Control is the issue. With control, comes a loss of freedom.

Once upon a time, the knights of the roundtable were in conference. One valiant warrior, the honorable Sir Bedlam, stood up and said, “Fellow knights, we have a serious problem. We have done poorly in our last battles. Three of us have discussed this in private and have identified the fundamental flaw that has led to some of our defeats.”

The other knights were immediately intrigued and listened carefully. The knight continued,

“The problem is in the way the round table operates. So much time is wasted in discussing trivia. We even wasted time joking about Sir Lancelot’s girlfriend. All of this round table stuff is so terribly inefficient. We need to restructure things if we are going to win our next battles.”

King Arthur said, “What exactly are you proposing? Shall we abandon the roundtable?”

“No,” Sir Bedlam replied, “we’ll keep the round table. We’ll just add something that will make it operate more efficient. We will take an A-frame ladder and put it in the middle of the table. Then I and my two companions will sit on the ladder above you and decide what is important for you to discuss and what is not. If the issue has little to do with winning battles, we will declare it unfit for discussion at the table.”

Another knight, Sir Winsome, asked, “Are you saying you have greater wisdom than the rest of us for deciding what is really important?”

“Well actually,” Sir Bedlam said, “my two companions and I have done fairly well in battles over the years. And besides, I have a really big horse.”

King Arthur said, “Your suggestion is not without merit, Sir Bedlam. However, roundtables and ladders are fundamentally different in their intent. They do not fit well together. The whole philosophy of leadership you are proposing is not an addition to the roundtable. It is a denial of it.”

“But the efficiency…,” Sir Bedlam objected.

This time Sir Winsome stood up with an attitude of vehemence. “Sir Bedlam, you are indeed a valiant warrior and your horse is very large. Perhaps you do have greater wisdom than we all. Perchance our existence is truly in peril. But granting such control to you means abandoning our freedom and our sense of equality amongst each other.”

“But what about our efficiency in battle? Will we not go extinct?” Sir Bedlam asked.

Sir Winsome started to sit down then paused and stood up, looking intently at the other knights. “Fellow knights, I’ll take my chances on that. In the meantime, I would rather be free.”

“Free from what?” Sir Bedlam asked.

Sir Winsome replied, “Free from you.”

………………

Control is the issue. With control, comes a loss of freedom.

After four decades in the ministry, I know human nature too well to avoid a feeling of suspicion. I predict if we strip from the Strategic Plan the morass of politically correct language, deliberate ambiguities and hollow assurances, we will find a hard central core, like a nut.

What is that nut, excuse the pun? A small cadre of men, possibly no more than you can count on one hand. They will be highly intelligent, who consider themselves elites with insight beyond the rest of us lowly PCA teaching elders.

Whether in business, politics or religion, the message from such cadres is always the same. Even the language sounds familiar. Just give us the power to decide what is best for you and we will lead you to victory, [or utopia or prosperity or whatever.]

I am pointing the finger at nobody in particular because I cannot prove this cadre exists. Finding this out is almost as frustrating as trying to discover who actually penned the original draft of the Strategic Plan in the first place.

Presbyterian government is supposed to be a round table, with equal voice and vote. Yes, other formats are more efficient. If it is efficiency we want, a dictatorship is better. That is why it is so hard to defeat dictators.

The PCA is in chaos? The PCA is dying? Too bad. I’m sorry about that. Maybe some day we can address those problems better, within a genuine Presbyterian framework.

Control with efficiency or freedom with chaos. That seems to be the choice and my choice is simple.

I prefer freedom.
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Roger Smalling is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and is a serving as a missionary in Latin America with Mission to the World and Ministries in Action.