Presbyterians Consider 'Strategic Plan' to Grow, Overcome Tensions

By Audrey Barrick, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Slowed numerical growth in the Presbyterian Church in America has prompted the denomination to move toward adopting a new "Strategic Plan" that will help bring about "healthy change."

"The circumstances facing the PCA are changing more rapidly than even these wise words describe," the plan states. "We can either wilt before the challenge or count it our privilege to unite as a church to learn afresh how to live the truth of the Gospel before and for this world."

The Strategic Plan, which identifies challenges and proposes some structural changes, is two years in the making and will be considered for approval at the General Assembly, scheduled for June 29-July 2, in Nashville. The General Assembly is the largest annual gathering of the denomination.

The plan reminds PCA members that the conservative denomination was founded on a commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture as it fought against a growing liberalism in another Presbyterian group. But over the last 30 years, there has been less unity and more debates around what it means to be true to the Reformed faith.

"Differing understandings of what it meant to hold to Reformed distinctions in ministry and mission were either unrecognized or suppressed to support the primary mission of combating liberalism," it explains. "That mission was compelling enough [to] unite us in ministry despite our differences. Willingness now to honor our differences while harnessing our shared blessings will again require a sense of being united in a cause that is of similar Biblical consequence within the 340,000-member body."

Some of the internal challenges identified in the plan include little cooperative effort among churches in the PCA, slowed growth, anti-denominational historical context and post-denominational present context, loss of youth and perspectival divides.

The plan specifically highlights the problem of most churches not contributing any support at the denominational level.

"We remain an anti-denominational denomination," it states, as it lists examples of churches "demonizing denominational leadership or movements to justify non-support of the larger church, or simply making self-survival or self-fulfillment the consuming goal of local church ministry."

"[W]e must have a renewed sense of collective mission."

To resolve the issue, the plan includes a recommendation that voting members be required to contribute to the denomination by paying an annual fee to the Administrative Committee, which oversees the operations of the General Assembly.

Andrew Barnes, teaching elder from Jackson, Miss., argues that the plan is not consistent with biblical values.

Barnes contends that a "requirement" is out of step with Scripture, particularly James 4:12, which states "There is only one Lawgiver Judge ..."

That judge is God, says Barnes who acknowledges that most churches within the PCA have not been supporting the denomination on the General Assembly level.

The proposed requirement also includes a provision that would strip members of their voting privilege at the General Assembly if they do not pay the fee, which some are opposed to.

Some have also expressed concern that the new change – which would be made in the PCA's Book of Church Order – would empower the denomination over the local church.

But Dr. Bryan Chapell, who led the PCA Strategic Plan process on behalf of the Cooperative Ministries Committee, believes it is "reasonable" for churches and ministers to have a minimal requirement to fund "essential support services, as is the practice of most other denominations," according to PCA's By Faith magazine.

"This change would help present and future generations grasp the power of working together in God's mission," he said.

Other recommendations that will be considered this summer include creating safe places to discuss controversial topics and how to live together with differences; and developing more seats at the table for women, minorities, global church representatives, and the younger generation.