NR #1995-045: For Immediate Release Leading PCA Denominational Figures Meet, Consider Strategy Against Concerned Presbyterians and Other "TR's" by Frank Smith, Editor, PCA News with local reports from Birmingham, Alabama Distributed by United Reformed News Service BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 25, 1995) PCA/N - About 100 men, mostly ministers, gathered at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama on April 21 to hear a PCA Vision update on the state of the church. According to a letter sent on March 8, 1995, by host pastor Rev. Frank Barker, "Our PCA Vision group has been meeting annually for several years to talk about how we can help our denomination reach the goals of the PCA Vision 2000 Statement... We also try to look at impediments and how to overcome them." After opening worship and a message from the Word from Rev. Henry Lewis Smith, stated clerk of the Presbytery of Southeast Alabama, the group heard reports on a number of PCA institutions and denominational committees. Rev. Tom Cheeley, associate pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, reported on Mission to the World; Interchurch Relations Committee chairman Rev. Ric Perrin reported on his committee's work; Rev. Andy Silman of First Presbyterian Church of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, reported on Mission to North America; Covenant Theological Seminary president Dr. Bryan Chappell reported on his institution; and Elder Bob Cannada of First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi reported on Reformed Theological Seminary. During Perrin suggested that the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was helping to turn the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC) in a more legalistic and narrow direction. Next on the agenda was discussion of General Assembly issues. Rev. Roy Taylor, faculty member of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, spoke of the controversy surrounding the "Chen Case" that was decided by last year's Assembly, in which the Assembly refused to allow a local church to discipline a man who had left his congregation but not yet transferred to another church. Several presbyteries have asked the Assembly to have an open discussion regarding the principles enunciated in that decision. Taylor stated that those pushing these overtures misunderstood the judgment of the case. In the first place, according to Taylor, the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), on which he serves, merely recommended that the church remove the names of the Chens from the roll. Secondly, he said that there was confusion over the weight of judicial decisions - that they did not change the constitution of the church. Third, he said that there was confusion over the nature of the visible church - that the kingdom of God is larger than the institutional church. According to Taylor, underlying the controversy are conflicting views of judicial process. His sense is that 75 percent of the cases adjudicated by the SJC should not come before that body. It is not that he believes that people do not have a legal right to appeal or complain to the SJC, but that reasonable Christian charity and common sense should prevail in most cases. Judicial process should be the last, not the first, resort, according to Taylor. Regarding Overture 7 from Potomac Presbytery, authored by Rev. David Coffin, chairman of the Assembly's Ad Interim Committee on Judicial Procedure, Taylor stated that the effect of the three Book of Church Order amendments proposed by the overture would be to deny the ability of a local church session to remove people from the church roll non-judicially. Taylor said that the passage of these amendments would remove the PCA from a "grassroots up" church to a "top down" handling of matters, and would change the judicial process. One of the ruling elders present stated that he was in the minority on the Ad Interim Committee on Judicial Procedure, and that he and two others were being outvoted by the other four on the committee. "They're trying to tear down what we built... [and] rewrite the book of discipline," said the elder. He expressed his opinion that there were three groups in the PCA. The majority group consisted of people who founded the denomination. Lots of people do not understand the issues, he said, but they trust the leaders. These folks want things to remain as "we founded it," but they are ignorant and they do not study the issues. The second group was composed of those who conscientiously want a more hierarchical church, that of a "top down" structure. Representative of this view is Coffin. The third group was characterized as being the "legalists," including theonomists and strict subscriptionists. The speaker thought that each of the latter two groups probably had five percent representation in the Assembly. He also stated that Coffin's position is an assault on the provisions of BCO 14-7, which states that judicial decisions are binding only on the parties to a case. He urged those assembled to "try to encourage - entice - someone to move disbanding the Ad Interim Committee." Coffin, although not a member of the Concerned Presbyterians organization which has led much of the recent criticism of trends in the PCA, is generally considered a "TR" - a nickname for conservatives who view themselves as "truly Reformed" in such matters as doctrine, worship, and church government. After lunch, there was discussion regarding the tension in the PCA. One answer was to worship together and engage in prayer with people of different persuasions. Perrin, speaking of the potential worldwide leadership that the PCA could exercise, said that "we need a new vision to capture our focus." "People who want to quibble would not have an audience and would begin to drop by the