For those in ECO the PCUSA is already fully in the rear view mirror and shrinking fast on the horizon. They are enthusiastically moving on. They are very energized, highly collegial, and joyfully working to redefine what it looks like to be faithful Presbyterian in an ever changing world. But the context of ECO is not the context of the FOP which leads us to the second image.

I came away from the 2013 national meeting of The Fellowship of Presbyterians (FOP) and ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians held in Orlando, Fla. with three impressions captured in three images: a rear view mirror, an interstate exit ramp and a taut umbrella.

The rearview mirror

Just 18 months ago the Fellowship was formed during a gathering in Minneapolis. Six months later, the FOP gave birth to a new Reformed body called ECO. On Jan. 31, 2013, that new denomination held its first synod meeting. ECO is now home to 28 congregations with an additional 48 actively in the process of joining. Another 75-100 congregations are said to be in the discernment process, considering realigning denominational affiliation from the Presbyterian Church (USA).

For those in ECO the PCUSA is already fully in the rear view mirror and shrinking fast on the horizon. They are enthusiastically moving on. They are very energized, highly collegial, and joyfully working to redefine what it looks like to be faithful Presbyterian in an ever changing world.  But the context of ECO is not the context of the FOP which leads us to the second image.

An overcrowded interstate exit ramp

Have you ever sat on the interstate unable to get to the exit ramp because the traffic that is not exiting is completely stopped? It can be very frustrating.  Our particular interstate exit ramp is crowded with four kinds of ECO/FOP churches. First, there are those who have exited. Second, there are those who want to make their way into ECO and they see the FOP as an exit ramp to the new reality. Third, there is the vast majority of churches in the FOP who are parked there for good. They plan to stay in the PCUSA.  They do not see the FOP as an exit ramp designed to facilitate their eventual departure from the PCUSA.  A fourth group of churches very much want to be in the Fellowship but because of the toxicity of their presbyteries, movement to align with the FOP in any formal way is blocked.

The language of gracious indifference toward the PCUSA which was originally heard at FOP gatherings has now become “gracious differentiation.” These Presbyterians intend to be fully differentiated from the PCUSA while remaining within it. Do not expect them to engage in the politics of the denomination and do not expect them to react when the denomination makes ever-more culturally accommodating decisions. Expect them to focus on developing flourishing congregations, forging relationships with each other in mission affinity and peer review groups, fostering their own next generation leadership, and re-investing themselves in the historic confessions of the Reformed faith as a means through which to sharpen the edge of faithful witness.

A very taut umbrella

The FOP and ECO have held collaborative meetings up to this point. They have also shared a web presence and considerable overlap in leadership. However, the overarching umbrella that is ECO/FOP is now pulled pretty tight. The context of ECO as it grows and develops is very distinct from the context of the FOP.  ECO is developing in a post-modern cultural context that is largely post-denominational. The FOP is developing in the context of the PCUSA. As ECO and the FOP each develop necessary structures and practices within their unique contexts, predictable tension is felt as the umbrella is stretched in new ways.

Gesundheit

Although sneezes often come in threes, a fourth image also seems apropos –orange barrels. Orange barrels are ubiquitous whenever highways are under construction. They signal inconvenience and delay in the present but they also bear out the promise of a better hoped for future. We endure the mess now for the delayed gratification promised ahead.

There are currently lots of orange barrels that signal that both ECO and the FOP are under construction and still very much “works in progress.”  A messy situation should surprise no one.

For those churches in FOP’s majority (those remaining in the PCUSA), a whole set of difficult questions and caution signs present themselves.

The first sign reads, “Warning: Pastoral Succession Ahead.” How are FOP Pastor Nominating Committees going to juggle the competing demands of congregations with strong evangelical conviction and presbytery Committees on Ministry that are ever-more hostile to those ideals?

A second sign reads “Warning: Misleading Membership Ahead.” How will FOP churches honestly explain the nature of the PCUSA and the church’s continued membership in it to potential new members without risking “misleading advertising” through significant omissions?

A third sign warns of “Risk of Breakdown Ahead.” How will those same churches keep internal cohesion and avoid gradual defection of their evangelical membership and lay leadership when those churches fail to react meaningfully to future PCUSA actions that may stray even more radically from the “faith once delivered?”

There are no easy answers here, given the factual and legal realities that some FOP churches face, but these are warning signs along the route amidst the orange barrels that dot the path toward the future and they are questions that FOP leadership can expect to wrestle with in the months and years to come.

Looking ahead down the road

Another collaborative gathering of ECO and the FOP is scheduled for August 2014. That will give each entity 18 months to grow and develop in their respective contexts. Watch for them to differentiate themselves online with distinct web sites which will likely contain much of the same information branded for each. They will also develop mission affinity groups, peer review models, cooperative leadership development, church planting strategies and engage in theological reflection of the essentials through Doorways.

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: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]

[Editor’s note: One or more original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid; those links have been removed.]