 The moving middle By Parker T. Williamson The Layman Online Monday, October 13, 2003 The Presbyterian Coalition revealed an attitude adjustment in Portland. Missing from the podium – although there may have been a few supporters in the audience – was the middle-of-the-road. In recent months, Presbyterians have increasingly spoken of "irreconcilable differences" and "incompatible faiths" when describing the state of their denomination. At Gathering VIII, this once-whispered rhetoric found its way to the microphone.
Several visions for the Presbyterian future were given prime time during the conference. Not one of those options countenanced accommodation with those who deny Jesus Christ as he is revealed in Scripture. Not one found room under the big tent for those who reject Biblical ethics. "Gracious Separation," "New Wineskins" and "Reform from Within," the three approaches that shared center stage, all condemned heresies that are being promoted by the Presbyterian Church (USA) infrastructure as incompatible with Christian faith. "Gracious Separation" called for a formal cleavage between those who believe the gospel and those who do not. "New Wineskins" envisioned a denomination whose leaders must pledge their allegiance to essential tenets of faith and ethics. "Reform from Within" called for disciplining those who will not live within the boundaries of Christian faith and life. So, if Portland portends the Presbyterian future, there will be no accommodation – either explicit or implicit – with the counterfeit faith that currently controls the denomination. Roadmaps to that future remain murky, but what became clear in Portland is that Presbyterians are beginning to insist on standards. Lines are being drawn on what evangelicals believe are "essential" issues of faith and life. Wooing the middle Barbara Wheeler, Patricia Dykers Koenig and other Covenant Network spokespersons continue trying to woo middle-of-the-roaders, professing that they would not want to be part of a denomination that does not include all points of view. Moderator Susan Andrews expressed that sentiment when she told Gathering VIII that she could find room for members of the Coalition, and she hoped that the Coalition could find room for her. Her remark was greeted with a deafening silence. Those who gathered in Portland are weary of mantras like the stated clerk's "unity in our diversity" and the Covenant Network's "inclusive church." Increasingly, they are calling for "essential tenets," "raising the standard" and "confessing the faith." This represents a significant shift from previous gatherings of renewal-minded Presbyterians, where proponents of moderation have defended the stated clerk, taken issue with declarations that the denomination is facing a constitutional crisis, and assured Presbyterians that "the system is working." Appeasement did not make it onto the platform of Gathering VIII. That's not good news for any remaining institutionalists who think that schemes from the General Assembly's Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity might preserve a denomination that encompasses opposite convictions, but it is very good news for Presbyterians who yearn for a church that has integrity. Time to decide The Presbyterian Church (USA) is moving toward a showdown in which each congregation will be required to declare its conviction. Yellow stripe politics has had its day, and a time for decision will soon be at hand. This is not the first time that God's people have been forced to choose. Ahab and Jezebel concocted an inclusive regime when they welcomed Baal into their palace. God was not pleased and, through his prophet Elijah, he called for a contest: "How long will you go limping between two opinions? If Baal is God, follow him. If God is God, follow him." There is no middle ground. |
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