Denominational Update

From the Pastor

Update on Denominational Issues

  1. The forum on the recent changes to our denomination’s ordination policy has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 26 during the Sunday School hour.  I will give a presentation on what actually was changed and on what it means for our church and for our denomination.

  2. At its May meeting, the Session adopted the following guiding principles for how we will move forward in response to the changes in the ordination standards:

  • Our response should not be hasty or emotional, but rather well-considered and above all else prayerful.

  • Our response, in so far as it is possible, should be determined within the connectional polity of historic Presbyterianism.  In other words, in so far as possible, we should seek to be in conversation with other like-minded congregations and structures in our Presbytery and throughout the PCUSA; and therefore also to act in concord with these congregations and structures.  We should avoid, if possible, acting apart from the connectional nature of our Presbyterian heritage.

  • Our response should be shaped by the historic experiences of the Christian church, and of the Reformation churches in particular, as they dealt with wrong practices and doctrines within the church in their own day.

  1. On June 7, a majority of the Presbyteries in our denomination had voted in favor of a new Form of Government, which will now take effect in July along with the new ordination standard (the new ordination standard will be part of the Form of Government).  The Form of Government is the heart of our Book of Order, the constitutional guidelines concerning everything from what a Session does to how to call a pastor.  This is a major change.  Having this change now added to the confusion and debate surrounding the change in ordination standards has raised the level of uncertainty and concern even higher.  For the record, your pastors and elder representatives voted against the new Form of Government – but not so much because we thought it was a bad Form of Government, but because we didn’t believe the timing was right for such a major change.  The new Form of Government will need careful study going forward, but I do not believe it will prove as troubling as the change in ordination standards.

  2. At my suggestion, our Presbytery has begun a series on informal discussions about the issues in our denomination and about how best our Presbytery, as well as our individual churches, can respond.  Two discussion groups are currently meeting.  The group that I am participating in includes senior pastors from 1st Greenville, 1st Spartanburg (our Presbytery’s two largest congregations), as well as several other mid-size and small congregations.  I believe these discussions will prove extremely useful going forward.

  3. The Session and pastoral staff continue to monitor discussions within various renewal groups in our denomination regarding the next steps to take.  The truth is, most of these groups were caught somewhat flat-footed by the vote to change the ordination standards.  No one really thought these changes would be approved this time around.  So many of the renewal groups are just now starting to get geared up in response to the vote.

  4. Which really describes where most churches are right now.  Because the change in ordination standards was actually to create a “local option” regarding the standards for ordination, as opposed to creating a new universal standard, churches and presbyteries are struggling to comprehend just exactly what all this is going to mean.  Please continue to pray for your church officers, pastors, our Presbytery, and the PCUSA.

  5. Let me close by reiterating what I said from the pulpit the Sunday after the new ordination standard was passed:  that while the change in ordination standards marks a significant change in our denomination’s polity, it does not and will not change Easley Presbyterian Church.  We will continue to be a congregation that seeks to uphold the authority of the Word of God for the life and practice of the church and its members.  We will continue to be a congregation that seeks to manifest the grace of Jesus Christ in response to human brokenness.  And we will continue to be a congregation that earnestly seeks to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism).

Dr. Seel