A Detailed Account of the Reconvened Session of Overtures considering Overture 24
These Are My Recollections from inside the committee when they were called back to bring a recommendation to the Assembly. This is for the curious, and a simpler more general account of the whole process I am sharing elsewhere, but
this is for the procedural-minded:
After the Assembly sent the Overtures Committee
back, the debate was started by a motion that the Minority Report become
the majority recommendation of the committee. (Later someone
would insist we also must "vote to reconsider," though some of us
believed the action of the assembly did this, we voted on that to make
sure we were doing everything according to procedure.) Debate ensued
with a few people formerly in opposition voicing support to Overture 24
if it was cut down to 59-1, 59-2, and 59-3. But a few men voiced
continued opposition due to the content of 59-1 and 59-2. One elder
objected that the language of 59-1 was perhaps not sufficient for civil
disobedience. Another elder objected to 59-2 for its assumption that
Reformed ministers would necessarily be performing marriages (as in our
tradition some have said the church should not perform weddings, the
civil government only should). It seemed like they would be in the
minority to vote against it, but still a significant minority.
At this juncture, an elder introduced a substitute limiting the constitutional status just to
59-3, and retaining all the old language of the rest of the Chapter.
This was attractive to many who had wanted to retain the old language
because it was historic and had been useful to them.
A few members, including myself, still had opposition. I voiced
opposition to making just 59-3 constitutional because 59-1 as binding
had use for religious liberty and civil disobedience reasons. 59-2 was
also useful as binding due to the instructions on not marrying those
unequally yoked. And finally, those instructions in the BCO would be
important even if these are in the Westminster Confession of Faith,
because the BCO gives us our PRACTICE, and 59-3 at the time only
concerns belief (59-3 was merely a restatement of the WCF).
A final motion was made to amend 59-3 by an elder,
adding the line about restricting the practice of ministers who marry.
(he deftly worded it as “minister who solemnize marriage” so as to allow
that we may have ministers who refuse to perform weddings) A
short time of discussion followed, but soon an elder called all
questions before the house. We voted. The amendment about the practice
of ministers passed. Then the vote to make the substitute the main
motion passed. (at this point I voted yes, with the addition of the
sentence of practice and having been convinced by the speech of an elder
that this was not only what could pass on the floor, but also
presbyteries, and could be our overwhelming recommendation to the
Assembly). The Substitute of the now revised 59-3 became the main motion
and the vote was 104-1-1. One other note: without revealing identities,
I knew the man voting against it, and he formerly supported the
Minority Report, so I assume voted against the final because he did not
believe 59-3 was enough.
To close the session, it was suggested
and agreed we should sing the doxology. Another note, there exists a man
on Overtures with perfect harmony to the doxology that is indeed
goose-bump producing. This is not exhaustive, but as well as I can
remember.
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." - Jerome
Monday, June 18, 2018
Friday, January 27, 2017
Stop Worrying About Everything All At Once
Why engaging LESS in reading newspapers, watching TV news, and
flicking through Facebook posts may be one of the best things for your
soul:
"It is one of the evils of rapid diffusion of news that the sorrows of all the world come to us every morning. I think each village was meant to feel pity for its own sick and poor whom it can help and I doubt if it is the duty of any private person to fix his mind on ills which he cannot help. (This may even become an escape from the works of charity we really can do to those we know).
"It is one of the evils of rapid diffusion of news that the sorrows of all the world come to us every morning. I think each village was meant to feel pity for its own sick and poor whom it can help and I doubt if it is the duty of any private person to fix his mind on ills which he cannot help. (This may even become an escape from the works of charity we really can do to those we know).
A great many people...do now seem to think that the mere state of being
worried is in itself meritorious. I don't think it is. We must, if it
so happens, give our lives for others: but even while we're doing it, I
think we're meant to enjoy Our Lord and, in Him, our friends, our food,
our sleep, our jokes, and the birds song and the frosty sunrise." - C.S.
Lewis in a letter
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Francis of Assisi: Use Words, They are Necessary
Francis of Assisi is known for 3 things. A poem he likely didn't write, a love of animals that was likely oversold, and a saying he never said: “Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.” It is popular to quote this and attribute it to Francis of Assisi, but again, he never said it.
