I am finally back from my summer roamings. I would like to share a few things with you about my time at the Orthodox Presbyterian General Assembly, which met in Tacoma, Washington July 9-16.
I agree with Steve’s blog, but let me add my own personal observations. Steve, Wayne Koch, and I went because: a) we as a session have been convicted that we need to be more active in the life of our Church. Presbyterianism is, after all, about connectionalism.
b) we are very concerned about the new Directory for Public Worship, and how it will turn out. We wanted to help strengthen its wording, but also to preserve Biblical freedom in the exercise of the priesthood of all believers in worship.
While our concerns did not always prevail, there was a very encouraging effort in the assembly to not bind the consciences of others like us who wanted more freedom. For instance, there was a strong move to require every congregation to have exactly the same membership vows, a move which ultimately failed.
The keynote sermon of the first evening, by last year’s moderator, warned the assembly, from Matt 16:18, that we are Christ’s Church, and that we dare not set manmade boundaries around Scripture to ensure orthodoxy and orthopractice. Amen!
I was surprised to learn that nationally the OPC and PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) seem to be drifting apart, with less effort from our denominations at increasing our unity and cooperation. The PCA delegate chided us for this in a warm and humble way. He received an unprecedented standing ovation, which I thought was one of the highlights of the week.
I was also thrilled to learn that our denomination is now working with the Presbyterian Church in Brazil, an 800,000 member Reformed Church that wants our help to strengthen its commitments to Scripture. We are working with them to bring the gospel to Uruguay. Brazil is larger than the USA, the fifth largest country in the world. What a privilege to partner with this group!
Personally I felt warmly welcomed after many years absent from GA. It was great to catch up with old friends at meals, and see what God was doing in their lives. Several urged CPC to continue to be active in the large church and strive together with them for the Gospel.
A couple final personal notes:
I went out two days early and stayed two days after because I had always wanted to explore a bit of the Pacific northwest. I hiked around Whidbey Island the two days before and explored Mt Rainier National Park and Point Deception the two days after. All were extremely enjoyable. Mt Rainier is awesome in its majesty: 14,410 feet high, within sight of the sea at its summit (no, I didn’t attempt to summit!). Point Deception is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen, both natural and cultivated garden beauty.
I apparently contracted food poisoning during GA, which laid me low for three days. So I missed much of the debates at GA. The Lord was kind in restoring my health just in time for the first of two trips up to Mt Rainier.
Having an apartment with Steve and Wayne was a great treat, which enabled us to enjoy a couple of relaxed times of sharing our lives and comparing notes and feelings about the assembly.
I am so glad we went. Thank you for sending us.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Promised Report on General Assembly
Once again I want to thank all of you folks at CPC for sending Allen, Wayne, and me to the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We belong to this denomination and it has been quite a while since one of us went as a delegate. I don't think we have ever sent three delegates.
I also thank you for your prayer support. God answered the prayers we had asked you to pray, and answered them powerfully. All three of us enjoyed safe travel to the west coast. We were able to share housing and have good times of fellowship and prayer together as we discussed the day's events.
I thought I would share a few of my personal highlights from the week.
I enjoyed being with men I have known for years, but have not seen since the last time I attended GA. The opportunity to share meals, to have conversations, and to learn about each others' ministries was very satisfying. Fellowship at the Assembly is important to the ongoing work of the church.
I also enjoyed seeing Nate Lee's dad. General Douglas Lee is a pastor in the PCA who also has served for many years as a chaplain. He has recently become the head of the Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Chaplains Commission. In that capacity he will lead the board that oversees all of our OPC chaplains, as well as those of several other sister denominations. He spoke to the combined Assembly. I know that he will do a great job in his new post.
We heard some very encouraging reports on the work being done to establish new churches in the US and around the world. The OPC is working as a denomination to establish churches in particular urban settings, including DC. We are continuing work in Haiti, Africa, and Japan, as well as starting a new mission in Uruguay. Jonathan Falk, who spoke at a recent Mission Month at CPC is now going to be leading the work to start churches in Uruguay.
