An Open Letter to the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Many of you know of my experience. I was born, baptized, confirmed, and ordained in the United Presbyterian Church (USA) which in 1983 became the Presbyterian Church (USA).

I have served at various levels in 8 different congregations, 5 different presbyteries, as well as at the national level in the Worldwide Ministries Division.

I have held 4 different pastorates and served internationally in three different countries, with 6 different international partners, all three times serving as the PC(USA)’s delegate to the international partners’ respective General Assemblies.

At the Presbytery level I have served as a member of and/or moderator of the following committees: Mission and Stewardship Interpretation, Youth and Young Adult, Committee on Ministry, Committee on Preparation For Ministry, and Nominating Committee as well as on two different Presbytery’s General Councils. Likewise I have served on two different presbytery’s administrative committees to develop their respective gracious separation policies and later with Administrative Teams to walk three congregations through their discernment processes.

While I have not been asked for my opinion on the matters before any congregation at this time, I nevertheless feel compelled to share my perspective with you, based on the above mentioned experience.

Theological issues began to come to the forefront around 1967 when the, then, UPCUSA discarded the Westminster Confession of Faith as the sole definitive confession. Theological drift from the roots of Presbyterian and reformed theology has been, since that time, clearly evident to many. More recently (2010) a group arising out of the Presbyterians for Renewal group began formal discussions over the growing denominational disputes over theology and bureaucracy. In 2011 these were formalized and from that grew the most recent in a long line of splits within the Presbyterian tradition, the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO).

All of these denominational splits have reflected the concern to adhere to “the faith once and forever delivered to the saints” described in Jude 1:3. This is the same faith described in A.W.Tozer’s famous quote:

“There is a great decision that every denomination has to make sometime in the development of its history. Every church also has to make it either at its beginning or a little later—usually a little later. Eventually every board is faced with the decision has to keep making it, not by one great decision made once for all, but by a series of little decisions adding up to one great big one. Every pastor has to face it and keep renewing his decision on his knees before God. Finally, every church member, every evangelist, every Christian has to make this decision. It is a matter of judgment upon that denomination, that church, that board, that pastor, that leader and upon their descendants and spiritual children.

The question is this: Shall we modify the truth - in doctrine or in practice - to gain more adherents? Or shall we preserve the truth - in doctrine and in practice - and take the consequences?

I believe that this is where the Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations now stand in any and all current discussions regarding separation. The fact of the matter, contrary to what you may be hearing, is that it is the very denominations which have embraced the LGBTQIA++ agenda have dwindled in membership and in respect on the world stage. PC(USA)’s own membership numbers have fallen from a height of 4.5 million in the mid 1960’s to less than one million (projected numbers for 2025) due to the increasingly liberal agendas. The dissolution of the Worldwide Ministries Division of the denomination is a direct result of decreased support for the denomination not just in mission but across the board due to the hemorrhaging of members. And the losses will continue as the denomination continues to make clear its position and has adjudicated such in church courts: that the PC(USA) believes that the Bible is not the inspired, infallible Word of God, that Jesus is not the only way to salvation, that sexual sin is an acceptable practice within the church and amongst leaders of the church, and other such matters.

I have made it clear to those who have asked:

1. The PC(USA) congregations in Pennsylvania (and other states) do not hold the church in trust for the Presbyterian Church (USA) in spite of the denominational claims in the Book of Order. This has been adjudicated in courts in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and elsewhere and are attested to nationally by such nationally recognized property law firms as Taylor Porter https://www.taylorporter.com/practice-area/real-estate-property/church-property-law/ which defends congregations in these matters, in many cases pro bono. Congregations neither need to consult with their presbytery, nor pay to be released from such an obligation. Most PC(USA) congregations have never directly assented to such a trust, which the law requires be done to formalize such a trust. Such congregations as the Mt. Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh have shown such to be the case, by simply walking away, from what was once the largest Presbytery in the PC(USA).

2. The LGBTQIA++ agenda is neither biblically defensible, nor is it morally acceptable. What scripture clearly condemns, believers are warned not to endorse. Virtually every denomination which has endorsed this agenda has seen it’s ranks decimated (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Church USA, United Methodist Church, etc.) And  most denominations which have refused this agenda or which have split off from these denominations have seen growth numerically, missiologically, and financially (Presbyterian Church in America, Presbyterian Church, Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO), Anglican Realignment, etc. To compromise in order to receive the social acceptance of the community would destroy the very integrity of the witness to Christ within the community.

3. A recent visit with the Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, a 4.5 million member former partner with the PC(USA), shows the future for PC(USA)’s international relationships. The Sec'y Gen'l shared with me on our visit to his office in Nairobi (Feb, 2025), that the PC(USA) Los Ranchos Presbytery partnership committee informed him that the Presbyterian Church (USA) had severed their relationship with the PCEA due, in large part, to their refusal to adopt LGBTQIA++ standards and their refusal to act as a conduit for PC(USA) money to advance the LGBTQIA++ agenda on behalf of PC(USA) in Uganda. He showed me a letter formally informing him of this unilateral action.

4. My own relationship with the PC(USA) was severed in response to the PC(USA)’s declaration that my position on these matters was not in accord with the denominational stance and that they would seek to suspend me in ministry and to reeducate me (over a 2 year period of time) requiring my faith to align with the Book of Order over the Biblical standards.

In short, the PC(USA) which, for decades, billed itself as “big tent” ecumenical denomination has made it clear that disagreement with it’s standards on LGBTQIA++ issues will not be tolerated in its partners, nor in its leadership, from deacons and elders, to pastors and staff members. There are movements afoot in Amendments to the Constitution circulating in presbyteries to this effect even now. The handwriting is on the wall. The question is whether or not the leadership and membership of the congregation will side with the clear Biblical principles involved and entrust, by faith, the congregation’s future to the Lord, or will they jettison the Biblical principles for the sake of social acceptance.

In summary, I encourage Sessions to take note of their congregation’s input, but to ultimately defer to the biblical standards on these issues. Ultimately the souls of Presbyterian congregations are at stake and the Lord will not hold harmless or guiltless those who defy His word.

Those who love me will obey my commands. - Jesus

The Sweet Connection

 

So having pontificated, enumerated, elaborated, fulminated, explicated, elucidated, and otherwise commentated on my twisted understanding of the word "mission" I regress to the matter at hand.

Perhaps by now the reader has forgotten the quote of the day;

"There is a sweet connection and understanding 

that we don’t have with others."  

While it may sound a bit arrogant, there is a special connection between those who have engaged that international endeavor I refer to as mission.  It's an experience shared with complete strangers leading to:

• the ability to look at one's own culture in a far more objective fashion than those who have never spent extended times in other countries;

• the ability to appreciate, embrace, and laugh at strangeness while understanding the truly "strange one" is oneself;

•  the ability to appreciate true poverty being not just physical, economic or social, but spiritual; and
  

•  the ability to understand there really is no such thing as home this side of glory...

 just to name a few.

Missionaries look at life differently.  They do church differently.  They do life differently.  There is a strangeness to everything.  Convenience and comfort are seen to be the tragedy and the trap that they truly are.  Whining about the weather, or one's health, or politics, or one's neighbor is seen for what it is, petty.

And I think, in many cases, there is generated:

• an unquenchable longing within;
  

• a foreignness to every experience;

• a reassessment of the value of everything; and
  

• a desire to make a difference...

which won't be satiated this side of glory.

There is a glimmer in the eye when missionaries meet, particularly if they have been in service together, or in the same country, or field of work, or with the same or a similar organization.

It may be because we share experiences that few have.  It may be because we understand the confusion of life in general.  It may because we know the price so many pay for their faith in the countries in which we have served. I'm not sure exactly what it is. 

Whatever it is...

"There is a sweet connection and understanding 

that we don’t have with others." 

and a longing to make that connection as frequently as possible while knowing the connection to come will be even better, as we pray, Maranatha, Come Lord Jesus.

 

 

 

Suicide and trust issues...

The recent suicide of a young pastor in our area has become the focus of much prayer and deliberation by the congregations in our area.  The concern is:

"we as clergy and congregations are not doing as good a job of watching out for one another as we might..."We need to do better..."

The sense is that too many pastors feel isolated and unable to cope or to seek help.

The following is a personal reflection on this matter.

First, depression in ministry is a very real issue. Many pastors feel isolated, face a sanctuary pocketed with some individualistic, self-affirming, self-righteous congregants, and find little in the way of support.

Sometimes it can seem that every pew warming individual thinks they know better than the pastor what the pastor should be doing.  

Those people who shun witch doctors and home schooling, who seek out specialists for the heart conditions and lawyers for their legal issues, sometimes seem to think they know better than a trained professional cleric how the church should work. Those who cannot even state what their own denominational or congregational distinctives are, feel free to pontificate on what they believe ought to be seen as right and true in the church of Jesus Christ.  Those who can quote "Do not judge," most often haven't a clue what that means, or who talk about "love" but want to define for themselves what constitutes love...  

The reality of isolation also exists when pastors can't trust one another, when pastors are called on by the judicatory body (in my case the Presbytery) or by other staff to betray one another.  

In my case colleagues admitted, confidentially out of fear of retaliation, that they had been approached by other colleagues and Presbytery Staff to come alongside me to glean information about what may be happening in the congregation I served and to share that with others for admittedly nefarious reasons.  "Were the disagreements of a few parishioners, so disruptive to the congregation, that the pastor, with whom they disagreed, may be seen as fueling that disruption?"

Information, which was obtained by others in whom my confidence had been placed, was eventually used to carefully craft charges against me of disturbing the peace of the congregation... a charge which is apparently being used in several presbyteries (based on my conversation with four other PC(USA) colleagues, in four other presbyteries, who have had the same charges brought in the same fashion). It almost amounts to a theological cleansing of those who hold to the traditional fundamentals of the faith: the virgin birth of Christ, Christ’s vicarious atonement, Christ’s bodily resurrection, the reality of miracles, and the promise of Christ’s bodily return.  (It may be interesting to note for the reader that these "five fundamentals" were brought forth by the (then) northern branch of Presbyterianism as a reaction to the heresy of "modernism"). Read more here.

My personal sense is that it is not inappropriate for pastors to question whether or not other pastors are "there for them."  In my case, many I had come to trust, betrayed that trust, simply to curry favor with particular individuals who might advance their standing in the denomination.

As a result, both the integrity of that congregation and my personal reputation have been destroyed. The very structure that claimed to support the clergy is being used to destroy the ministries of those who dare to challenge the systemic failures of the structure.  

The deep and life threatening depression through which one may or may not successfully come can be the direct result of a betrayal of (so called) colleagues. 

As one former parishioner, John Shortridge, once counseled me, "be VERY careful whom you trust.  Take time to make friends. Test them. Guard your heart and your soul. And stay close to Jesus." I should have listened more carefully...

It's become my clarion call to those who dare to ask for my input:

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." [1Peter 5:8]

And that roaring lion can take the form of a denominational official, a colleague, a friend, or even a family member. 

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. [Ephesians 5:15-16]

Remember it was Judas who betrayed Jesus...

The answer, which is always the case? Jesus Christ alone in whom we can have complete trust! For those who have walked this road and come through that valley the Truth is:

10 Years of Mission...

 

A Look Back in Pictures...

 

Taking a Haitus to Work on the House

 See my other blogs to the right  ----->     ----->     ----->     ----->   

Difficult Decisions to Receive

One of the responsibilities I carried during our time in W. Africa was reviewing funding proposals for a particular disaster assistance funding program. This "Hunger Program" connected with Church World Service (which also connected with One Great Hour of Sharing). And so, in western Ghana, with machetes in hand and boots on the feet the 6 km (3.7 miles) trek to the Cocoa farm out in the bush begins… The coop's farmers were trying to demonstrate their need for a $1000 grant to buy 35 pairs of rubber boots for women in the co-op.

You see, not infrequently, the women who do most of the physical labor, are found along the path having fallen under their loads or having slipped in the mud because they can’t afford the $30.00 for a pair of rubber boots, and in some cases they may have broken limbs and may have waited a day or more for someone to come. This is the life of a cocoa farmer.

Today, along the way we see signs of illegal timbering and a small (3’ black Cobra).

Neither is a welcome sight. One, however, is more acceptable.

The snake moves quickly away. The trees will take 30-40 years to replace.

And finally, the payoff. A well managed and healthy cocoa farm almost 4 miles into the bush.  It was the only land this co-op, of close to 100 people, could afford.

Most of the initial processing will also be done in the bush.

The pods are split open and the cocoa beans are dug out (much like seeding a pumpkin), wrapped in banana leaves, buried, and left to ferment for several days in the bush. Then they are unwrapped and dried.  When dried they are bagged and carried to town where they may only be sold to the government at prices controlled by the government.

In an attempt to minimize production costs and maximize the minimal profit that may be made, farming cooperatives spring up.

In this case when they heard that a white man was coming who was more interested in learning about their cocoa farms, than their former gold coast setting over 100 people walked and traveled by public transport up to 12 kilometers to see if it was true...

 

Even the Chief showed up...

...and if you're wondering, the request was denied.  This was one of the hardest parts of the job, reporting back to the co-ops (or any applicant) that their request was denied.  No reason was given it was just denied.  This has left a chip on my shoulder for some of these offerings, because as I reviewed (and I always did) the programs that were supported, it always seemed to be the more radical, liberal, "social justice" bent requests that saw the money flow.  And I, and others, were left informing the applicants that folks in the US couldn't afford $1000 to buy 30 pair of rubber boots...