Francis,
in fact, would never have said something like that. Francis was a
traveling preacher who left his wealthy family's money behind to call
people to repentance. In the 1200s, the rulers and even clergy were
focused on the new mercantile economy and the race to gain wealth.
Francis preached the gospel of Jesus, and emphasized the treasure of
heaven and the temporariness of wealth on earth. And he used words.
Some
of his favorite words came from Christ:
“Blessed
are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are
you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are
you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people
hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name
as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap
for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their
fathers did to the prophets.
"But
woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe
to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you
who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe
to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did
to the false prophets.”
(Luke 6:20-26)
These
words emphasized that the rich and powerful are not those you should
envy. It is tempting to think that if you don't end up rich,
powerful, or famous, that you have not “arrived” and you have not
succeed in life. Christ instead speaks of a time to come, a reward
that is not here, but is to come.
Francis,
in his time, was sad over the wars that developed between the West
and Islamic State to the East. So he went to the Sultan al-Kamil to do something
bold: preach the gospel...with words. He spoke to the Sultan about
Christ who died and rose again, and whose riches were not of this
earth, but of greater value in forgiveness, peace with God, and
newness of life.
The
Sultan's advisers suggested beheading Francis for attempting to
convert the Sultan. But the Sultan took Francis aside and told him
that he was impressed that Francis cared for his soul. As a result,
within a year the Sultan negotiated peace with the West.
But the
Sultan told Francis that he could not convert. It would cost him his
throne and his life. The heavenly treasure cost an earthly treasure he was not willing to pay. When Francis left, the Sultan asked Francis to pray
for him. Francis' words made him pause, and he said he wanted Francis
to pray that he would be shown the truth.
The
lesson of Francis is not silent preaching, but the power of words.
Words can cause our grip on mere things to be loosened. Words can
bring peace to a war. And words of the good news can deliver us from
this world, to the next. Follow the example of Francis. Preach the
Gospel. And use words, they're necessary.
Much
Love in Christ,
Pastor
Jared Nelson
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
A Note Regarding Rejecting "White Privilege" in the Church Race Conversation
To follow up with more detail about my
particular problem with the idea of “white privilege” being used in the
ecclesiastical conversation.
My particular problem with the term "white privilege" is not its complete falsehood in every aspect that it entails. Rather, it is the way it takes a reality and frames it in political and unhelpful ways. Let me count the ways the term is unhelpful
1) “White Privilege” trivializes the weigh of the issue of racism and justice:
Yes, there are aspects of society where blacks (and other minorities, depending on the area of societal life) are treated differently. This reality is not a “white privilege” but a human right issue – a human justice issue. It is not a privilege to no be pulled over for the color of your skin, it is a violation of your right to be judged on the basis of your merits and character rather than appearances. White privilege frames such a problem as more trivial than it is (again, what is at issue is rights, not privileges), it turns the issue on another ethnicity in particular and feeds into the politics of resentment, and simplifies the issue of race relations into a monochromatic frame. As such, it is unhelpful in this second way:
2) “White Privilege” uses the politics of resentment
Now, you may object that privilege merely means the privilege of being unaware or lacking that experience of being the subject of racism. Are whites (or Asians or Latinos) lacking in the experience of being treated differently based on race? Certainly in some areas. But not in others. And in fact, all ethnicities have their unique set of experiences that are tied to the mere fact of their heritage and appearance. To what degree it is reality or perception, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Whites all believe they have been disadvantaged in different areas based on their race.
Think of the similarities of when “White privilege” is declared, as the mirror image of the effect of labeling someone an “Affirmative Action” exception. Over the past 7 years, I have heard a term used for our President: The Affirmative Action President. The appellation was used for the same reason that it was first applied to Justice Clarence Thomas. To declare that those individuals were not evaluated on their merits, but were allowed in by a lowered bar based on race. This is a declaration of resentment, a feeling that certain jobs and educational institutions discriminate against whites (again, this is perception, I don't necessarily speak to reality). And it is used for a particular effect:
3) “White Privilege” is used to silence voices.
