A Presbyterian denomination that prides itself on unity in redundancy has its cooperative ministry mannequin overshadowed by latest discussions of human sexuality.
Presbyterian historian Donald Fortson has been a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) since its founding in 1981, and he says he is by no means seen a extra “humorous” basic meeting than this 12 months’s gathering in Memphis final month.
Among the many factors of competition was whether or not to confess a congregation whose pastor identifies as homosexual but in addition says he’s celibate and helps a standard Christian intercourse coverage, which some name “Facet B” Christianity.
Greg Johnson, pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, led his congregation to depart the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) two years in the past after that denomination narrowly voted to disqualify from ministry “those that describe themselves as gay, even those that described as gay and demanded abstinence from gay conduct and celibacy.”
Johnson described himself as such, advocating each side of Christianity on the controversial Revues convention and in his e book Nonetheless Time to Care: What We Can Study from the Church’s Failed Try to Treatment Homosexuality.
Now his church has inquired about becoming a member of the EPC.
“It is stirred up all types of controversy,” stated Fortson, professor emeritus of church historical past and pastoral theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, “as a result of we have got some within the EPC that appear very open to bringing him into the EPC, and we have got different teams which might be completely against him coming into the EPC.” doing.”
Throughout its June 18-20 meeting, the EPC voted for a two-year research into “modern use of sexual self-concept and the way such language meets Scripture and the Westminster Requirements.” Native presbyteries of all denominations are requested to pause consideration of associated issues throughout the research interval Meaning Johnson’s church will not fill till not less than 2026.
Time will inform whether or not a neighborhood that, within the pursuits of ministry collaboration, has disagreed on the ordination of girls and charismatic apply can keep the identical posture on LGBTQ points.
Unity in necessities
The EPC was based greater than 4 a long time in the past by a bunch of about 20 church buildings affiliated with the liberal motion within the Northern Presbyterian Church (then formally generally known as the United Presbyterian Church in the US). Three problems with concern to the EPC founders have been the rising acceptance of gay ordination, the questioning of the deity of Jesus by some northern Presbyterians, and the push to forcefully settle for feminine pastors.
The EPC’s try to handle these issues was a Presbyterian Church through which all leaders affirmed a listing of “necessities,” together with the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and the need of evangelism. The EPC additionally affirms the Westminster Confession of Religion, however in a looser manner that acknowledges that “it comprises the system of doctrine taught by the Bible” and permits ministers to disagree on some factors.
Each complementarians and egalitarians are welcome within the EPC, as are Presbyterians with differing views on charismatic apply. The EPC additionally has completely different views on creation (theistic evolution from young-earth creationism) and the Sabbath (from strict Sabbatarianism to a extra permissive adoption of the Sabbath).
“Tensions exist between those that would possibly push extra for the ideas required by the EPC and those that would possibly push extra for Westminster acceptance of the EPC,” stated EPC Clerk Dean Weaver. Some EPC members are “evangelicals with capital E And renovated with a small rAnd there are some who’re reformed with a capital And And maybe missionaries with a small e“
To this point, the occasion has been a hit. By 2008, the EPC had grown to 77,794 members. 5 years later, it jumped to 134,833. Final 12 months, it reported 125,870 members, making it the third largest Presbyterian denomination in America, behind the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA) with slightly below 1 million members and the extra conservative PCA with about 400,000 members.
Membership of the EPC has leveled off considerably lately, falling 15 % since 2018. The leveling off was partly due, Weaver stated, to “unhealthy” congregations that had moved from the PCUSA between 2008 and 2018 and subsequently closed. But “average post-Covid progress” included a 7.4 % enhance in grownup baptisms and a push for church planting.
A lot of the EPC progress has come by church buildings transferring from the PCUSA.
“Many people are refugees from the PCUSA, together with myself, and we have discovered the PCUSA to be very liberal,” stated Carolyn Potitt, lead pastor of Mount Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh.
However some progress has come from PCA congregations which have relinquished the function of girls in ministry.
Amongst them is Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio. After a “interval of discernment,” Hope opened deacon nominations to girls It has not but determined whether or not it should permit girls veterans Pastor Joe Haack says his congregation can thrive in a neighborhood with the EPC’s imaginative and prescient.
“We would like necessities. We need to nail them down,” Hack stated. However “within the curiosity of the mission, we expect freedom in redundancy is essential.”
But because the two-year research of human sexuality strikes ahead, EPC observers are asking whether or not the neighborhood will agree on what constitutes redundancy.
Unsure future
Throughout a flooring debate within the Basic Meeting, an Ohio pastor stated the sexuality research wouldn’t assist the EPC advance its agenda of unity or doctrinal constancy.
“Whereas this compromise appears affordable on its face, it isn’t an actual compromise,” stated Joseph Yarger, pastor of Mansfield First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Mansfield, Ohio. The outcomes of the research committee’s approval “will embody and should embody, from a false sense of justification and charity, an lively and optimistic consideration to assist the potential of a socially influenced, theologically misguided place, generally propagated as Facet B Christianity. Revoice Convention.”
An open letter written by Fortson and two EPC veterans, Nate Atwood and Rufus Burton, takes the same line. It argues that those that “establish as gay” even when they “declare to apply celibacy in that self-identification”, needs to be “ineligible to carry workplace” within the EPC.
In assist of its place, the letter cited scripture, the Westminster Requirements and “classes from mainline Presbyterian historical past of celibate gay ordination.” So far, greater than 370 evangelical Presbyterians have signed the letter.
Atwood known as the dialogue of homosexuality “doing theology in actual time,” just like Protestant reformers similar to Martin Luther and John Calvin. He expressed concern that permitting those that establish as gay to be ordained would possibly inadvertently negate its Reformed doctrine. Shola ShastraExchange the biblical name to repent of sinful wishes with cultural lodging.
“I agree with the conservative church’s criticism that we’ve got displayed a type of hostility towards the LGBTQ neighborhood that has actually hindered our witness,” stated Atwood, pastor of St. Giles Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. “And I feel there’s one thing to be repented of by way of our temperament and our perspective.” However “we could compromise the gospel,” which requires repentance from sinful actions and “wishes of the guts”?
Others say the EPC sexuality research is in keeping with the neighborhood’s view. The consensus that led to the research committee was “a ravishing second” and “what the EPC is about,” stated Potitt, chairman of the EPC committee that really useful the research. “Let’s discover a option to be considerate and concise and undergo Christ and undergo Scripture and do it collectively.”
Evangelical Presbyterians agree that “sexual expression must be celibacy outdoors of marriage or marriage between one man and one girl,” he stated. The query is whether or not a pastor can converse of same-sex attraction. That is a part of my expertise, however I stay a life devoted to God.
Barton, the clerical clerk of Pennsylvania’s New River Presbytery, is optimistic concerning the analysis, though he opposes celibate homosexual ordination.
He stated throughout the flooring debate of the two-year research that it was “a solution to the prayers of the management workforce of New River Presbytery.” It is going to “make clear our witness and produce our constitutions and paperwork extra into line with the gospel.”
Nonetheless, it isn’t sure that finding out Facet B Christianity for 2 years will yield the specified outcomes.
“I have been on the workforce for 10 years,” Potitt stated, “and that is the closest I’ve ever seen it not work. It was somewhat scary.”
David is a contract reporter in Roach Metropolis and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama.
