It’s tough to be affiliated with the Presbyterian Church these days, particularly the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PCUSA). The denomination seems intent on pursuing policies which many believe are contrary to the revealed will of God. The assistance they provide for individual churches lacks any theological grounding and fails to promote the Gospel of Christ. In general, the denomination appears to function more as an organization committed to humanistic and societal ends and the maintenance of its own bureaucratic structure, than one committed to the pursuit of God’s glory.
Yet, not six years ago, I voluntarily associated myself with this denomination.
There are lots of reasons why I am a Presbyterian in a generic sense, not necessarily PCUSA, but Presbyterian in general. The first church which shared the Gospel with me was a Presbyterian one. I was first hired as a campus minister in a Presbyterian church. I met my wonderful wife and co-worker in a Presbyterian church. I am attracted to Presbyterian form and order, to its worship styles and to its intellectual orientation. The theology and teachings of God and the Gospel as found in historic Presbyterianism are, in my opinion, the truest expression of biblical truth. All of these are important for me on some level; however, as a minister, I am committed to Presbyterianism for one main reason alone—my own sinfulness.
The Presbyterian system is one of a number of church structures which appears to have some biblical support. But what is unique about the Presbyterian structure is the control, the check-and-balance aspect, which it brings to its ministers. Unlike other church systems, as a Presbyterian minister, I function under the authority and guidance of other groups—the session on a local level, and other ministers and elders on a “higher” level. It is through their direction and supervision that my ministry takes place. Theoretically, I count on them to curb my own theological inadequacies, inaccuracies, and selfish, sinful decisions. It is their responsibility to keep me from forming a “personality-cult-of-Henry,” or something ridiculous like that.
I say “theoretically,” because, unfortunately, in our present Presbyterian denomination, no one assumes any responsibility for theological correction or discipline for its pastors. What the PCUSA should be doing—protecting the theological integrity of its pastors’ ministries—they have abandoned in favor of “theological diversity.” Our denomination has become so “inclusive” that there is now no exercise of discipline or authority on its pastors.
Nevertheless, my own susceptibility to sin, my own tendency to build my own “kingdom,” my own proneness to error, demands that I be involved in a system that is aware of the dangers of sin—a system which protects the people entrusted to my pastoral care from my own failings. A Presbyterian-like system.
By God’s grace, our current Presbyterian denomination is not the only one; there are other Presbyterian denominations out there where we can find that biblical/theological integrity and pastoral accountability that is so important to the furthering of God’s Kingdom—all for the praise of His glory.
And that is why I am a Presbyterian.
Henry