Fellowship of Presbyterians

Searching for a Proper Relationship between Church and Culture

1 Comment / Essential Tenets of the Reformed Faith, Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA, Theological Reflection / By /

All this week I have been attending the annual gathering of my “national covenant group” of Presbyterian pastors. Traveling from the four corners of the U.S.A., we come together to log in, share what is going on in our lives, enjoy recreative afternoons, and huddle in small groups. This year, the east coast contingent presented reviews of several excellent books on the subject of the relationship between church and culture. One particular book sparked some thoughts in relationship to the predicament faced by the PCUSA these days. Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, by Andy Crouch, challenges the church to […]

Searching for a Proper Relationship between Church and Culture Read More »

Is Giving Up an Option?

3 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, New Zealand, PCUSA, The Missional Church / By /

When I went to New Zealand on vacation, my intention was to leave “work” behind, which these days includes thinking strategicially about the role of evangelicals within Presbyterian Church. So on one of our long-drive days around the North Island, I was startled to see a Presbyterian church on the main street through a particular town. I just hadn’t thought about it in advance, and therefore was surprised to find a kin on this Pacific island. Now on the lookout, I discovered several congregations, although most were union churches, often paired with the Methodists. When kayaking was ruled out one

Is Giving Up an Option? Read More »

The PCUSA Is to ECO as Auckland Is to Wellington

3 Comments / 2012th General Assembly (Pittsburgh), Fellowship of Presbyterians, New Zealand, PCUSA / By /

Our two week holiday in New Zealand intentionally bypassed the city of Auckland. Even the locals say, “It’s just another big city.” With all due respect to the Kiwis reading this, the extent of our visit to the North Island’s biggest city was to make a bee-line for the marvelous Maritime Museum. On the way into town, international business, banking, commerce, and suburbs were a familiar sight to one whose own “neighborhood” is the megalopolis of the San Francisco Bay Area. And then there was Wellington at the southern end of the island. Granted, we had a personal tour of

The PCUSA Is to ECO as Auckland Is to Wellington Read More »

The Right Kind of Diversity

6 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA, Theological Reflection / By /

Last October, I reflected on the question “How Much Diversity Can a Church Handle?” I return to the topic, in response to a comment made in a Fellowship of Presbyterians document released last week. In the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO) communiqué dated January 19 (during the Orlando conference), the value of life-giving diversity was lifted up: “Just as earthly ecosystems draw richness from the right kind of diversity, ECO is committed to unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men, young leaders, and every ethnicity. ECO’s name also draws from the Greek term oikos, meaning ‘household,’ used in the Bible to

The Right Kind of Diversity Read More »

Forced Perspective

Leave a Comment / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA, Personal / By /

Nothing like a good vacation to clear the head and gain perspective. After two-plus weeks in New Zealand with our daughter, the sensation coming home is of trying to jump on a fast-moving train. An accumulated average of forty emails a day, plus the many news reports and blogs to catch up on, will help me discern what happened in the PCUSA while I was gone.  As I re-enter the normal Presbyterian life after two weeks of jubilee, I am grateful for the hard work, faithful standing, and Spirit-led movement of God’s people during this time. Perspective Number 1: New

Forced Perspective Read More »

For Once, Nothing to Say . . .

4 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA, Personal / By /

The Presbyterian world is all atwitter about the upcoming convocation of the Fellowship of Presbyterians to convene later this week in Orlando, Florida. If it accomplishes nothing else, I hope folks across the church will take seriously the fact that thousands of their kinfolk are grabbing for a life-line before they slide into a murky sea of theological accommodation. The life-line is of two strands, at least: fellowship with like-minded conservatives who can offer the reassurance that they are not going crazy, and an organization that can accommodate a transition out of the PCUSA when and if that becomes necessary.

For Once, Nothing to Say . . . Read More »

Can the Spirit Work through Robert’s Rules?

5 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA / By /

Presbyterians, especially those who have been tracking General Assembly with interest the last few years, are generally acquainted with a particular method of decision-making. This method relies on orderly process according to Robert’s Rules of Order so that everybody can follow along and know when their opportunities for input and commitment arrive.  Robert’s Rules offer a helpful framework for discussion, consideration of alternative ideas, and are especially known for giving voice to those with a minority viewpoint. Until the final vote, folks have the opportunity to offer amendments, substitute motions, or points of information that help the body thoroughly explore

Can the Spirit Work through Robert’s Rules? Read More »

Prospects for the New Reformed Body

5 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA / By /

General Assembly may be coming up before we know it, as I intimated yesterday, but the chartering convention of the Fellowship of Presbyterians (F.O.P.) in Orlando is imminent (next week). An interesting question came up today that I would like to address very briefly. It had to do with the intentions of the F.O.P. to form the sort of Reformed Body that can receive member churches seeking dismissal from the PCUSA.  It is safe to say that the polity framework for the F.O.P. is still “wet cement,” but given the polity document now available, do potential members have enough information

Prospects for the New Reformed Body Read More »

How to Preserve an Institution

5 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA / By /

As anticipation mounts for the “Orlando Meeting” of the Fellowship of Presbyterians, some interesting pressure points are turning up. A remark made by a ministry colleague got me thinking about how “institutionalist” Presbyterians may try to undermine Orlando’s agenda. What sort of strategy might be employed to derail the efforts to establish either a New Reformed Body or some back-porch waiting room for those who need to differentiate from their presbyteries? Here are some scenarios, some based on “deep background” information, others purely speculative. If I were a person committed to preserving the structure and institution of the PCUSA: 1.

How to Preserve an Institution Read More »

Responding to Joe Small: On Bitter Schism

5 Comments / Fellowship of Presbyterians, PCUSA / By /

In the interest of constructive dialogue, I would like to respond to the “Open Letter” written by Joseph D. Small and published yesterday in The Presbyterian Outlook. First, a little background and an affirmation: I have been acquainted with Joe for many years most especially through our participation in a Reformed dialogue on the Sacraments in Geneva in the late 1990s. I last spoke to him at breakfast in Minneapolis during the August Gathering of Presbyterians. The grief he expressed then and now about the divide in the PCUSA is based on a grounded orthodox understanding of our faith and

Responding to Joe Small: On Bitter Schism Read More »

Scroll to Top