Fellowship of Presbyterians
Mission and values discussed in first plenary session
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman, January 19, 2012
ORLANDO, Fla. — During the first plenary session of the Covenanting Conference of the Fellowship of Presbyterians, the Rev. John Crosby discussed the mission and values of the group.
According to a pre-conference survey of registered guests, “60 percent say you are coming here to discern you future,” Crosby told the crowd of more than 2,100. He said that much has been made in the press about the fact the conference’s host church, First Presbyterian Orlando, decided to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church instead of becoming a part of the FOP’s organization — now being called the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECOOP) instead of the earlier name, the new Reformed body.
“We are all in a process of discernment and we are all in this together,” he said, “Some of us may choose different paths … we want to flesh out those options and then let God lead.”
Crosby quoted the Mission of the FOP: “to build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ.” He then led the group through a process of rating where each participant’s church was in relation to the FOP’s values.
As Crosby read through the values, he asked each participant — on a scale of 1-10 – to rate how their home congregation reflects the value: 10 if it is done well, or one if “it’s time to talk about something else. … Boldly write down the first number that comes to your head.”
The values are shown in italics:
1. Jesus-shaped identity: We believe Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives and making disciples of Jesus at the core of our ministry. Crosby said that “When you think about this, the key is making followers of Jesus Christ versus orthodox believers.”
2. Biblical integrity: We believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God, that teaches all that is necessary for faith and life. The prominence of God’s Word over our lives shapes our priorities, and the unrivaled authority of the Bible directs our actions to be in concert with Christ’s very best for our lives. Crosby asked, “Is the Word not only taught,” but does it shape decision making, the schedule, the programs the budget?
3. Thoughtful theology: We believer in theological education, constant learning and the life of the mind; celebrating this as one of the treasures of our Reformed heritage. “We should be rearing followers of Christ that should be able to reflect and apply their faith in their lives,” Crosby said.
4. Accountable community: We believe guidance is a corporate spiritual experience. We want to connect leaders to one another in healthy relationships of accountability, synergy and care. He asked, “Do you experience a caring environment that increases the transparency that is needed for real life change to seriously occur?”
5. Egalitarian ministry: We believe in unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men and every ethnic group. Crosby asked, “How are we really doing in developing the place of women and minorities in membership?”
6. Missional centrality: We believe in living out the whole of the Great Commission — including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion and redemptive justice — in our communities and around the world. Referring to the sermon the night before, Crosby asked “What would your community lose if your church went away?”
7. Center-focused spirituality: We believe in calling people to the core of what it means to be followers of Jesus — what “mere Christianity” is and does — and not fixate on the boundaries. This value, said Crosby, is about “calling people to the core of life-giving, grace-filled life in Jesus Christ instead of patrolling the borders as truth cops.”
8. Leadership velocity: We believe the work of identifying and developing Gospel-centered leaders is critical for the church, and a great leadership culture is risk-taking, innovative and organic. Crosby asked, “How is your community doing at developing leaders … and are you allowing them to lead?”
9. Kingdom activity: We believe congregations should vigorously reproduce new missional communities to expand the Kingdom of God. “Does Kingdom vitality mark your community,” he asked? “It is not about the size but the trajectory.”