What’s right with the Presbyterian Church

Table talk amongst PC(USA) family members often devolves into a discussion about our differences. Yes, our churches and their members have different faith practices, Biblical interpretations, and understandings of how to live out Jesus’ teachings. But we are also a denomination with a long history of engaging together in theological discussions, encouraging our members to search for life’s answers in the Bible, seeking social justice and adapting to changing political and social standards.

While it is easy to focus on the differences within our denomination, we also have significant strengths gained from the diversity of our community. When faced with differences, it often feels easier to turn away — in the case of churches, to start new denominations and meeting groups. But I believe there is strength in difference and in our history as a denomination. There is much that we can offer one another.

Here are thirteen reasons for choosing to be, or remain, a member of a PC(USA) congregation.

1. We are a denomination that encourages its members to study the Bible for themselves and then discuss it with other members of our faith communities to discern its meanings for their lives.
2. We are a denomination that affirms the Reformation tenet of the “priesthood of all believers.” This affirmation is most visible in our practice of passing the Communion trays from person to person on each row or from our peers rather than receiving Communion from a priest or minister.
3. We are a denomination that publicly and corporately confesses our individual sins as a part of our worship service.
4. We are a denomination that believes each person is responsible, as the Bible says, to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)
5. We are a denomination that welcomes women to positions of authority and leadership at all denominational levels.
6. We are a denomination that welcomes all of God’s people into congregational life and leadership.
7. We are a denomination in which ordained elders and ordained clergy (both men and women) share equally in providing pastoral services to congregations as well as in church governance from the session of the local church through the highest judicatory levels of our denomination (the General Assembly).
8. We are a denomination that cares deeply about our youth, going so far as to give them a place at the table at our national meetings.
9. We are a denomination that seeks to address social inequalities even when it is not popular to do so.
10. We are a denomination with a missional concern for sharing the gospel at home and around the world.
11. We are a denomination that believes the connectedness of our congregations is symbolic of the Body of Christ where everyone is included. This is demonstrated by how our presbyteries structure their leadership. We make sure that there are equal numbers of elders and clergy, that those leaders are diverse (we have a specific committee to maintain balance between gender, race, age, clergy vs. non-clergy) and that committees involve people from throughout the whole presbytery.
12. We are a denomination with a rich history and long-held traditions, but we are also a denomination that strives to respond to the attitudes and practices of contemporary society. The fact that our denomination was founded in 1706 says much about our ability to adapt and thrive.
13. We are a denomination with an educated and trained clergy. Our ordained ministers are required to have a Master of Divinity degree and to pass ordination examinations which include tests on Presbyterian polity, ancient Hebrew and Greek and theology.

While other denominations can claim some of these characteristics, I know of no other denomination, mainline or otherwise, which can lay claim to all of them. I share them as an encouragement to my fellow Presbyterians. In an age where church membership is decreasing, it can be easy to simply look at membership rolls as a way of judging the health of a church. I believe we can lay claim to our history, the shared theology on which our churches are built and our collective worship practices as a way of celebrating what we are doing right.

Yes, differences within our denomination remain including diverse opinions on theology, Biblical practices, mission emphasis and the size of church government. But we have a strong shared foundation and the presence of differences under our big tent is a powerful witness to how our denomination welcomes all of God’s people into our membership. Our strength lies not in purity, but in our unity in diversity within the Body of Christ. Let’s use our connectedness in a manner that fosters the growth of the Christian community.

Can I get an Amen?

William M. Wiles is an ordained Presbyterian Elder and Commissioned Pastor serving churches in northeastern Oklahoma for the past 19 years. As a tent-making (bi-vocational) pastor, Bill also works in the business world in the areas of organizational health and business strategies.  He is the author of “Choosing to Believe in God, Perspectives for ChristStyled Living” and “Salvation: God’s Best Gift to Us.”