A Tale of Three Families

In a sense, commenting on three different faith communities' meetings is a lot like swinging at a knuckleball in the dirt with two strikes. You're asking for little chance of true success unless the ball skips past the catcher and you can take first base. 

Next week, by the way, is the knuckleball. Here I am swinging.

During the days of June 12-22, there will be three key families of evangelical churches that will meet for national (two of them) or international (the last one) convocations. All three--if words are to be believed--are seeking to be as faithful as possible to their theological heritage while facing the future with purpose. 

All three are facing critical junctures in their history, and that is what makes next week so interesting from the vantage point of church history and futures.

The first--and shortest of--the three groups is the Southern Baptist Convention, which is having its annual meeting in Dallas, with most of the events transpiring from the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center. The two-day confab (June 12-13) could normally mean some high-pressure immediacy to the SBC's actions, as shorter meetings tend to blow through matters with the speed and pace of the Gospel of St. Mark. The backstory to the SBC's gathering, however, has outlets like the Washington Post weighing in on the SBC's #MeToo collision. Paige Patterson, seminary president and Baptist preacher who led the SBC's Conservative Resurgence in the late 1970s and early 1980s, has been caught in a web of historic stonewalling of justice for victims of sexual assault, as well as past comments that are demeaning to women. It wasn't until yesterday that Patterson pulled out of his role of delivering the convention sermon on the morning of June 13th, to be replaced by Kie Bowman of Austin, Texas.

The salve that brings, however, is overshadowed by the vote for convention president. Some call it a matchup of the old guard and the new generation, with Ken Hemphill and J.D. Greear both nominated for the post. Hemphill is a seasoned pastor, professor, and leader who has the backing of Baptist legends such as Richard Land and First Baptist-Dallas pastor (and President Trump acolyte) Robert Jeffress. Greear has revitalized the Summit Church in Durham, NC, and functions with a warm heart beating for church planting and a Kuyperian approach to the biblically-driven activity of laypeople.

Twitter is hot and heavy in the debate over who should get the nod, with enough informal polls to lose track of the number and with enough pronouncements that this is a watershed moment in the identity of the SBC. It is tempting to separate the Patterson/#MeToo issues from the presidential election, but I consider them linked. Whoever takes the reins of leadership and influence will dictate the response of the SBC to how females are honored and connected throughout the denomination. Expect a thunderous reaction either way coming out of Dallas. It would be nice to see wounds get healed in a united front, but I'm not certain this is that year for the SBC. But I can still pray for it, because I have a number of SBC friends and allies.

Atlanta--or more specifically, the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta--hosts the 46th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America from June 12-15. It's true, if I would head to Atlanta, I'm much more inclined to see college friends, go to the Varsity for lunch (and dinner!) and also visit the College Football Hall of Fame. However, the PCA has some hot-plate matters before it next week: the role of women in the ministry of the church, declarations about marriage in its church constitution, and reception of its report on racial reconciliation.

Overtures aplenty have the potential to turn the GA into a minefield. No less than three overtures ask to put more force behind the affirmation of marriage being solely between one man and one woman, and a further request from Pittsburgh Presbytery desires to take a look at another denomination's critical study on same-sex marriage. These matters are not without context, as the PCA still has not given a unified declaration to Obergefell v. Hodges and the Revoice Conference will proceed here in St. Louis six weeks after the end of GA.

Women in ministry has been a rising issue over the last ten years in the PCA, with its ascendant push provoking thoughtful questions but (in this writer's opinion) offering answers that are more pragmatic than biblically-oriented. The report of the Racial and Ethnic Reconciliation Study Committee will be received and discussed. Full disclosure: I participated in the survey that will be discussed. While this is a matter that needs frank discussion, I prefer to call this a matter of "multi-ethnic unity and reconciliation" (yes, I believe race is a social construct). And I was not impressed with the leading nature of the survey's questions. Certainly, this issue will bring up some pointed chatter.

As with the SBC, leadership will matter. The PCA votes on a moderator to run the proceedings rather than a convention president, but like the SBC, there are some pronounced divides. Confessional defenders, evangelistic dynamists, and cultural transformists broker their hoped-for nominees, and the moderator will be key to which group might feel the most heard.

Finally, from June 17-22, another monumental gathering takes place. The difference is this family reunion is highly multi-national, multi-denominational, and multi-ethnic, not to mention it takes place halfway around the world. It is the Jerusalem Conference of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in which 2000-plus Anglican leaders from around the planet will descend on the Holy City for days of prayer and planning. While not a denominational assembly of any legislative teeth, there are principles that all must assent to the statement of faith that unites supporters of GAFCON.

What has happened in the last fifteen years of worldwide Anglicanism is quite honestly amazing. As Christianity withers in the West, the Global South has risen as the energetic epicenter of Christianity in general and Anglicanism in particular. Gone are the days of Canterbury's dominance; rushing in has been the missionary and church planting endeavors of churches from Nigeria, Rwanda, and others, which have brought about a harvest through denominations such as my present tribe, the Anglican Church in North America.

(Wow, that was about the worst kept secret in the world. Yes, I am no longer PCA. I am an Anglican evangelical.)

In a call to prayer before GAFCON's Jerusalem Conference, the chairman of the Primates Council, Nicholas Okoh--the Archbishop of All Nigeria--has put forth a request for prayer. In fact, it's a published booklet called Fuel for Prayer, outlining the hopes for equipping believers and evangelising the nations. Of particular interest is how Anglicans might be praying for the launch of nine networks for worldwide gospel effectiveness. The networks are Global Missions Partnerships, Church Planting, Theological Education, Bishop's Training, Youth and Children's Ministry, Women's Ministry, Sustainable Development, Intercessory Prayers, and a Lawyer's Task Force. With leaders from around the globe in Jerusalem to pray and launch these initiatives into existence, it will be intriguing to watch how the resurgent wave of Anglican evangelicalism moves forth from here. So far, a significant amount of what has united GAFCON has been a battle against progressive Anglicanism that disdains the authority of Scripture. Ten years into GAFCON's existence, the time is ripe to move from a battlefield to more mission fields.

Three families, three gatherings. I have links to all three. I pray for all three. I have cautious hope for all, with the overarching hope that God is sovereign.