Even though denominations are a significant reality in the church around the world and have been for centuries, there is not a widespread understanding of them and how they might fit within the church. Several years ago, members of the Office of Theology & Worship of the Presbyterian Mission Agency had a conversation with a Lutheran theologian and professor of theology. Eventually the conversation turned to the subject of denominations. Ruefully, the professor commented that while he felt confident teaching his students about many theological concepts, when it came to denominations, he had nothing to offer his students. My own theological education was the same. When denomination as a reality in the church was mentioned, it was dismissed.
There has been a painful gap between our lack of theological understanding of denominations and the reality in which we live. Most of the professor’s students would find their way to ministries within denominations. Their professor acknowledged he was unable to provide them with a theological understanding of the denominations in which they would carry out their ministries. The same was true for me. But it is possible to do better. And it matters that we have some insight into how denominations (and especially our denomination) fit into our understanding of the church.
A denomination is formed as a group of Christians together seek to live their faith in Jesus Christ in one of the ways that Christian faith can be lived out, because there is more than one faithful way for each of us as an individual to be a follower of Jesus Christ and more than one faithful way to shape a shared life together. We affirm this in the Foundations section: “The presbyterian system of government in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is established in light of Scripture but is not regarded as essential for the existence of the Christian Church nor required of all Christians” (F-1.0402). The Presbyterian “system” is a faithful way to live out faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the claim we make by existing as a distinct denomination among other denominations. At the same time, we acknowledge that there are other ways as well. To be Presbyterian in the PC(USA) way (for there are other presbyterian denominations) is to choose in favor of one particular way of living out the faith together.
Where such a choice is made, there is a need to be able to explain what has been chosen and why. We need to be able to articulate key elements of our choice to live out the Christian faith together in our distinct way. In typically presbyterian fashion, we are constantly articulating those key elements — revising the Book of Order, considering amending the Book of Confessions, writing a new confessional statement. The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity section provides insights to help us do so. The Foundations section acknowledges this directly: “The statements contained in [the Foundations section] describe the ecclesiological and historical commitments on which the polity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rests” (F-3.03).
Chapter One of the Foundations section traces the work of the Trinity in gathering, equipping and sending the church to join in God’s mission in the world. Chapter Two names key theological affirmations that identify the PC(USA) in increasingly specific ways, from the creeds that mark us as Christian, through confessions that identify us as Protestant, to the confessions that express our belonging in and commitment to the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition. Chapter Three begins to connect our theological convictions to the concrete ways we live out those convictions.
For Reflection:
- What do you find distinctive about our denomination?
- How do those distinctives show up in your congregation and other PC(USA) congregations you may know?
Barry Ensign-George is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has served as a pastor in Iowa and at the denominational level in the Office of Theology & Worship.
Throughout 2025, monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles will focus on the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity as included in our Book of Order. Ruling elders can benefit from these reflections as they consider their own ministries and call to serve as leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
© 2025 Barry Ensign-George
No comments:
Post a Comment