Three major Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) news reports fill the pages of this week’s Outlook: the first ever national elders conference, the first ever national evangelism conference, and the resignation of Elenora Giddings Ivory.
Of course, we held an elders’ conference! “Presbyter” means “elder” in biblical Greek, so it only stands to reason that elders would come together to learn how to “eld” better. It’s just that we haven’t gotten around to organizing such a conference for the past couple hundred years. In the meantime we have presented hundreds and hundreds of conferences for the ministers of Word and Sacrament. And we believe in parity?
We claim that those two offices have equal status. Don’t kid yourself.
The three-year rotation of elders on and off the Session protects congregations from being dominated by a small power clique. That’s a good thing, but it means that the elders complete their term of service just as they are reaching their stride. We ought to consider stretching the allowable duration of those elders’ terms. And stop using the label “inactive” for elders no longer on the Session. They deserve to be utilized in continuing ministry, as the perpetual status of their title implies.
What’s more, the titles need to change. Dividing the leadership team between minister of Word and Sacrament and elder, by sheer word count, makes the one sound about five times as important. A revival of the reformed church labels teaching elder and ruling elder would be a welcome improvement. Then again, those labels reflect a “regulatory agency” model of leadership. Why not turn to the biblical record, where God has appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12)? Why not utilize the titles, equipping elders and ministry elders? The significance of both functions would be elevated, plus the distinction would not be so stark.
As for evangelism: a good thing, eh?
For years that word could not be spoken in some of our circles. Images of imperialistic missionaries, of fleecing tent revivalists, and of eccentric televangelists all made the collective Presbyterian psyche shudder over the word “evangelism.”
That’s changed. We’ve received wake-up calls, one ringing “you’re shrinking,” another ringing “some churches are growing,” and the loudest alarm ringing, “Jesus commissioned you to go.” Those alarms have wakened us to the evangelistic task.
A broad rediscovery of the power of the Gospel is re-energizing a passion for the unchurched. A conference dedicated to that cause provides impetus and insights. May the conferees spread the word!
As for Elenora? Well, we might add a fourth e-word: “embattled.” When I met her a few years ago, she introduced herself as “the person the conservatives love to hate.” I was saddened to see that years of unrelenting criticism had exacted a high price on her.
As director of the Washington office of the PC(USA) she was directed to give public voice — carrying to the offices of national elected officials — the policy positions taken by past General Assemblies. Ever since the days of John Calvin we Presbyterians have been “transforming culture,” to use H. Richard Niebuhr’s term. We have taken seriously the theological idea of Common Grace, seeing God active in the public life, allowing no parochial separation of the sacred from the secular. Accordingly, of the six listed Great Ends of the Church, the final two read, “the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of heaven to the world.”
When some argue against the church getting involved in secular politics, they are arguing against our whole reformed heritage.
The Washington Office has advocated for actions contrary to the views of many folks in the pews, but with only a few exceptions, those positions have been studied and adopted by duly elected commissioners to the top governing body in the denomination.
For that reason many Presbyterians beam with pride when speaking about the Washington office. Speaking out, expressing a prophetic voice, collectively living out the Great Commandment, advocating for the voices long silenced — those are some of the great strengths of the Presbyterian branch of the Church. Those endeavors have marked the tenure of Elenora Giddings Ivory.
Indeed, one other e-word comes to mind: earnest.
Elders. Evangelism. Elenora. Whether they are being revived or are moving on to another field of duty, they make a triple-E team. As in the shoe size.
— JHH