The reason this term “Affirmative Action _____” is thrown around is to silence certain voices in a conversation, or delegitimize them. If you call Obama an Affirmative Action President, you reject his positions without having to engage the conversation. Its a shout of “shut up!” The term “white privilege” has been used, with its roots in the political conversation where it is borrowed from, to do the same thing. “Check your privilege” is to say “you don't know what you are talking about, so shut up.” This is wrong whether using the politics of resentment on the right (in regards to affirmative action labels) or the politics of resentment of the left (using the labels of white privilege). The example of Joseph and his brothers should be a warning about the danger of letting a resentment based on perception of favoritism stew and boil in our hearts.
One may protest and say that is not what is meant in this context. Yet, when a term is borrowed from another sphere, it carries the baggage of that sphere into the conversation. So is it true:
1) African Americans face discrimination in certain areas that certain other ethnicities do not, even still today? Yes
2) Are many other ethnicities unaware of some these injustices? Yes
3) Should this be part of what the gospel declaration addresses? Absolutely
Each of these truths can be communicated without
1) Lessening the sin of racism by lowing the vocabulary of the conversation from rights to privileges.
2) Engaging in the politics of resentment.
3) Implicitly or Explicitly seeking to silences voices in the conversation.
My particular problem with the term "white privilege" is not its complete falsehood in every aspect that it entails. Rather, it is the way it takes a reality and frames it in political and unhelpful ways. Let me count the ways the term is unhelpful
1) “White Privilege” trivializes the weigh of the issue of racism and justice:
Yes, there are aspects of society where blacks (and other minorities, depending on the area of societal life) are treated differently. This reality is not a “white privilege” but a human right issue – a human justice issue. It is not a privilege to no be pulled over for the color of your skin, it is a violation of your right to be judged on the basis of your merits and character rather than appearances. White privilege frames such a problem as more trivial than it is (again, what is at issue is rights, not privileges), it turns the issue on another ethnicity in particular and feeds into the politics of resentment, and simplifies the issue of race relations into a monochromatic frame. As such, it is unhelpful in this second way:
2) “White Privilege” uses the politics of resentment
Now, you may object that privilege merely means the privilege of being unaware or lacking that experience of being the subject of racism. Are whites (or Asians or Latinos) lacking in the experience of being treated differently based on race? Certainly in some areas. But not in others. And in fact, all ethnicities have their unique set of experiences that are tied to the mere fact of their heritage and appearance. To what degree it is reality or perception, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and Whites all believe they have been disadvantaged in different areas based on their race.
Think of the similarities of when “White privilege” is declared, as the mirror image of the effect of labeling someone an “Affirmative Action” exception. Over the past 7 years, I have heard a term used for our President: The Affirmative Action President. The appellation was used for the same reason that it was first applied to Justice Clarence Thomas. To declare that those individuals were not evaluated on their merits, but were allowed in by a lowered bar based on race. This is a declaration of resentment, a feeling that certain jobs and educational institutions discriminate against whites (again, this is perception, I don't necessarily speak to reality). And it is used for a particular effect:
3) “White Privilege” is used to silence voices.
The reason this term “Affirmative Action _____” is thrown around is to silence certain voices in a conversation, or delegitimize them. If you call Obama an Affirmative Action President, you reject his positions without having to engage the conversation. Its a shout of “shut up!” The term “white privilege” has been used, with its roots in the political conversation where it is borrowed from, to do the same thing. “Check your privilege” is to say “you don't know what you are talking about, so shut up.” This is wrong whether using the politics of resentment on the right (in regards to affirmative action labels) or the politics of resentment of the left (using the labels of white privilege). The example of Joseph and his brothers should be a warning about the danger of letting a resentment based on perception of favoritism stew and boil in our hearts.
One may protest and say that is not what is meant in this context. Yet, when a term is borrowed from another sphere, it carries the baggage of that sphere into the conversation. So is it true:
1) African Americans face discrimination in certain areas that certain other ethnicities do not, even still today? Yes
2) Are many other ethnicities unaware of some these injustices? Yes
3) Should this be part of what the gospel declaration addresses? Absolutely
Each of these truths can be communicated without
1) Lessening the sin of racism by lowing the vocabulary of the conversation from rights to privileges.
2) Engaging in the politics of resentment.
3) Implicitly or Explicitly seeking to silences voices in the conversation.
