To Go or Stay - I

In the wake of the removal of the express “fidelity and chastity” standard in the Book of Order, and the refusal of the GAPJC to enforce the same standard as found in Scripture and the Confessions, the orthodox among Presbyterians are left with the question of whether to leave the denomination, as individuals, or as congregations and presbyteries, or to remain.  In that regard I have several observations.

First, the dispute is much deeper than sexual morality.  More than anything else, it is about the authority of Scripture in our lives.  Either we come to Scripture seeking truth and instruction and prepared to obey, or we come to it with our own concepts of what is fair and just and seek to impose those concepts on our interpretation of Scripture.  For as Paul wrote to Timothy, “. . . [T]he time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions . . .”  This is essentially what the Left of the PCUSA has done.  They have found theology professors who speculate, without any warrant in the text itself, what Paul might have written had he been a 21^st Century progressive.  But anyone who reads, for example, Romans 1 with an open mind could not fail to conclude that Paul had in mind a categorical and complete condemnation of, among other things, same-sex sexual activity.  The idea that he meant to condemn only temple prostitution or abusive sexual relationships is not supported by the text, and is belied by the fact that sexual activity between two women is also specifically condemned.  Anyone who could read Romans 1 to justify “committed same-sex relationships” could justify anything at all from Scripture thus depriving Scripture of any authority over our lives.  Losing this battle, though on what might be viewed as a non-essential point, means that we have lost the battle for Scriptural authority in everything else.  Sola Scriptura is dead in the PCUSA.

Second, this issue goes to the very nature of our salvation by grace through faith.  Because if, rather than repenting and putting our trust in Jesus Christ, salvation can come by redefining our sin as not being sin at all, the entire plan of salvation is changed and the Cross irrelevant. 

Third, the alienation of the orthodox from the PCUSA is much broader than sexual morality.  It extends to things such as the existence of Israel as a Jewish State, abortion and issues of life generally, salvation only by grace through faith in Christ, the Progressive political and social agenda espoused by the denominational leadership, and many other issues.  This is not to say that the orthodox are of one mind on every issue, but for the most part, the denomination represents our views and faith on almost nothing.  The only things the orthodox and the left seem to agree upon are some of the issues which divided Protestant Christians from one another during the Reformation.  And that may only be because they are no longer worth arguing about.

Fourth, if you think the Left is going to leave the orthodox alone for very long to preach and teach the orthodox faith, and to act on that faith, you are kidding yourself.  The Left in the Church is being funded, in large part, by the Arcus Foundation, a secular group which funds, among other things, groups within the Presbyterian Church and other mainline churches which aim to change church doctrine which they view as “anti-gay”.  Such a group, and those it supports, are not going to sit still forever if some within the PCUSA continue to preach and teach what they consider to be injustice toward gays.  How could they if it is a matter of justice?  Perhaps the orthodox may remain unmolested as long as they keep their beliefs to themselves.  But already, in some liberal presbyteries, anyone who stands up for orthodox beliefs is treated with contempt.  The current restraint is temporary only.  As soon as the current flurry passes, and the orthodox frogs that stay get accustomed to the warmer water, the heat will be turned up again.

Fifth, to the extent we lead, or are a part of, orthodox congregations, it will be difficult in the present environment to maintain that orthodoxy, particularly where the congregation is located in a culturally progressive community.  It will be made more difficult by continued membership in the PCUSA.  Orthodox potential new members may not even visit given the public stance of the denomination, or even if they visit and like our congregations, may be reluctant to join fearing what might happen in the future.  Some of our orthodox members may leave for a congregation in a more hospitable denomination.  It is hard enough already to preach on issues of sexual morality.  Without the denomination behind us, that preaching will, I fear, become less and less frequent.  And if they do not hear it from the pulpit, they will not hear it at all or will hear it only from the haters.  And if they do not hear it, how will our people resist the current culture of the libertine?  As the orthodox leave the denomination, individually or in groups, the orthodox will become more and more isolated, and find it more and more difficult to maintain our orthodoxy in the environment of the PCUSA.

Sixth, the orthodox are not helped by delay or piecemeal decisions.  If we delay in the vain hope of something better in the denomination, and end up leaving piecemeal, one member or congregation at a time, it is easier for the denominational authorities to impose harsh conditions upon us.  But if we stick together, we are stronger.

And seventh, while I am not advocating giving up legitimate legal claims, the possible loss of church property or a denominational pension should not be the deciding factor on whether to leave, but should influence our path to separation.  Otherwise we would be compromising our faith for the sake of material possessions.  As people claiming a faith watered, on many occasions, by the blood of martyrs, and being so watered even today in places like Iran, Cuba, Pakistan and China, how can we refuse when called, like the rich young man, to give up our material possessions for the sake of the Gospel?

The key question that we must each, as individuals, congregations and presbyteries, ask ourselves is whether we can carry on our missions better inside or outside the PCUSA.  For that, we each must first identify our mission.  For all Christians, that mission must include making disciples and teaching obedience to Christ’s commands.  Beyond this, our respective missions may differ.  The mission of some may be to be Jeremiah to the PCUSA.  For others it may be to use our professional skills, from within the system, to give aid to those of the orthodox stuck within the PCUSA.  For most, I think, leaving will be the better course.  But, at the end of the day, the choice of whether to go or stay must be answered by being in the place where our mission is best accomplished.

And in all events, whether our Call from God is to go or to stay, we should have regard for those of the orthodox whose call is otherwise, and should help them to the extent we can.  We should also go down the road together as far as possible, offering mutual support.  What we must not do is to see current events as of little significance, thinking we can retreat within our own congregations and ignore what has happened in our denomination.  Each of us must, also in Paul’s words by the Spirit in Second Timothy, “always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [our] ministry