One of the things that the three of us went to address is the Amended Proposed Revised Version of our denomination's Directory for Public Worship. This is a part of our constitutional documents and gives us guidance about how OPC churches structure their worship. The committee who is working on this has a tough job, and has been working on it for many years. We are now at the point where we are discussing and approving the APRV so that it can be approved by the Presbyteries and the finally put in force. We spoke to several issues that this revision raises. We also spoke to some topics where we have differences with the current and the revised Directories. The debates on the floor revealed that pastors in the OPC has some divergent views about how to conduct worship. There were some discussions that brought those differences starkly into focus. We wrestled with how to accommodate each other's views while being Biblically driven in what we do. The discussions will continue at next year's GA and I hope that we will have delegates from CPC in attendance.
I also believe, in line with the class on Stewardship that I taught this past year, that CPC has a stewardship with regard to our denomination. We have learned a lot of lessons in our ministry here. We can share those lessons, both in the fellowship we have with other pastors at GA, but also in the debates on the floor as we decide how to vote on the various motions at GA. We have a voice in our denomination, and I am glad that you sent us to this GA to speak.
If you have any questions about General Assembly, our denomination, worship, or something else related to this blog, feel free to get in contact with me at the church office.
Steve
I also thank you for your prayer support. God answered the prayers we had asked you to pray, and answered them powerfully. All three of us enjoyed safe travel to the west coast. We were able to share housing and have good times of fellowship and prayer together as we discussed the day's events.
I thought I would share a few of my personal highlights from the week.
I enjoyed being with men I have known for years, but have not seen since the last time I attended GA. The opportunity to share meals, to have conversations, and to learn about each others' ministries was very satisfying. Fellowship at the Assembly is important to the ongoing work of the church.
I also enjoyed seeing Nate Lee's dad. General Douglas Lee is a pastor in the PCA who also has served for many years as a chaplain. He has recently become the head of the Presbyterian and Reformed Joint Chaplains Commission. In that capacity he will lead the board that oversees all of our OPC chaplains, as well as those of several other sister denominations. He spoke to the combined Assembly. I know that he will do a great job in his new post.
We heard some very encouraging reports on the work being done to establish new churches in the US and around the world. The OPC is working as a denomination to establish churches in particular urban settings, including DC. We are continuing work in Haiti, Africa, and Japan, as well as starting a new mission in Uruguay. Jonathan Falk, who spoke at a recent Mission Month at CPC is now going to be leading the work to start churches in Uruguay.
One of the things that the three of us went to address is the Amended Proposed Revised Version of our denomination's Directory for Public Worship. This is a part of our constitutional documents and gives us guidance about how OPC churches structure their worship. The committee who is working on this has a tough job, and has been working on it for many years. We are now at the point where we are discussing and approving the APRV so that it can be approved by the Presbyteries and the finally put in force. We spoke to several issues that this revision raises. We also spoke to some topics where we have differences with the current and the revised Directories. The debates on the floor revealed that pastors in the OPC has some divergent views about how to conduct worship. There were some discussions that brought those differences starkly into focus. We wrestled with how to accommodate each other's views while being Biblically driven in what we do. The discussions will continue at next year's GA and I hope that we will have delegates from CPC in attendance.
I also believe, in line with the class on Stewardship that I taught this past year, that CPC has a stewardship with regard to our denomination. We have learned a lot of lessons in our ministry here. We can share those lessons, both in the fellowship we have with other pastors at GA, but also in the debates on the floor as we decide how to vote on the various motions at GA. We have a voice in our denomination, and I am glad that you sent us to this GA to speak.
If you have any questions about General Assembly, our denomination, worship, or something else related to this blog, feel free to get in contact with me at the church office.
Steve
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