Our Denomination’s Biggest Threat — SHALLOW RELATIONSHIPS? Yes!

One of the heroes of my faith is preachin’ it in this interview over at byFaith:

So many great points, but listen to just a few:

“The PCA’s polity, history, and present practice allow us to be independent of one another. ‘We can admit people into our presbyteries,’ Duncan says, ‘but we never have to cooperate with them; we never have to work shoulder-to-shoulder with them.’ As a result there’s no cause to think about other churches and pastors until we become suspicious of their opinions or their approach to ministry.

A second factor, Duncan says, is that, ‘We don’t realize how hard it is to cultivate unity.’ We work hard at doctrinal fidelity and missional focus. But not at cultivating unity. Unity doesn’t just happen, Duncan says. It has to be intentionally nurtured. ‘And that’s something the PCA has lacked.’

There are, Duncan believes, signs of encouragement. ‘I see more of a concern for unity than I’ve seen in the last 15 to 20 years,’ he told byFaith. But unity requires a personal investment. You’ve got to get to know people, and there’s not time for that, he said. But, ‘I’ve found that it’s hard to think the worst of somebody you like.’ We need to know one another, Duncan believes. ‘Then we’d like one another, and I think even our disagreements would be more profitable.’ We’d engage the tough issues ‘in an iron-sharpening-iron way …’ rather than slinging mud.

More people in the PCA, especially teaching elders and ruling elders, must cultivate unity the same way they cultivate doctrinal fidelity. Otherwise, Ligon Duncan believes, we’re going to have trouble with every difficult issue.”

I only wish he had mentioned The Biblical Conflict Resolution Appendix to the PCA Book of Church Order (Appendix I on page 223). It seems like it would’ve been a perfect fit for his (excellent!) article.

Continuing to pray for everyone at General Assembly this week—

Yours,
Tara B.