Thursday, June 09, 2016
Reflective Review - “Heal Us, Emmanuel”
“Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church” is a collection of 30 essays by PCA
Elders on the subject of race and reconciliation (a hot topic
especially as this year the PCA's General Assembly approaches). Many
of these elders have been pushing for some sort of statement or
public confession by the PCA General Assembly that deals with Race,
especially concerning the acts of “conservative Christians” in
the Civil Rights Era.
The
book is laid out in 6 sections: An Invitation to Listen, Awakening to
Privilege, Sins of Omission and Commission, Historical and
Theological Perspectives, Confession and Reconciliation Are
Necessary, and A Way Forward. Under each are five or six essays on
that theme.
This
review will seek to summarize some of the content of the book as well
as give a critical response. The book is a “call” but I hope to
invite a conversation on it, rather than a monologue of demands. I
found the book to be mixed in its effectiveness, depth, and quality.
As such, let us first look at what are a few truly interesting and
worthwhile articles for your time. So first, the positive:
HELPFUL
AND INTERESTING:
Chapter
11 includes an entry by Samuel N. Graham, an elder on the session of
Independent Presbyterian (IPC) in Memphis. This was one of the few
entries in which the relating of personal biographical details was
interesting and relevant to the topic. The Chapter on Independent
Presbyterian in Stephen Haynes' “The Last Segregated Hour” gives
a better narrative of the process leading up to IPC's racial
repentance, however Graham's article gives a glimpse of the inside
process that compliments that narrative in helpful ways.
Another
essay worth considering is by Kevin Twit of RUF (Chapter 15). Rev.
Twit details some of the thought process behind the latest Indelible
Grace record and the incorporation of different styles to reflect
diverse cultural inputs. It certainly is worth considering, even if
Twit's Nashville context is perhaps a unique case of cultural and
musical diversity.
Briefly,
a few other chapters offer relevant information, and most interesting
were the five essays on a Historical and Theological Perspective.
Sean Lucas' personal history in regards to race (Chapter 18) provides
the background to his recent book on the history of the PCA and work
with a movement for a Civil Rights Era statement from the PCA.
Chapter 17 contains Bobby Griffith's summary history of race in
American Southern Presbyterianism, which despite its choppy
structure, offers a few nuggets of historical interest. Chapter 19
contains William Castro's critique of “racialist” views of the
church, which tends to divide along racial lines rather than bringing
them together. His critique of Frame and others who justify separate
churches based on cultural preferences is intriguing, even though the
solution is often allusive evidenced by the lack of integration in
most churches on Sunday morning.
All
of these essays seek to build a historical foundation for the
conversation over race. These help us understand the questions of
both “why now?” and “why this subject?” To show my cards,
this reviewer tends to agree broadly that race is a present issue in
the church and in particular in the history of the Presbyterian
Church in America by reputation of certain particular churches
especially in the south, and even of entire presbyteries (especially
those of the former Synod of Mississippi which explicitly defended
segregation in the 1950s and 60s).
The
conversation broached in this book is a necessary conversation, even
if uncomfortable. Part of that uncomfortable aspect is exploring the
paradigms we use to approach this subject, and here is where critique
is also necessary. Scripture tells us that when exploring a sin and
solution, two ditches must be avoided. As the prophet Jeremiah puts
it some “have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying,
'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.“ (Jeremiah 6:14) While our
Lord warns others “ tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay
them on people's shoulders.” (Matthew 23:4) The essays of the book
falter when falling into one of these two ditches.
A
CRITIQUE:
The
weakness of the book is largely in what it carries as features of the
book.
1)
The book is heavily personal, but in so doing at times becomes too
autobiographical in nature. The book is intended to be personal, but
despite the number of writers, the biographical details become
repetitive.
2)
The book is intended to be a “call,” however this causes the
essays to feel largely monolithic in perspective. Again, the book
itself is not a dialogue, but rather a “call” as the title
declares. Thus, let us explore having the conversation.
CAN
WE DIALOGUE?
If
this book is inviting a dialogue on the issue of race, let's address
why this topic is so messy: Racism
is hard to have a dialogue about. Motives are constantly questioned
and when writing about such a serious issue it is tempting to signal
your virtue, rather than acknowledge the complexity and messiness of
the issue. Racism is a result of the fall, not mere history, and so
is universal in its subjects. Thus it is easier to signal your
innocence than to actually process it.
