In the name of growth and being “missional,” there has been a deliberate effort to transform the EPC into something different. In the process, we have forsaken some of the core principles that have guided the EPC for 43 years. As a result, our peace, unity, and purity have been seriously eroded.

Not far from my home is a church that once had thousands of members. It was a vibrant center of worship and Biblical teaching. Then, they hired a new pastor who decided the church needed rebranding. He ended the traditional worship service. He gutted the church building to give it an industrial look. He eliminated the Sunday school classes. All this was done in the name of growth and attracting young families.

What happened instead was a train wreck. Instead of growth, the congregation was torn by conflict. In a few months, they lost 700 members. Nevertheless, the pastor doubled down on his vision until finally he was forced to resign. Years later, the church has not recovered from this misguided makeover.

Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, design, or concept is introduced in the effort to create a new identity in the minds of consumers. Usually, rebranding is what you do when the old brand has lost its luster and become a liability.

In recent years, the EPC has experienced a rebranding. The changes have been sudden and sweeping. The overall impression is that the EPC has changed course and is heading in a very different direction. Some of these changes have been contrary to our core values, polity and Biblical principles. As a result, we are experiencing conflict and discord. Some churches have already left the EPC and others will surely follow.
The EPC has changed — many of us sense this. In brief, here are some of the ways the EPC has been rebranded:

Focus on race and diversity: The Revelation 7:9 report, calling for greater diversity and multiculturalism in our churches, was immediately followed by the Pastoral Letter of Racial Lament and Hope. Major resources were devoted to these initiatives. Without a shred of evidence, we are asked to believe that the EPC is guilty of racism and discrimination. While this appears virtuous, it is really just virtue-signaling. To focus relentlessly on race and diversity is, in fact, anti-Gospel. The Gospel tells us that we are one in Christ, reconciled by his atoning death, that there is no longer any slave or free, Jew or Gentile, male or female (Galatians 3:28). When we focus on race and skin color, we deny the power and truth of the Gospel. Instead of celebrating our unity in Christ, we are focusing on our differences. At General Assembly we heard the words “equity” and “privilege” — terms borrowed directly from Black Lives Matter and its Marxist ideology. At a recent meeting of Midwest Presbytery, someone asked quite seriously if we should throw out the Westminster Confession because it was written by white males. When you fall down the woke rabbit hole, this is where you land. Why are we focusing obsessively on race? Who is leading this charge?

Read More