Maybe we need to become true federalists, and simply have a government that is very limited at the top, and far more responsive and active at the bottom and just eschew denominational visions and a top-down leadership model

An Open Letter to the CMC:

Dear brothers in Christ,

I have worked through the videos and report of the CMC, and as a pastor and presbyter, I find some deep resonances of agreement, but also have some concerns. I do not think that this plan paves the way for liberalism. I don’t think they are borne out of jealousy or because I am on the hard-right of the denomination. I have pastored two small churches, and two mid-sized ones, in a small town, in the country, and now in the city. Though my churches have been Southern, I myself am a Midwestern boy, the product of a Dutch Reformed upbringing: I don’t seem to fit any of the characterizations that underlie the report. I would peg myself as a “center-right” man –somewhere between the Banner of Truth and the Gospel Coalition, and appreciative for both. I am glad to be in a denomination with both Joey Pipa and Tim Keller –I would not want to be without either voice. And, these are my thoughts.

The Good:

The Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC) rightly points out that many of us are troubled by what Chapell calls a lack of piety in our churches. I might flesh that out a bit differently than he did. I am troubled by a lack of love for Christ and devotion to his Word and the means of grace, which is the root cause of the lack of piety. But, lack of piety is certainly evident. I am troubled, too, by the apathy of the youth, and the flight from our churches. I am troubled greatly by the sad shape of much of our mid-life leadership, their children and marriages. I cannot see how this strategic plan addresses these issues.

Alternative credentialing of ministers seems to me to be a good move in a good direction, as long as it is a rigorous track. Language and cultural barriers do not at all mean that immigrant pastors are stupid, and it would be patronizing to treat them as such.

In fact, I would argue that we should look long and hard at how ministers were trained before the rise of seminaries, and German models of specialized higher education, and ask if the whole church wouldn’t be better served by a return to a more indigenous model, coupled with rigorous examination at the court level. Maintaining market-driven seminaries that are pumping out candidates far out of proportion with the number of available pulpits, and placing families under crippling debt burdens appears to me to be one of the big problems we are not addressing. We simply need to be more rigorous about whom we send to seminary, and upon whom we lay hands.

Also, I have before advocated a “pay to play” model for the church courts. It is simply true that the denomination needs a certain level of funding in order to function. That said, disaffection from the hierarchy is probably partly to blame for the lack of funding. I will address that more below. There are number of models that could be proposed –this one appears to be needlessly complex.

The Bad:

Wrong Diagnosis Leads to Wrong Prescriptions

1. The characterization of the extremes of the PCA set a bad timbre for what followed. Notice he said that those on the leftward extreme were “gospel driven,” or something like that. He made no such estimation of those on the rightward extreme. CMC states categorically that a “haves” versus “have nots” culture is actually what drives much of our debates. That indicates, to me, that the CMC sees the problem is with the “have nots,” and their jealousy. Is that really a helpful characterization? To state categorically that principle and conviction are not the motivating force behind opposing some of what is proposed at the GA level is to assume a knowledge of hearts that none of us have. Are not the “big steeple” men equally culpable for sin? Are not those on the “progressive” wing equally liable to pride or covetousness?

Those who are doctrinally-driven are explicitly said not to be concerned about the lost or heart Christianity. That is egregious, and, once again belies what the denominational leaders think of the average confessional pastor. We are, quite simply, an inconvenience to their agenda.

2. Based upon #1 above, the CMC missed completely one of the major problems that Atlanta, and probably all the agencies, have, and that is a resentment of the agencies from the grassroots that I have found is irrespective of doctrinal and ministry commitments. I think part of this fault lies with the agency heads and coordinators themselves who, rather than restraining themselves from commitment to particular sides in debates, often appear publicly advocating for controversial positions both inside and outside the church. Quite simply, our denominational employees should act as impartial referees, and not advocate for or against particular positions –their office ought to bind them to silence, or, at very least, to evident charity. Many heads of agencies give the distinct impression that they are above question or challenge. Most of them make 2-3 times or more what the average pastor makes. Many of them have been out of touch with the local church and ministry realities for far too long.

3. There is an underlying assumption that creating a “gospel ecosystem” will somehow make the world friendly to the gospel. I would agree that Christians ought to give credence to their verbal testimony through acts of mercy, both individually, and on a coordinated scale. I would disagree, however, that this will make the world friendlier to the gospel, or help the church’s image. CMC touted Mother Teresa as an example of a “non-judgmental,” but admired and principled figure. Leaving aside Mother Teresa, the question is, “Does not the Bible offer judgment on the sinner?” Certainly, the Christian ought not to be censorious, abrasive, or anything less than kind. But we also cannot soft-peddle the demands of God on the sinner –ourselves included. This appears to use grace to obscure the lawful use of the law. The plain truth is that Scripture frankly condemns much of what the world calls good –and no amount of soup kitchens are going to make the world okay with that.

4. To call this a strategic plan is needlessly grandiose. It is a few proposals designed to do what all organizations tend to do over time, namely, centralize, and become sclerotic and self-protecting. Most ministry is local. We need a modicum of national coordination, and ought to be willing to pay for it. But, I don’t agree with the notion that our leadership comes from the top. I would rather have a thousand guys determining what God has called them to do in their particular contexts than to try to steer the vessel from the General Assembly level. To me, that idea itself is un-Presbyterian. I am not sure we need a denomination-wide strategy any more than we need a national health plan. What we need is ministry on the ground, responsive to the needs on the ground.

5. The creation of safe spaces. I would love to create a place for bounded discussions on how best to apply and advance the Reformed faith, and work out its nuances. But, the safe space will surely create a crisis of conscience. It is not inconceivable in that environment for a man to walk in and say, “I really think homosexual marriage is God-ordained.” If he refuses to make that view known to the court, a whole host of men who now know the man is out of bounds are placed in violation of their consciences, unable to go to the court with that deviation. We must never be so proud as to think that this could not happen in our midst. Moreover, I cannot see how a huge format works for resolving differences. I would love to sit down with brothers with whom I am at odds over issues in our denomination, but this does not seem to be the way to do it.

Maybe we need to re-think the whole denomination, and its structure. Maybe we need to become true federalists, and simply have a government that is very limited at the top, and far more responsive and active at the bottom and just eschew denominational visions and a top-down leadership model. That, to me, would seem to be more in line with the spirit of Acts 15.

Ken Pierce is a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is currently serving as Senior Pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS