Several months ago, we tossed out a post asking our presbymergent community to come up with some questions for the candidates for Moderator of the General Assembly. Here are your questions, in poll-style — vote for your favorites, and we’ll present the top five to the candidates.
Hint: You can stuff the ballot box (vote often) if you wait 24 hours and then vote again.
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{democracy:4}
I pray there is an open bar!
Great questions!
I have a question that maybe some of you can answer in regards to questions within the PCUSA. I’ve been following this website for a while and like the energy and passion for change coming out of the PCUSA. I’m a United Methodist youth pastor and will soon go to seminary to become ordained. However, I don’t really care for the episcopal system that governs our church and am very attracted to the PCUSA’s call system.
Here’s my question : How are you dealing with the issue of predestination in regards to emergent conversations? As you rethink your theology I’m sure that this issue has come up. Basically what I want to know is do you have freedom on this issue? Are all of you united on this issue?
thanks
Josh — Presbyterians are about as united on any given issue as Methodists are–which is to say not really!
My background was also in the UMC, and I served as a youth director in a UMC church before becoming Presbyterian, and like you, I’m also on my way to seminary and (God and my CPM willing) ordination.
I do think there is a lot of freedom in the PC(USA) because it isn’t episcopal in it’s governance. But I’m sure we have our own share of trade offs. At worst, the tyranny of the DS or Bishop is often merely replaced with the tyranny of the local church session — both can be very slow to change, and wary of theology that has any appearance of “unorthodoxy.” But at best, I find a wide diversity of theological thought and expression from Presbyterian ministers and laity.
As a church member, at least in my own church I haven’t heard much conversation one way or another around the issue of predestination. But then again, I haven’t made my way through a Presbyterian seminary yet (that starts this summer).
I’ll leave it to others in this community to respond as to the place predestination holds in our practice (as opposed to our heritage), but my sense is that it’s somewhat of a non-issue. Sola Scriptura, and all the other “Solas” seem to be our current idols of choice worship.
People just don’t ask about it, in my experience. I think it’s possible in our churches to not buy into predestination. I don’t think it’s possible to not buy into the sovereignty of God, the importance of scripture, and the holiness of the community. But I know a heck of a lot of universalist clergy and elders, if you really press them on it.
Thanks for the comments!
Come to think of it, we really don’t talk about being Arminians in the UMC either. If I asked our congregation if they were Arminians, 9/10ths wouldn’t know what that means. However, I do think that pastors should do a better job explaining their tradition’s theological views; especially an issue as important as divine election.
I guess what I’m wondering about is if I were to be standing in front of the board of ordained ministry (or whatever your group is called) and they asked me point blank about my view on predestination, I could answer them honestly and have no concerns about not being ordained or not fitting in theologically.