My
reservations with the book have nothing to do with the subject, or
even most of the recommendations. I have set myself to the task the
2015 GA gave to elders, namely to explore racial sins and the
relation of the denomination to those sins. I believe there are
issues of sin related to race at the individual level, the local
church level, and in more than one presbytery. I was interested if
the book would touch on any of the questions I recorded nearly a year
ago that accompany the current issue such as what is the nature of
covenantal repentance, the types of racial sin that exist, and on
what level of church government they occurred in the past, as well as
practical ways to address them in the present.
There
are omissions that hamper the final product in its execution. While
the book wants to be a monologue (a call), I hope this book can be
part of a dialogue. As such, I aim to push back and challenge the
thrust of the book in two areas:
1)
Resist
the adoption of the
terminology and categories of the political left.
Beyond
the acceptance of of terms like “Microaggressions” (page 21) the
most troubling term of the political left used in the book is “White
Privilege” (page 60, 91, 95, 238, etc.). White Privilege has arisen
in the political realm, largely on the political left, and as such
both carries baggage from that realm and has secular ideologies
informing its use.
Granted,
there is existing institutional power to certain families that can be
identified along racial lines. Also, we should note that while
everyone has obstacles to overcome, some have more obstacles based on
their ethnicity than others. To frame this reality, and blame “white
privilege” rather than focusing on true racism creates guilt
burdens about realities that are not necessary to repent over. One
should repent over placing obstacles in front of others based on
race. One should not repent for not having as many of those
obstacles.
Ethnicity
exists alongside economic position, education, and two-parent homes
as factors which shapes future success and progress of persons into
adult life and society. Focusing on the fact that white families tend
to have more factors that lead to education and job opportunities
mixes too much correlation with causation. It also unnecessarily
sweeps whites without those advantages into this stereotyped “white
America” that all has these advantages. As I work in an area with
much blue collar poverty, many in our area would be surprised to hear
of their privilege based on their race, when their education,
economic, and family situation is anything but privileged.
The
most troubling aspect of this, however, is the diversion it makes
from the ecclesiastical and spiritual realm into a focus on the
secular and political realm as paramount. This shows itself most
starkly in the repeated implied message that pastors need to side
with specific political or current event controversies to be
sufficiently race conscious. Let us take Doug Serven's piece in
Chapter 16 as the prime offender: Ferguson, Charleston, and the
McKinney Texas Police incident, and the name of the Washington
Redskins were all cited (pages 156-159) and the “right side” is
always implied as synonymous with the right spiritual attitude to
race. This suggests a need to be up to date on all the current media
events, and to take public political positions on them.
I
have my own personal opinions and thoughts based on what I know of
those events. Yet, the requirement to be fully read up on media
events (real or generated by the media for ratings), and to take the
particular views Serven has taken as a precondition for being
racially conscious is a human requirement, not a spiritual or
Scriptural one. I certainly have my own thoughts on some of these
events, but I have purposefully not made them public because I think
it would be needlessly controversial, and misinterpreted - a barrier
to the gospel rather than an avenue to it.
Why
am I as a minister supposed to speak publicly on an issue that
happened, for instance in Missouri, that is quite complicated (more
complicated than I think Serven lets on)? It is not to argue that
particular case, but one sees the issue of the sin of racism becoming
bogged down in the particulars of media and social media events.
To
have silence about those events equated to apathy is just wrong. Why
am I morally required to speak on every event listed?
By what authority? In fact, shouldn't our judgments especially on
murky criminal acts be tempered by the fact that we are not on the
jury and not privy to all evidence? Shouldn't wisdom be used to
distinguish between clear instances of racism such as Charleston, and
more complex issues such as etymological histories of the names of
NFL teams?
The
weight of the 9th
Commandment would seem to dictate to not bearing false or at least
not bearing uninformed or hasty witness. To take it a step further,
why does the author think
his opinion is the clear Christian opinion? In at least two cases, I
disagree with his verdict, and so does that make my private opinion a
sin? Why are these reactions and “hot takes” of media events the
gauge of our biblical obedience rather than our individual
interactions and actions with people? We must be careful not to think
our political opinion on a complicated issue or event is synonymous
with the law or the gospel.
