Category: New World Presbyterianism

In 1986 the OPC almost became part of the PCA. In the General Assembly report that laid out the rationale for Joining & Receiving, the OPC’s committee on ecumencity noted the following characteristics of the two communions. (Keep in mind that one of those denominations was 50 years old, the other only 14.)

Strengths
PCA
•Visibility
•Attractive name (though indistinguishable for the general public from the PCUSA)
•Vigorous evangelism
•Aggressive church extension and foreign mission programs
•Expressed commitment to Scripture and the Westminster Standards
•Expressed determination to instruct members in the Reformed faith

OPC
•Commitment to the Reformed faith as the teaching of Scripture
•Theological and ecclesiastical stability that has had world-wide influence for the Reformed
•Practicing Presbyterianism vs. hierarchical and congregational practice
•Church-oriented mission
•Willingness to expend prolonged time and effort to establish soundly-biblical bases for programs and actions
•Revised Form of Government
•Enrichment of the church by willingness to use the insights of other Reformed churches at home and abroad
•International Reformed ecumenical participation

Weaknesses
PCA
•Delegation of judicatories’ functions to commission
•Selective discipline
•Uneven indoctrination of new churches
•Problematical elements in the Form of Government
•Danger of loose subscription by officers
•Inadequate discussion at general assembly, a hindrance to mature biblically-based decisions
•Tendency toward domination of policy by staffs
•Competition among agencies for funds
•Methods of evangelism
•Opposing tendencies: bureaucracy/ congregationalism
•Involvement with non-Reformed foreign mission agencies
•Loyalty to regional (southern. presbyterian) distinctives

OPC
•No means of assuring Reformed training of candidates for the ministry
•No publication for exchange of opinion
•Weakness in local evangelism
•Growing ignorance of Church’s reason for existence
•Growing ignorance of the doctrine of the church
•Frequent inadequate preparation of covenant children and adult candidates for communicant membership

Aside from what these lists reveal about both communions, another consideration worth raising is how much has changed in 23 years in both churches. From the squint of oldlife, these differences appear even more glaring in 2010 than they did in 1986. But the biggest question may be why with these differences in front of them a majority of OPC commissioners voted in favor of J&R (not a sufficient majority, though, to send the matter to the presbyteries for ratification.