From Spring 2006 reNEWS, the publication of Presbyterians For Renewal. www.pfrenewal.org.

Throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and within the evangelical
movement, anxiety levels are high and a cloud of uncertainty looms as
we approach the 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama, from
June 15 to 22. Is all the anxiety justified?

Certainly crises continue to rock our denomination, most recently in the form of massive cutbacks in Louisville. Facing this Assembly in particular are several major issues of serious concern to the family of Presbyterians For Renewal: the perpetual controversy over homosexual practice and ordination standards, especially the troubling “Recommendation 5” from the “PUP” Task Force; the central Christian doctrine of the Trinity; the relationship between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam; the freedom of congregations to withhold “per capita” payments to the denomination; an intriguing proposal to reorganize the PC(USA) as a network of non-geographical presbyteries and synods; and the whole controversy over divestment from corporations doing business in Israel. All “big-ticket” items.

These are days we must pray for God to strengthen us for the road ahead, that we will labor faithf
ully, discern wisely, and never be one step behind or ahead of where God is leading us.

PFR has pulled out all the stops this year in a two-pronged approach to prepare for G.A.—preparing for the Assembly itself, and preparing for life beyond the Assembly, whatever its outcome.

First, we are doing everything we can to enable the Assembly to make good, Christ-centered and biblical decisions. Our efforts include:

• A video on sexuality, Speaking A Mystery: God’s Design for Human Sexuality, produced by PFR and distributed widely, a valuable resource for you and your congregation.
• Three overtures on ordination standards were suggested by PFR. Each has been sent to the G.A. by multiple presbyteries. We will continue to work for passage of all three.
• A new website, www.GA2006.com, was launched by PFR. There you can find all the G.A. business and PFR’s advice on many issues.
• This reNEWS includes a special “G.A. Insert” that explores the major topics.
• The 20-member PFR G.A. team is thoroughly prepared to be a godly and evangelical presence in Birmingham.
• Finally, PFR has been working with congregations and individuals to foster a widespread prayer effort for the Assembly. Even our most fervent and well-intentioned initiatives are only as good as the degree to which God blesses them and works in, through, and beyond them. Please pray.

Beyond the Assembly: Discernment, Uncompromising Witness, and Global Fellowship

Obviously we cannot respond to the Assembly before it takes place. However, PFR has been carefully weighing the range of faithful options before us. Together with our many partner congregations, we are prepared to engage in a process of public discernment after the Assembly, seeking the most faithful way forward. After G.A., on July 1–4 at the PFR Christian Life Conference in Montreat (the largest annual evangelical Presbyterian conference), we will have the opportunity to speak about the implications of the Assembly. This presentation will be widely available.

Of course, there are many things that we can know now, regardless of what happens at the Assembly. All of us realize that “if this Assembly goes well” from the vantage point of orthodox Reformed faith and practice, the church and the evangelical movement itself will still be in need of renewal! The ills of the church are far deeper than our debates over ordination standards. Evangelicals, too, are plagued by spiritual malaise, unbiblical accommodation to contemporary American culture, and congregations in decline. So, if the Assembly does not go well, our plan for the future would be unfaithful and woefully inadequate if it were simply a reaction to the Assembly itself.

Regardless of the outcome of this Assembly, we need a long-term, comprehensive vision for our future together, one that addresses the systemic illness underlying the symptoms over which we struggle so regularly. Truth be told, this has been the passion of PFR since its inception—a comprehensive vision for renewal that has given rise not only to issues-oriented efforts, but also to our many ministries that seek to enrich the lives of congregations and deepen the faith of thousands of Presbyterians.

Thus, we in PFR have been asking ourselves: Is God leading us to take this vision to a new level? What might be the key elements of the next phase in the evangelical movement in the PC(USA)? As we have sought to answer these questions and to expand both our partnerships and our vision, we have been working with a nascent movement of congregations called the “Presbyterian Global Fellowship.” Though still in its initial stages, the ideas and energy behind it are very promising.

What is the Presbyterian Global Fellowship?

Together, an emerging group of congregations is seeking to refocus our attention on the church’s missional purpose, which means that everything we do is about the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and our participation in the expansion of the Kingdom of God. This fellowship will focus on (1) becoming global Christians, (2) growing missional congregations, (3) training missional leaders, and (4) fostering “whole life” discipleship among all believers. Central to accomplishing these aims will be pursuing deeper relationships with Presbyterians across the globe, sharing resources with each other as never before, and expressing our common identity as members of the global Presbyterian family in a way that is not defined by the governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The Presbyterian Global Fellowship is beginning as a constellation of North American congregations
from the PC(USA) that is seeking the wisdom and strength of the global community of Presbyterians. The invitation to the fellowship’s first meeting, which will be held at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta on August 17–19, expresses our need for “the support, admonition, and example” of our global partners when it comes to numerous areas of our life together as Christians, “especially with regard to wealth, human sexuality, power, and the congregation’s public witness.” 

This is exactly the right time to humbly initiate such a global fellowship of Presbyterians, for several reasons.

On the whole, our denomination has turned inward, preoccupied with ourselves and held captive by entertaining the agendas of North American culture. New and stronger relationships with Presbyterians around the world could serve to shock us out of our self-centeredness and enable us to receive spiritual strength through the witness of our brothers and sisters from other cultures.

Further, in the event that our General Assembly makes poor decisions (such as on ordination standards), decisions that are out of step with global Presbyterian Christianity, this fellowship will offer us a way to publicly identify with other believers who seek to maintain their confession of the Lordship of Christ over all of life.

Further still, the PC(USA) has just scaled back its official global missions efforts to an unprecedented degree. As the national structures of the church dwindle, we must develop new patterns for global relationships and foster widespread global Presbyterian mission (both from and to North America). All of these things will require long-term vision, patience, and an unusually humble posture. May Christ’s Spirit grant us all of these.

In addition to building stronger relationships around the world, as the core congregations of this new fellowship have dreamed about the future, we have become convinced of two undeniable realities for our life together as North American congregations.

First, the best resources for our ministries are emerging from congregations themselves, not from national denominational structures, and this means that we need to utilize every means possible, including the latest technology, to share those resources for our mutual benefit.

Second, the time has come for us to consider anew our stewardship of resources, including our financial resources. Though providing for maximum congregational flexibility, the Presbyterian Global Fellowship is encouraging congregations to consider the important role that “designating funds” can play in ensuring that we are supporting local and global Presbyterian mission efforts that are both faithful and accountable.

Dear brothers and sisters, the task before us as Presbyterians For Renewal is now more important than ever. PFR stands ready to support this emerging global fellowship, especially in our efforts to build relationships across the globe, share best practices and resources with one another in unprecedented ways, revitalize PC(USA) congregations, and train our current and future leaders. We will need a new level of cooperation and mutual mission with other organizations, such as The Outreach Foundation and Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, who can help to support the global fellowship as it explores new relationships and mission efforts in other parts of the world.

Let me pose the question again: Is all the anxiety justified? Perhaps yes. I encourage you to read about issues before the Assembly in this issue of reNEWS. Please pray for and support us as we are doing everything we can to help the denomination make wise choices.

Yet amid all the anxiety and troubled times, truth gives birth to new vision, and we are excited to be a part of what God is doing in and through congregations of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and in other parts of the world.