This afternoon, following the recommendation of its elders, East River Church voted to resign from its membership in the Communion of Reformed Evangelicals (CREC).
Don’t know all the complexity but always appreciate your openness and honesty about life. Never been an Elder or a teaching Elder but have been a baptized follower of Christ for over forty years, life gets bumpy and church life can get bumpy from time to time. It’s always comforting to know God never changes and is closer than a brother.
Honestly, pretty frustrating to hear this. The hordes are at the gates of Christendom yet you are disfellowshipping with the only solid reformed and conservative presbyterian denomination... We got to remain unified in times like this. Open to pushback just seems like a sad situation IMO.
Brother, we made vows before our congregation to uphold our constitution and confession—documents that reflect our actual beliefs. We find ourselves in this societal situation because too many lack the integrity to keep their vows, instead adjusting their beliefs and practices to conform to outside pressure. That won't be us.
However, our working relationship with the men in the CREC remains intact. For instance, I’ve invited Joe Rigney to speak at two upcoming conferences—one next week and another in a month. All is good.
This is distinctly NOT disfellowshipping anyone. ‘Peacefully’ ‘No ill will’ and ‘continue to encourage’ seem more quite conciliatory and even friendly. Magnified considering its brevity
This is how we should handle doctrinal differences
Have you published anywhere what your exceptions are to the Westminster Confessions and/or what your sticking points would be with going into the PCA or OPC? I'm curious because from the sampling of content that I've read of yours I share many of your beliefs, and I appreciate how you come to your conclusions. So I'm hoping that it could help me find spots to wrestle with. I'm looking at enrolling in GPTS, and going into the ministerial candidate route for the OPC.
Don’t know all the complexity but always appreciate your openness and honesty about life. Never been an Elder or a teaching Elder but have been a baptized follower of Christ for over forty years, life gets bumpy and church life can get bumpy from time to time. It’s always comforting to know God never changes and is closer than a brother.
Honestly, pretty frustrating to hear this. The hordes are at the gates of Christendom yet you are disfellowshipping with the only solid reformed and conservative presbyterian denomination... We got to remain unified in times like this. Open to pushback just seems like a sad situation IMO.
Brother, we made vows before our congregation to uphold our constitution and confession—documents that reflect our actual beliefs. We find ourselves in this societal situation because too many lack the integrity to keep their vows, instead adjusting their beliefs and practices to conform to outside pressure. That won't be us.
However, our working relationship with the men in the CREC remains intact. For instance, I’ve invited Joe Rigney to speak at two upcoming conferences—one next week and another in a month. All is good.
I read it twice.
This is distinctly NOT disfellowshipping anyone. ‘Peacefully’ ‘No ill will’ and ‘continue to encourage’ seem more quite conciliatory and even friendly. Magnified considering its brevity
This is how we should handle doctrinal differences
Going PCA then?
That decision will be a process that will take a long while.
Have you published anywhere what your exceptions are to the Westminster Confessions and/or what your sticking points would be with going into the PCA or OPC? I'm curious because from the sampling of content that I've read of yours I share many of your beliefs, and I appreciate how you come to your conclusions. So I'm hoping that it could help me find spots to wrestle with. I'm looking at enrolling in GPTS, and going into the ministerial candidate route for the OPC.