Meeting the Moderator

Last night, I was in Springfield for a town hall meeting with the Moderator of the PC(USA)'s 218th General Assembly, Bruce Reyes-Chow. It was truly an enjoyable evening.

There were two things he said that interested me.

1. The affinity groups, groups of folks who organize themselves around a specific issue, don't see him as a player so they ignore him... and he's all right with that.
2. He sees a future in the church where polity and policy discussion is taken more on an issue by issue basis than it is a "party line" basis.

When I was in high school, in the late 70's, my government teacher told us to find a political party you agreed with and work within the party because that's the way government works in America. Well, Mr. Sparks might have been right in the 70's, but this way of doing government is falling by the wayside in America...and in the PC(USA).

Bruce said that people will occasionally ask him "how can you work with those people?" The answer then becomes "I agree with them on this matter." It becomes necessary to develop relationships, not coalitions to follow and further the kingdom. Our adversary style of polity assures that the minority opinion is heard, but it seems now that affinity may be becoming a thing of the past.

Proof of that became clear by the comments of two men who were at the last General Assembly. One talked about folks who "wore the same stoles and travelled in packs" and another talked about a small group who became friends at the Assembly who did not travel in theological lockstep and remain friends working as companions in ministry.

Guess which one has travelled the highways and byways of the denomination for 30-40 years and which one was a college student. If there is hope in the chruch, it is in those who see beyond single issues and see the kingdom. It is better to see the way than the rock in the road.

Thanks Bruce, thanks to the John Calvin Presbytery, thanks to First and Calvary Presbyterian Church in Springfield. It was a great evening.