Although I am a cradle Presbyterian, I had the wonderful experience of serving in a Episcopalian/Anglican parish for 3 years. Maybe a decade ahead of us in the arguments over what scripture teaches about human sexuality, quite a few of their congregations are now transferring to other parts of the Anglican Communion. To be sure, these are happy days for nobody involved in that process. I am most grieved for how hard they are fighting over property, when they didn’t seem to put that kind of energy into protecting the unity and purity of the Church. I am ashamed and heart-broken over what I am seeing in that part of Christ’s body. I am unfortunately seeing the same patterns emerge in our denomination.
We need to realize that our conversations about human sexuality are out-of-step with the vast majority of Christians in the world. Living in a 21st century world, where the church is mainly Southern — as in Nairobi not Atlanta — most Christians in the world are viewing these issues of human sexuality from traditional points of view. I am not arguing that this is right or wrong; I’m simply saying this is the way things are currently in the world. It is interesting that the Anglicans in America who are joining the Anglican Church in Nigeria are joining a much bigger entity than the Episcopal Church.
Those congregations who find themselves more inline with the church worldwide and not as much inline with the movement of our denomination feel pushed out. Certainly, there are deep divisions that have led to this juncture. For them, the decision to leave is both difficult and painful. But, for some the time to leave has come, for others the day will come sometime in the next decade. This is a sign of our failure to protect those things which the PUP report is attempting to recapture. While I think we need to reexamine what has brought us to this point; the immediate need is to figure out how churches and denominations can divorce in the most Christ centered way possible.
God’s opinion is that he hates divorce. My counsel to persons going through divorce is a quote taken from The War of the Roses: I am going to counsel you to be generous to the point of night-sweats. As Brian McLaren explains in A Generous Othodoxy, orthodoxy must be centered around generosity or it fails to be orthodox. Likewise, how we go about these property fights will say more about the gospel’s hold on our lives than our beliefs about human sexuality. To that end, I would propose the following:
1. That when a particular church senses that they need to depart from the denomination, they should be transparent about this intent to the Presbytery at the earliest possible moment. Representatives of the Session and the Presbytery should meet, should commit to praying daily for one another, and should meet as many times as possible, not to discuss the issues but simply to pray for one another’s ministry.
2. That if a congregation votes by a super-majority to leave the denomination, that they and their clergy be allowed to do so without threat of discipline. They shouldn’t be allowed to go independent because of our core value of being connectional. The process of how they could/should join another entity is beyond my expertise.
3. In the battle over property the congregation and Presbytery should fight to outdo one another in love. The Presbytery should allow the congregation to leave with all their buildings — because that is a generous and loving thing to do for the congregation. The congregation should give the Presbytery enough money to start a new work in that very area; not competing with one another, but working together to further the gospel. If the officers of the church are giving so much money that they can’t sleep at night, then the amount is just about right. If the Presbytery counsel has night-sweats about how many dollars the property they are giving away is worth, then they too are at the right place.
I am suggesting this solution because I think it can speak volumes to the world about how the gospel is transforming our lives. In the end, that’s all that matters.
Matthew A Merrill
Pastor, Little Falls Presbyterian Church
Arlington, VA