That
leads to my second challenge:
2.
Address Racism with Deep Biblical Exegesis
Scripture
is sufficient to address all things we need for the man of God to be
complete (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I wish there were more deep biblical
exegesis and application in the essays of this book to the problem of
racism, rather than the adoption of socio-political categories and
theories. Sociology and Politics will not address this problem
adequately, nor a general call to grace or the cross.
This
is not to say there is no Scripture or exegesis in the book on these
matters. In Chapter 19, “Toward a Compelling Theology for Unity,”
Rev. Garriott makes a few brief universal theological points. Rev.
Ward in Chapter 21 does as well by way of a thorough and fair
critique of Morton Smith's 1964 article that argued for segregation.
This is helpful as a picture of the theological errors of the past,
though I would be surprised if there is much agreement today in the
PCA with Smith's 52 year old article.
Yet,
where is an extended look at Ephesians 2:11-22 or Galatians 3:27, or
the biblical theological theme of the bringing in of Ruth the
Moabitess to God's People or Solomon's Temple as a place for
inclusion of the nations into Israel? Certainly, Galatians 3:27 and
Ephesians 2:14 are cited, yet they are proof texted rather than
expounded in the depths those passages can teach us.
A
great missed opportunity of this book was to explore the nature of
the repentance/confession that some call for. Chapter 24 is titled
“Why we must confess corporately” but the article is only 4 pages
long, and does not exegete Scripture so much as cite it and offer
some quick application. Part of this exegesis should be anticipating
objections: What are the limits, intent, and effects of covenantal
repentance over racism? Who has covenantal relationships with each
other to accomplish such a task? Is there a difference between
confessing the iniquity of our fathers and confessing the sins of our
fathers? How does the 5th
Commandment relate to Daniel 9, Ezra 9 or Nehemiah 9? What is going
on in those passages and why do they confess the particular sins they
do, and not others? How does someone individually innocent relate to
his covenantal guilt, especially of previous generations? What steps
are taken after such confession toward repentance?
These
questions have answers, but they are not in the book. I agree with
the conclusion of Chapter 24 on the sins of racism within the church:
“I did not personally commit them; nevertheless, they are mine.”
(page 252) Yet mere “corporate identification” is not a
sufficient argument for this conclusion. Rather, the corporate
covenantal body, as an acting body with members that suffer corporate
pollution and contamination of the sins of the past, mired in the
iniquity of the fathers, is the point of Daniel 9, Ezra 9, and
Nehemiah 9. Exegetical explanation should include the historical
context (Babylonian exile), the past sins (Sabbath breaking,
inter-faith marriage, etc.) that caused it, and what that particular
repentance meant, namely 1) being currently guilty of sin by
imitation, 2) being currently polluted by the consequences of those
sins, and 3) being committed in the future to turn from the sins of
their fathers to obedience of God's Law.
These
principles should have obvious application to the issue of racism
today, which plagued many of our forefathers in the PCA. These are
iniquities that still pollute the witness of PCA churches today that
are associated with it, that certain churches have needed to address
in order to move forward.
Thus,
this collection of essays was a golden opportunity missed to make the
case why
denominations, presbyteries, and local church bodies need to repent
and not just individuals. They could have also offered details on how
these bodies repent with regards to Scriptural precedent. Merely
citing Daniel 9, Ezra 9, and Nehemiah 9 are not enough, they need to
be deeply exegeted and applied. Indeed, the Bible is capable of, and
should, deeply impact our view of race and the sins of racism, so
shouldn't ministers bring that fully to bear on this subject rather
than assume it?
CONCLUSION
First
this book certainly has an important subject matter and notable good
efforts to identify the history and personal aspects of the problem.
Furthermore, the book excels when addressing real racism at the
individual and local level that were solved by true and detailed
confession and repentance such as at IPC. For those essays in the
book I am thankful.
However,
the book shows its deficiencies when there was a vague or undefined
view of repentance, surface exegesis, or when it relied on
non-theological diagnoses and prescriptions to the problem. The task
of the church is not to syncretize political and sociological
paradigms into its theology, but to bring the gospel of grace to bear
on the problems of sin, not just in the notional or “awareness”
realm but in the practical realm.
