Follow The Leader?

The recent uproar in the Episcopal Church has left many in other mainline denominations a little nervous.

Recently, the lay committee of the Presbyterian Church USA denomination urged Presbyterians to withhold their giving. The Lay Committee is an independent group of Presbyterian lay leaders who recently met in Philadelphia. They issued a Declaration of Conscience urging members of the denomination to no longer give to the General Assembly or Mission Budget of the PCUSA. They conclude, "We no longer believe that either the General Assembly per-capita budget or the unrestricted mission budget of the PCUSA is worthy of support. We encourage all individuals and sessions to exercise their stewardship responsibility and right to determine how money entrusted to them is spent. "

Terry Mattingly gives an excellent account of the current state of the PC USA Denomination in his column, Presbyterian Divorce? He reports on efforts to arrive at a graceful separation between the liberal and conservative wings of the church. The efforts are well intentioned but I seriously doubt the Presbyterians will be able to avoid a public confrontation like the one that has rocked the Episcopal Denomination.

As long as liberals in the denomination refuse to recognize the authority of scripture and choose to accomodate popular culture, there will be no peace. Liberals, for their part, believe that conservatives are just being rigid and overly dogmatic. The liberals don't seem to understand that their disagreements with conservatives are not just a matter of holding another opinion but are bedrock beliefs rooted in centuries of established doctrine. For the more traditional and conservative members, these beliefs define Christianity. Without them, Presbyterians are just another social club or touchy-feely therapy group.

It is a fact that established mainline denominations, including the PCUSA have been shrinking at an alarming rate. The exception to this lies in the conservative churches of the denomination. They are growing. The PCUSA desperately needs their funds to continue operations at the present rate.

As a Presbyterian who is fortunate to be a member of a Confessing Church, I withhold my per-capita giving to the General Assembly. For me, this isn't a choice, but a moral imperative. I can't support a denomination that teaches beliefs contrary to basic tenets of scripture. I can only hope that if the money dries up, those at PCUSA HQ will realize the error of their ways. If they don't, then it is just as well that the denomination cease to exist.