Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Some Voices of the PCUSA as it races to insignificance

From David Fischler’s blog:

The PCUSA has in effect chosen schism as well as heresy by passing Amendment 10-A. The denomination will just have to learn to live in the tiny ghetto it has moved into, along with the other dying mainline American churches.


From Viola Larson’s blog:
The San Francisco Theological Seminary has produced a document, “SFTS Inclusive Community Statement,” that directs students and faculty to “walk according to the course of this world” and to keep adding sin to sin. It promotes antinomianism which is heresy because it belittles the grace of God.


From Gary Miller’s blog:
I remember feeling, after every General Assembly I attended that no glory resulted. We brought vain glory to the wicked cause of the Libertines. We brought vain glory to those of who called ourselves Renewalist. The Libertines have won their battle to license sin.


From Mateen Elass’ blog:
By our action we have now alienated ourselves from the vast majority of our brothers and sisters around the globe. Already many of our sister Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in other parts of the world had warned us that they could no longer partner with us in mission should we take this step. Some of the same denominations informed us that in making this decision we would break fellowship with them because of our endorsement of homosexual behavior as normative while they remain convinced that it is a sin.


From my blog (Larry Wood):
The once influential PCUSA has lost more than half its members and continues to bleed members (last year we lost more than 60,000 members). The PCUSA has seen more than 150 local churches leave the denomination. Many more are sure to leave soon.  Contributions to the regional and national judicatories are shrinking annually. Many local churches simply refuse to fund the ultra-liberal higher governing bodies. Presbyteries spend enormous amounts of money to challenge in court the efforts of many local churches to leave the denomination with their property.  We have been relegated to a second rate, inconsequential church. Yes, there are many individual, local PCUSA congregations which are vibrant, growing and serving their communities, committed to the lordship of Christ and faithful to the Scriptures. It is the denomination that is suffering and at great risk.


(Note: I will post my thoughts on The Fellowship of  Presbyterians after its meeting in Minneapolis this week and include the thoughts of many other bloggers.)