The
solution to the problems of the sin of racism must be of a sufficient
level to answer the problem. While this book may identify many of the
problems, I fear it heals the wounds of the people too lightly and
generally, while bringing unnecessary burdens with some of its
adopting of outside sociological and political concepts.
APPLYING
LESSONS
During
the upcoming PCA General Assembly, I hope that commissioners are
aware of the history in this book (which if they have read Lucas'
book or Haynes' book, they will be aware of the important details
already). But the issues need to be framed in biblical rather than
political ways. The PCA General Assembly should avoid vaguely
confessing sins, with no specificity of the current polluting sins
that linger, no biblical idea of its connection to those sins, and no
plan of repentance. To treat the wounds of racism too lightly, or as
a way to placate white guilt, rather than address racial sin nearly
guarantees that the exercise will merely placate consciences while
leaving a sin issue largely untouched in its treatment.
Since
racism is not a mere cultural or ethnic problem, and is a human
fallen condition, we must seek the answers to those problems in
something bigger than political, sociological or historical analysis.
It must be examined in the heart of every individual, and not just
one ethnic group. It must be based on the Scriptures, on true
covenantal connection to a particular body, with a right view of
repentance, sin, iniquity, covenant, and costly grace.
I
am encouraged that a few of the Overtures (Overture 1 and 50 in
particular) this year names particular sins, and directs the bodies
of the church (presbyteries and local churches) to examine if and
where they have occurred to address them at that level. I hope
specificity and localness are embraced by the Assembly. Our sin
problem is deep, and in need of deep exegesis, and deep grace from
Christ to address. I pray we can see with the eyes of Scripture to
address this problem without either creating artificial burdens or
crying “peace, peace!” where there is no peace.
-Review by Jared Nelson
Pastor New Life PCA
Aliquippa, PA
-Review by Jared Nelson
Pastor New Life PCA
Aliquippa, PA
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
PCA and Race: Reflective Review - Divided by Faith
Divided by
Faith by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith
One author may be familiar to the reader. Christian
Smith is famous among evangelicals for coining the term “Moralistic
Therapeutic Deism” to describe the state of American
Evangelicalism. This book, co-written with Michael Emerson, seeks to
explore the issue of race in evangelicalism and how race divides the
church today. While there are many aspects worthy of greater reflection, I wanted to highlight one concept worth considering:
Early in the book, the
authors posit their position that America is a “racialized
society.” By this term they mean:
“In the post-Civil
Rights United States, the racialized society is one in which
intermarriage rates are low, residential separation and socioeconomic
inequality are the norm, our definitions of personal identity and our
choices of intimate associations reveal racial distinctiveness, and
where 'we are never unaware of the race of the person with whom we
interact.'” [page 7]
They also posit that race
is a social construct. Many people say that, but it is refreshing
that “social construct” has specific meaning - firstly that race
is used to classify people (where foot size or ear shape is not) and
secondly that race as social meaning.
In both of these
observations they are just that: the reality as they observe it, not
as it ought or ought not be. To talk about race is not to say that
race should matter in the ways it does today, just that it
does matter. There is much in the way of exposition and
example of this, and how our racialized society leads to disparate
results and institutionally affects individuals differently based on
their race. I will not get into the detail, rather commend the book
for how this displays itself. However, I will focus on just this
one application:
APPLICATION: No
one is colorblind. It has been popular to say “I don't see
race.” However, only a blind man can say that with honesty. And
even a blind man will notice differences in culture: language,
concerns, attitudes, etc. Race has been associated in our minds with
culture. And when cultures are different, we treat others
differently. The authors are right that we live in a “racialized”
society, for good or ill.
Which leads to this
conclusion: We should not be color-blind, but race conscious. This
isn't being a “social justice warrior” or someone that “raises
awareness” for its own sake. But we should be aware when
racialization causes us to act in sinful ways: needless separation,
stereotyping, excluding, or just not venturing out in love.
To say “I am color
blind” is actually a sort of “virtue-signaling.” It says
something about how you see yourself, but not how 1) the world
actually exists or 2) How you really see the world. No one is color
blind in a racialized society. And it effects the church too.