way," said Perrin. Other sentiments heard included the following: * "Not everyone's going to like us; and eventually they will leave us. We want a Gospel-driven church." * "It's hard to concentrate on unifying elements when a vocal minority causes our concentration on disunifying elements; this is distracting us from the mission of the church." * [To those on the other side, we need to say:] "'We love you. If you can't be submissive to the Lord and to the brethren, pack up and go.' Wilson Benton, in his sermon at Columbia, S.C. [as retiring Moderator in 1993], said that." Barker noted the mindset that used to say once we get the BCO just right, revival will come. "They will not voluntarily leave," said Barker, referring to the other two groups. "They feel called to reform the PCA according to their vision." There was the felt need of "proactively stating who we are." Another participant thought that "stating who we are will not help. They [the conservatives] will seek further reform by rewriting the BCO. We want no more of this talk, but [let's] get on with the Gospel." Taylor called for a defeat of the Coffin amendments. Coffin's group was identified as the "polity" group, while former PCA stated clerk Dr. Morton H. Smith's group was called the "theology" group. Cannada stated, "the understanding that we had when we organized the PCA, and so far as we know, this was unanimous, there was no disagreement, to this concept: we're forming a denomination in which we are drawn together and will be held together by what we believe and what we stand for and not by force or coercion." "The intent was to embody this concept in the Book of Church Order by, among other things, referring to the denomination as a voluntary association," said Cannada. "That the power of the church courts was to be exclusively spiritual and that this thought was expressed in the Book of Church Order in five or six places. That the spiritual power translates into what we would term pastoral relationships." Perrin noted that "we've confronted [the conservatives], but not head-on. The Chen issue is one of these [head-on issues]." Others expressed their view that the conservatives are righteously feeling God-called and committed, and that they "will wear us down." That brought the response, "We've got to wear them out before they wear us out." In Barker's opinion, there are whole states and presbyteries controlled by "these men" (the conservatives), and that in those places, the PCA cannot make an impact. The result is no evangelism and stagnation. Although billed as an open meeting, not every PCA teaching elder within the driving radius received an invitation to attend. Many identifiable conservatives, for example, were apparently not invited. This policy is in sharp contrast with the meeting of Concerned Presbyterians held in March in Charlotte, in which all PCA ministers within a reasonable distance were sent specific invitations, without discrimination as to their theological views. Editor's Note: PCA News is an independent source of news on the Presbyterian Church in America operating under the auspices of Affirmation PCA, Somers, NY. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-023: Concerned Presbyterians Take Aim at Presbyterian Church in America Leadership, Vow Fight at June General Assembly #1994-058: NAPARC Admits New Denomination; Thanks God for Christian Reformed Decision Against Ordaining Women; Rev. Myung Doh Kim Becomes First Korean Chairman of North American Prebyterian and Reformed Council; Reformed Church in the United States Admitted Amidst Strong Criticism of Alliance of Reformed Churches #1995-052: ANALYSIS: Dallas Gets Set for General Assembly of America's Second-Largest Presbyterian Denomination; Annual Meeting Slated to Convene Amidst Charged Atmosphere #1995-034: Retired PCA Stated Clerk Overtures General Assembly to Appoint Committee to Study Denominational Unrest Contact List: Rev. Frank Barker, Senior Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church 2200 Briarwood Way, Birmingham, AL 35243 * O: (205) 978-2200 * H: (205) 967-2201 Elder Bob Cannada c/o First Presbyterian Church, 1390 State St., Jackson, MS 39202 * O: (601) 353-8316 * FAX: (601) 973-9119 Dr. Bryan Chappell, President, Covenant Theological Seminary 12330 Conway Rd., St. Louis, MO 63141 * O: (314) 434-4044 * FAX: (314) 434-4819 Rev. Tom Cheeley, Associate Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church 3132 Dolly Ridge Dr., Birmingham, AL 35243-1813 * O: (205) 978-2213 * H: (205) 969-3511 Rev. David Coffin, Chairman, Interim Committee on Judicial Procedures 12622 Lake Normandy Lane, Fairfax, VA 22030 * O: (703) 354-9823 * H: (703) 631-0772 Rev. Donald Duff, Stated Clerk, North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council 614 Roberts Ave., Glenside PA 19038-3711 * O: (215) 956-0123 * H: (215) 887-4901 * FAX: (215) 957-6286 Rev. K. Eric (Ric) Perrin, Chairman, PCA Interchurch Relations Committee 703 Woodcreek Ct., Columbia, SC 29212 * O: (803) 772-1000 * H: (803) 781-7520 * FAX: (803) 772-1003 Rev. Andy Silman, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church 4901 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, MS 39402-1327 * O: (601) 268-0303 Dr. Frank Smith, Editor, PCA News Box 47, Somers, NY 10589-0047 * O: (914) 232-0546 * H: (914) 248-8776 * E-Mail: AffirmPCA@aol.com Rev. Henry Lewis Smith, Stated Clerk, Presbytery of Southeast Alabama PO Box 146, Prattville, AL 36067 * O: (205) 365-6387 Dr. Morton Smith, Former Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church in America 105 Connestee Trail, Brevard, NC 28712 * O: (803) 233-0726 * H: (704) 884-5212 Rev. Roy Taylor, Reformed Theological Seminary 5422 Clinton Blvd., Jackson, MS 39209 * O: (601) 922-4988 * H: (601) 366-1487 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-045.txt .