None of these hopes are unique to the FOP and ECO. All of these hopes exist in the current PCUSA and are openly expressed at other events like NEXT church, a similar in-gathering of Presbyterians who are theologically progressive. What radically differentiates the FOP and ECO from other efforts is the culture they are seeking to create for missional effectiveness.   

If you have caught the fresh missional wind of the Holy Spirit blowing across the church in the 21st century, desire to live into the kind of Pastoral Rule that existed in Calvin’s Geneva and are willing to covenant together with other like-minded believers to employ the kind of metrics of congregational health used by U.S. Presbyterians prior to 1926, then you have a frame of reference for catching the vision being cast by the Fellowship of Presbyterians and ECO: a Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

Less pep rally and more nuts and bolts organizational realities, the FOP/ECO 2012 summer gatherings held in Colorado Springs and Atlanta revealed just how far the movement has developed in a year. There’s a 501c3, there’s a health plan, there’s a retirement plan and there are examples of 18 churches making transitions from the Presbyterian Church (USA) into ECO.

But the ethos has also evolved. From hotel convention centers to sanctuaries and church campuses, more than 3,000 Presbyterians moved from the participatory round tables of Minneapolis and Orlando to the more recipient role engendered by sitting in pews. Even as the organization matures, the spirit of the events was equally high energy, forward looking and hopeful.

Moving beyond pep rally to strategic organizing, everyone present was asked to “grab an oar” in an effort to continue to propel this “new way of being church” forward. Some things are now set, but there is real adaptive change ahead for those who choose to formally align themselves with the FOP/ECO initiatives. Notably absent were the denominational press and representatives from the Office of the General Assembly.  Only two staffers from the Presbyterian Mission Agency (formerly the General Assembly Mission Council) attended — one from World Missions and the other from Evangelism & Church Growth.

Highlighting that this new thing has roots in the very old things, Jerry Andrews, pastor of First Presbyterian Church San Diego, member of the FOP, describes the experience of those who sought refuge in Calvin’s Geneva. “Yes, it was a safe haven. All were welcome, however, once inside you turned to see the other side of the gate.” That sign, he said, was a clear indication that inside Calvin’s Geneva, life was lived in covenanted, ordered and disciplined accountable relationships – further emphasizing the point that being in the FOP or ECO is not about being out of the PCUSA so much as embracing a new way of being church together.

Referring to the Pastoral Rule, Fundamental Rhythms and Narrative of Congregational Health, Andrews sought to fence the new organizational reality, “This is how we live here. There are real, accountable requirements for being in this with others.”

The covenant requirements for being “in” The FOP or ECO include:

• “Subscription” to essential tenets
• Development of and participation in a missional affinity network
• Use of and accountability to the Pastoral Rule for officers
• Use of and accountability to the Fundamental Rhythms for members
• Use of and accountability to the “Narrative on the Health of Mission and Ministry.”

There is no interest in being used or even seen as an escape hatch for those whose only interest is getting out of the PCUSA. In fact, other than breakout sessions focused on discernment, dismissal and the definition of schism, the overwhelming majority of the time in plenary gatherings and breakout sessions was devoted to:

• building flourishing churches that baptize more than they bury,
• joyfully planting new worshiping communities and building partnerships through which those new churches can best be nurtured,
• identifying, cultivating and mentoring a new generation of leaders to declare the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ into a changing world,
• growing missional capacity by sharing best practices, cooperative learning and collaboration.

None of these hopes are unique to the FOP and ECO. All of these hopes exist in the current PCUSA and are openly expressed at other events like NEXT church, a similar in-gathering of Presbyterians who are theologically progressive. What radically differentiates the FOP and ECO from other efforts is the culture they are seeking to create for missional effectiveness.

Those who choose to commit to creating that culture together and being church in this new way will do so in at least two different denominational contexts:

1. Those who live out the new thing in the context of the old wineskin of the PCUSA will do so through identification as The Fellowship of Presbyterians and that affiliation takes place through action of the session.
2. Those who live out the new thing in the context of the new wineskin of ECO will need to seek dismissal from their PCUSA presbytery and join the new denomination. All other ideas conceived of in prior meetings for potential joint membership have been largely abandoned or struck down by the PCUSA.

Organizational meetings were held for the first presbyteries of ECO, the East and the West. The dividing line between the two presbyteries is the Mississippi River. The presbyteries plan to hold their inaugural meetings later this fall.

The FOP and ECO plan to continue to hold national meetings together as they are comprise two integral expressions of

Carmen Fowler LaBerge is president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and executive editor of its publications. This article first appeared on The Layman website and is used with permission. 

[Editor’s note: Original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid, so the links have been removed.]