This post is in part an
encouragement to read the book, and I would recommend you do so with
this reservation – Emerson and Smith seem quick to say the job of
the church is to be involved in political movements to reform various
laws that cause disparate racial consequences.
As a firm believer in the
mission of the church as Word, Sacrament and Prayer – I would not
say the church has nothing to say about race. Indeed, when we preach
Ephesians 2:11-22, or Galatians 3:28, we better have something to say
because Scripture has something to say. Yet, each person lives out
their faith in their particular vocation. For a pastor to dictate,
for example: specific and detailed legislation, is just as wise as a
politician giving the Sunday Sermon, or for my CPA to perform an
appendectomy. That's not their vocation.
But to conclude, this
should inform those considering the upcoming PCA GA debate on race
that indeed, this IS a needed and relevant topic. And if you claim
you are “color-blind” odds are you are actually lying, firstly to
yourself and secondly to others.
To conclude: our society
has created institutions, actions, and conclusions based on race.
Addressing them is not a matter of pretending they don't exist, but
deal with reality as it exists, not as we wish it were.
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
PCA and Race: Reflective Review of "The Last Segregated Hour"
Historian Stephen R. Haynes wrote an account
of the effect of the civil rights movement on churches in the Memphis
area for Oxford Books. One particular chapter has special relevance
for the PCA, and that is chapter 12: “A Season of Prayer and
Corporate Repentance”: Wrestling with the Past at Independent
Presbyterian Church (IPC). Those in the PCA may recognize that Independent
Presbyterian in Memphis is a church in the PCA. Below is my reflective review of that chapter.
A Summary of
the Chapter:
Independent Presbyterian
Church (which given Presbyterianism's connectional nature seems an
oxymoron) began in schism over the move towards integration by way of
rotational session membership (to get the resistance elders out
presumably) by Second Presbyterian Church. 340 persons gathered for
worship in the Plaza Theater in East Memphis in 1965. In other words,
Independent Presbyterian Church (IPC), began its existence in a
sinful resistance to the doctrine of the image of God in all persons,
and the unity not only in Adam's blood, but Christ's blood.
By the 1980s, the new
members knew little of the founding principles of IPC. A pastor named
Sartelle seemed to be aware of the past of the church, but largely
ignored it, often working at odds with its spirit in mission projects
in Memphis across racial lines.
When John Wilfong in the
1980s began bringing in African Americans in outreach opportunities,
the past began to come into focus. As IPC became more involved in the
community, the reputation and history of the church, known in the
community, became a sore point of shame. During the Sartelle tenure,
the segregation policy was quietly rescended, but nothing publicly
stated. IPC joined the PCA in 2000, and Sartelle retired in 2005.
When a new pastor
named John Hardie took over, he mentioned parenthetically that the Bible
does not ban interracial marriage. When conversations arose from that
comment, Hardie called for repentance for those who held views
against interracial marriage in the church. Eventually after a
controversy and tension arose, Hardie resigned, and the session
adopted rotating elder terms at IPC, like SPC had done years ago.
Eventually with a new session and new pastor, IPC called for
corporate repentance in regards to its past policies in 2012.
RELEVANCE:
To each of my readings, I
hope to give some reflections to how this might be relevant to the
current question before the PCA in regards to a denominational
repentance. My numbered reflections on this text's relevance for the current discussion on race in the PCA:
FIRST: It is significant
that IPC's racial sins preceded their membership in the PCA by 35
years. Also worth noting was that one pastor in practice reversed course by his actions, but
without a public statement and acknowledgment by the church in words. Thus the next
pastor tripped on landmines he didn't know existed.
SECOND: Even if actions of a body
have changed, the reputation of a church can be hurt by past actions
and sins of the corporate body, especially if those were public
actions. Thus, public actions cannot be merely reversed by private
and secret actions.
THIRDLY: The acts that
were repented of originated in the body that committed them. IPC
repented for their actions as a church, just as individuals were
called on to repent of their actions as individuals. Absent from this
process was confessing the sins of other courts (presbytery or
general assembly). The session confessed and turned from their
policies that their body had done. Individuals turned from their
actions. A lesson to be learned: Confession and repentance should be located at the level in the body
that the offense occurred.
Labels:
Covenantal Repentance,
PCA,
PCA and Race,
Race
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