except for discriminating against half of humanity….
I have a couple of quibbles with accuracy Steve’s review article.
The first is hard to avoid. There have been two distinct PCUSA churches in the history of the United States.
The current one and the one that united with the UPCNA to form the UPCUSA. If it is not entirely clear from the context, which of the two is being referenced, clarification is called for.
My second point is that the earlier PCUSA ordained women ruling elders in or before the 1930’s. The 1956 may be correct for ordination of female teaching elders, but not for the first female to be ordained to any office in an american presbyterian church.
To your first point, his article, as published on his blog, does make the distinction. He uses “PCUSA” to refer to the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, which existed from its organization in 1788 until it merged in 1958 with the UPCNA, whereas he uses “PC(USA)” to refer to the Presbyterian Church (USA), which was founded in 1983 by a merger of the UPCUSA and the PCUS.
In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity
Counselor, why are you here? Will you please read through your countless posts all over this site? You are a heckler. Your and several others come to this site to blast people that grapple with their church they attend and the decisions that the PCUSA has forced them into. You present yourself as all knowing. You beat people over the head with the paper from the PCUSA. You’re more into contracts than the cross. Do you know why people post here? It’s because they’re struggling with the issues at the church they attend and love, knowing that it’s God they serve. You mention “humanity”. Take a look around buddy…Humanity is in the pits. “Humanity” is why the church is in the shape that it’s in. Humanity is the reason the world is in the shape that it’s in. And let me be very clear to you, pres, polity wonk and all the other “experts” on the PCUSA. The PCUSA is shrinking. And it’s shrinking for one single reason. Because Jesus is winning.
Except for the gays.
Thank you, Loren,
He did indeed use that convention, but he did not state that this was the convention he was using – Thus the opportunity for confusion.
Last Lord’s Day I went to my first prayer meeting at a PCA Church. The prayer meeting was followed by a worship assembly with both sacraments.
Then on Tuesday I went to one of their small group Bible study, fellowship and meal meetings. I was impressed. It was almost up to the standards of the Lawrence RP church.
They do things right!
I will continue to investigate.