First of a Series of Informative Statements

This is the first of a series of informative statements intended to
communicate the current issues within the Presbyterian Church (USA). 

Basic Beliefs Taught at FPC & Historically Held
by Presbyterians:

All Scripture is God-breathed, inspired by the living and unchanging God.  It is the authoritative and infallible witness for our faith and how we are to live our lives.  The Bible is the record of the divine revelation of God and, as such, it points humankind to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

Christ Jesus is God incarnate, God in human form.  He is fully God and fully human, sent of God to reconcile humanity with God.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no person comes to the Father but by faith in Him.  Only as a result of God's grace alone through faith in Jesus does one receive salvation and eternal life.  He is to be Lord of every aspect of our lives.

The Holy Spirit is God, and as a gift of the risen Christ, is the power who teaches us what is the mind of Christ, pours the love of God into our hearts, empowers our new life in Christ, and motivates and equips us for discipleship and service.  The intimacy of the relation of Christ and the Spirit in the New Testament is such that a test of the authenticity of the presence of the Spirit is whether it enables the confession "Jesus is Lord" (1 Cor. 12:3).(1)

The Trinity is a self-expression of God, expressed in the form of  God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  It is by these names, their characteristics, and their work, as described in Scripture, that God chooses to make Himself known to the world.  God's nature does not and has not changed from that presented in Scripture nor has He revealed any other names by which He desires to be known.

(1) Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding, page 171

Persons of leadership within the Presbyterian Church are to be held to the high standards of personal behavior as demonstrated by the teachings within Scripture.  Additionally, their theology is to be commensurate with that of "Reformed Theology". *

Examples of How the PC(USA) has abandoned
These Basic Beliefs:

Many in leadership positions within the PC(USA) struggle with or even deny the authority of Holy Scripture, saying it is not relevant to today's world view.  Instead they prefer to "listen for the Word of God" rather than "listen to the Word of God".  They seek to modify moral standards of how to live a holy life as taught in Scripture, insisting on individual autonomy when making moral judgments.  One's conscience and experience have become the ultimate authority.

Under the Peace, Unity, and Purity (PUP) recommendations approved by General Assembly (GA) in 2006, each session and Presbytery can determine what are essential elements of faith and leadership.  We no longer share a biblically based national standard for our theology.  And under PUP ordination standards that call for "fidelity in marriage" and "chastity in singleness" are now optional.

GA in 2006 received a controversial report on the Trinity, which advocates using metaphors for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These include Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child, and Life-Giving Womb; Rainbow of Promise, Rock of Salvation, and Dove of Peace; Sun, Light, and Burning Ray.

The 1993 ReImagining God Conference was primarily funded by the PC(USA) and one of its principal planners was a PC(USA) staff member.  Many of the conference leaders deny the atoning work of Jesus Christ and introduced an alternative to Jesus - a goddess named Sophia.  Such conferences have been held every five years since 1993 and have included such things as a milk and honey "communion" service.

*As expressed in these 5 "solas":
sola Scriptura:  Scripture alone as the infallible authority for belief 
solus Christus:  Christ alone as the means of God's saving grace
sola gratia:  Grace alone as the only way to be reconciled to God
sola fide:  Faith alone as the only means of receiving God's grace
soli Deo gloria:  The glory of God alone as our ultimate purpose for life

Second of the Series of Informative Statements

This is the second of a series of informative statements intended to communicate the current issues within the Presbyterian Church (USA).   

Can TWO FAITHS Embrace ONE FUTURE?

  Summary: The Presbyterian Church (USA) is in crisis!  It has for several decades attempted to meld substantially different theological convictions regarding what Presbyterians are to believe and how we are to live.  It now touts a new principle called "inclusiveness and diversity".  The results: internal fighting between two major theological factions, substantial loss of PC(USA) membership, and projection of a false witness to the world.

Presbyterian Pluralism:  Two faiths are attempting to exist in the PC(USA).  In 2001, the PC(USA) created a Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity (PUP) to examine the causes of  distress and to prescribe appropriate remedies.  The results are in.  PUP essentially proposed a political solution to a theological problem.  The approved report establishes "local options" permitting every session and Presbytery to determine for itself what is an essential theological viewpoint in matters of faith and behavior.  In effect it establishes simultaneous support of both conservative/orthodox and progressive theological perspectives which has all along been the cause of  PC(USA)'s crisis.  Jesus said:  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

Practical Issues:  Practically speaking, no solution that supports divergent theological beliefs can bring peace to the PC(USA).  Consequently, there will always be continued conflicts in such areas as ordination standards, what missions to support and how to address societal issues.

The issue before us is clear: Two faiths cannot embrace one future.  Scripture challenges us to remain faithful and make critical choices.  There is no way to avoid choosing.

What Has FPC Done to Attempt Reform of PC(USA)?

Over the past seven years FPC elders and pastors have been intentionally and intensely involved in local and national efforts in a desire to bring change and reform within the PC(USA).  Such efforts included:

• Sending voting commissioners to General Assembly
• Being active in renewal groups at the national level
  - Confessing Churches
  - New Wineskins Association of Churches*
  - The Coalition (of Reform Groups)
  - Presbyterians for Reform
  - The Presbyterian Lay Committee
  - Evangelical Pastors and Elder Network
• Holding offices at Presbytery and Synod levels
  - Committee on Ministry
  - Committee on Preparation for Ministry
  - Nominating Committee
  - General Council of the Presbytery
  - Synod Commissioners & task team members
• Leading efforts at Presbytery to establish conservative theological policies and positions (only to have them declared unconstitutional by a church judicial body)
• Both giving and withholding per capita (neither worked)
• For the past three years FPC's session has been in a "season of discernment", having studied the issues, spent hours in discussion and ardent prayer, and communicated with many other reform-oriented churches nationwide.

Nationally, attempts at reformation have been met with rejection and at times hostility while judiciary rulings have overwhelmingly gone in favor of the more progressive perspective.  Locally our pastors and elders have met with open and serious hostility on numerous occasions.  Reform appears impossible.

* Described in next week's Bulletin insert (newwineconvo.com)

Third of a Series of Informative Statements

This is the THIRD of a series of informative statements intended to communicate the current issues within the Presbyterian Church (USA).

The New Wineskins Association of Churches

Need for a "New Thing": The passage of the "Peace, Unity, and Purity" (PUP) report and papers on the doctrine of The Trinity as well as the "Louisville Papers" clearly indicate that the old theological and missional "wineskin" of PC(USA) has ruptured.  Consequently it has become evident that any attempt at renewal will not be embraced by the present structure/leadership of the PC(USA) despite such efforts by FPC and many other reform-oriented churches nationwide.  It was thus out of concern for this present unfaithfulness and future ineffectiveness of the PC(USA) that the "New Wineskins Association of Churches" (NWAC) and its plan for a "new thing" has evolved.

New Wineskins Initiative: The "New Wineskins" initiative began as an attempt in early 2000 to reform the PC(USA) from within.  The concern over the theological division and missional deterioration of the PC(USA) was at the heart of the efforts of dedicated pastors that gathered, prayed, and began to formulate a "new thing" for the PC(USA).  As their efforts flourished over the next six years it became obvious that reform from within PC(USA) was not possible nor was it feasible to form another Reformed branch of the Presbyterian church.  Their efforts were then re-directed at providing a means in which all interested churches could meet and help develop this "new thing".  This became known as the "New Wineskins Association Churches"  (NWAC).  Today it includes more than 170 churches nationwide.

New Wineskins Association of Churches (NWAC):  Any church within the PC(USA) can become a member of NWAC without disassociating with PC(USA).  In fact FPC is already a member of NWAC.  NWAC provides reform-oriented churches a means of joining together for collaboration in defining the constitution (doctrinally, missionally, and legislatively) of this "new thing".

NWAC and EPC Joint Efforts:  The established, yet still evolving, NWAC plan calls for churches like FPC to align themselves with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in an effort to fulfill our mutual vision of becoming a Reformed, missionally oriented branch of the Presbyterian denomination.  Working as partners, both NWAC and EPC churches will strive toward defining this missionally faithful "new thing".

EPC Presbytery:  The EPC, formed in 1981, is a Reformed branch of the Presbyterian denomination.  In June of 2007, EPC, at its General Assembly, created a transitional, non-geographical presbytery to house those churches that wish to re-affiliate (i.e., move from the PC(USA) branch to the EPC branch of the Presbyterian denomination) near-term.  This new EPC presbytery is referred to as "NWEPC".

Non-geographical, Transitional Presbytery: NWEPC is non-geographical in that all churches choosing to re-affiliate with EPC will become members of this one nationwide presbytery.  It is also transitional in that NWAC and EPC churches will have up to five years to develop a mutually acceptable constitution.  Depending on the outcome of that five-year collaboration, EPC churches can then either join the NWAC (effectively forming a new evangelical missional branch of Reformed Presbyterianism) or NWAC may decide to permanently join the EPC denomination.
         The NWEPC presbytery is self-governing under the NWAC Constitution.  For example, it has authority to ordain, install, receive and dismiss pastors and to plant churches.  Each NWEPC church owns its own property and will elect and ordain elders and deacons from its own congregational members.

Missional Structure: NWAC member churches envision that the most effective way for shared ministry and mission to take place will be through networks of close, covenantal relationships between groups of 3-8 churches that share a common proximity and/or    ministry context.  This form of connectional structure will thus exist to support and serve the local church in its kingdom ministry, not the other way around.

The NWEPC is an effort to articulate and live out that new vision for the future to which we believe God is calling congregations within the PC(USA).

FOURTH OF A SERIES OF INFORMATIVE STATEMENTS

This is the fourth of a series of informative statements intended to communicate the current issues within the Presbyterian Church (USA).  

Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)

Facts

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) is a branch of the Presbyterian family tree.  The motto of the EPC is "In Essentials, Unity.  In non-Essentials, Liberty.  In all Things, Charity."  The Office of the General Assembly is located in Livonia, Michigan near Detroit.  Prior to 2006 there were 180 churches representing about 70,000 (estimated) members. However, since the passage of PUP, 25 ex-PC(USA) churches have joined the EPC and dozens more are planning on doing so over the next year.

History

The EPC began in the fall of 1980 and spring of 1981 when a group of pastors met for planning and prayer. They came from the United Presbyterian Church (northern churches) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (southern churches).  These leaders had become increasingly distressed by the progressive views expressed within their denomination on essential faith tenets.   They envisioned a church that took seriously the words of scripture and was truly evangelical and truly Presbyterian.

What Does the EPC Believe?

God: Believes in One God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus: God who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth.  He who is true God became true man, died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.  On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Mediator.

Holy Spirit: Has come to Glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts.  He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior.  Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service.  He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.

Salvation: Being separated from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God's grace.  God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifying them in His sight.  Only such as are born of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus Christ become children of God and heirs of eternal life.

Scripture: Is the infallible Words of God and is a complete and unified witness to God's redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks.

The True Church: Is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ.  The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the sacraments are administered in their integrity; where scriptural discipline is practiced, and where loving fellowship is maintained.

The Great Commission: The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations.  Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to Christ.  He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service.

FPC's  Plan

To join the EPC and be part of a non-geographical Presbytery of the New Wineskins Association of Churches.

For more information, visit the EPC website at www.epc.org