2001 PRESBYTERY RETREAT

Skycroft Conference Center, 23 June 2001

Ross Graham: The biblical role of the Regional Church
Bill Krispin: The ministry of the Regional Church
Recapitulate and capture session
Strategizing and listing priorities

8:55   Welcome by Steve Green.  Dick Ellis welcomes guests from Fredericksburg, VA group.

Worship led by Steve Green. Apostles' Creed. Romans 8:12ff. Hymn 223 (Arise, my soul, arise) (old hymnal). John 13:12ff ("Love one another.") Romans 5:7-8. Our love compared to Jesus' love for us; we confess that we have not done this. Season of prayer. Psalm 103:11, 12. Hymn 195 (Alas, and did my Savior bleed). Galatians 3:1–5. Hymn 421 (Rock of Ages). Tape of song by Rich Mullins:

If I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace that first brought me to you
If I sing, let me sing for the joy that has borne in me these songs
But if I weep, let it be as a man who is longing for his home.

Ross Graham: "The Biblical Role of the Regional Church"

Acts 14:26–15:29. Prayer that God will challenge and feed our hearts.

Growth of OPC has led to formation of new presbyteries. What are they supposed to do?

1. Reviewing the principles of biblical church government.
2. Deriving axioms from the presbyterian principle of connectionalism.

• Historical concept of the presbytery.
• Implications drawn from historical and biblical material.

Thomas Witherow (1865) (Free Church of Scotland, 1967) --principles from the New Testament:

• The office bearers were chosen by the people.
• The office of bishop and the office of elder were identical (e.g., Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7).
• There was a plurality of elders in each church (e.g., Philippians 1:1).
• Ordination was the act of the presbytery--of the plurality of elders (e.g., Acts 6).
• There was the privilege of appeal to the assembly of elders and the right of the church to speak (Acts 15), implying "Connectionalism"
• The only head of the church was the Lord Jesus Christ (e.g., Ephesians 5).

Axioms derived from the principle of "connectionalism."

• The decisions of some bodies of elders extend beyond the local flock to the surrounding region.
• Office bearers are subject to the body of elders of the region in which bounds they minister (Acts 21:17–26; Galatians 2).
• There is such a thing as a regional church (the OPC apparently is the only denomination that uses this term) (Galatians 1:22: written to a regional church).
• The presbytery is the overseeing body of the regional church.

Surveying the historic development of the concept of the presbytery.

• Not much known about early church, but that men rose to oversee--episcopal form of government for a long time, until Reformation, when the mutual responsibilities of officer and members was reexamined.
• The development of early Reformed polities. John Knox's Scotland: "superintendents". 1159 in France: "colloquy"  "classis" in the Netherlands.
• Calvin's Institutes 4.4.2--Friday morning gatherings of ministers in Geneva.
• The “Exercise.” 1579: Church of Scotland: "The exercise may be judged to be a presbytery." Entire chapter of Knox's book of discipline devoted to "the exercise": (weekly meeting with exhortation and theological discussions). These meetings were going on at the time of the greatest expansion of the church. Based on I Corinthians 14:26–34.
• The purpose of the Exercise. Develop gifts and learn study/growth methods. Recruit new leaders. People attended to learn.
• The Exercise becomes the presbytery. Took on authority and business aspects. (1579 matter of discipline referred to Exercise.) Discussed questions from local sessions. People did not participate. Meetings became less frequent.
• The development of the presbytery in the New World. 1706: organization of a General Presbytery. 1716: first Synod with three presbyteries. Exercise left behind. Focus on development of ministers, discipline. View of one church across geopolitical lines (influence on government?).
• Some conclusions from the this study of presbyterian polity. Changes in polity may still be ahead. Opinions of 17th century not normative (e.g., their practices were subject to abuse).

Drawing some implications concerning the regional church from our biblical and historic foundations. (Drawn from RPCES Illiana Presbytery study in 1975.)

• The regional church is to perform those functions which the local church may be unable to perform by itself. Not a "preaching church", joint activities in many areas.
• The presbytery of the regional church is responsible (primarily) to care for the health and protection of its local congregations. Acts 11 ("trial" of Peter before the church).
• The presbytery of the regional church provides a place of appeal for the resolution of grievances and theological disputes. Jealously guard the rights of Jesus' sheep, not allow things to be messed up by even well-meaning elders.
• The presbytery of the regional church is responsible for the care and training of those called to preach the gospel.
• The presbytery of the regional church is responsible to establish new local congregations and to spread and defend the gospel in its region.

Spiritual oversight and administration to prevent and correct abuses. Less easy when great distances. Administration emphasis in proportion to distance. For smaller presbytery, can focus on spiritual development.

How will it be for this regional church?

Break followed by discussion of ideas for connecting, what to do when we meet, etc.

Prayer by Steve Green. Lunch break. 12:55: Prayer by Steve Green. Introduction of Bill Krispin.

Bill Krispin

Bill's experiences in Philadelphia, particularly the mentoring provided by the African-American pastors he met there as a newly graduated seminarian. He learned to care about the city and to see how God was working there. He also learned to walk together with others and to trust God.

The "Exercise" exists today in Philadelphia in the form of the Baptist Ministers' Conference.

Methodist camp meetings were places for the itinerant preacher to train lay preachers.

What ministry should properly take place among and by the congregations of the regional church?

The OPC FOG chapter 14 says that the presbytery is the governing body for the regional church, and that the presbytery has the power to order whatever pertains to the spiritual welfare of the churches under its care. Also, the presbytery is responsible for evangelism and to foster fellowship in worship and nurture in the church as a whole within its region.

What does it mean for us as a regional church to be God's people in this region?  Should have an annual meeting to assess the state of the region. Consider relevant statistics. For example, numbers of new members each year, broken down according to new professions, covenant members making profession, transfers, etc. (Twice as many people came in via transfers as did by new profession of faith in 1995–1999.) What is the percentage of covenant kids making profession of faith each year? Is it what should be expected? Why or why not?

Statistics show that 85% of OPC members are in church on Sunday, but around 55% are in Sunday School? Why? What is the main source of nurture if not the Sunday School?

We should be discussing things like this at presbytery meetings, in pursuit of life and vitality for the church.

Similarly, we should be discussing plans for evangelism and nurture. For example, retreats and training for members and local church leaders. Have regular assessments, perhaps by considering a different aspect of church life each time and having the best person (OPC or not) make a presentation on the subject.

We need to create an environment in which any one of us who is having trouble will look to presbytery as a source of help and encouragement.

Combined worship service for all the members in a region has been appreciated in Philadelphia.

Interpersonal dynamics among presbyters

Who pastors pastors? Elders need training to oversee pastors. This is training that should be provided by the presbytery.

We have a lack of balance in the amount of attention given to candidates for ministry and established ministers. For example, if we regularly inquire into the spiritual health of members, do we also regularly inquire about the spiritual health of our elders and pastors?

The qualifications for office are the characteristics of a mature believer--the offices should be leading in the pursuit of these characteristics.

We need to encourage one another to "walk the walk" in specific ways, e.g., ministering to the church in our home.

We can support one another by coming alongside each other; by calling and asking for prayer needs, etc.

How can we mentor in specific ways? We need to study this, or perhaps just care enough to find ways. We should be ready to have the next generation stand on our shoulders.

The leaders (elders, pastors) should take heed to themselves. They should not just be on the lookout for things that might be going wrong, but instead continually be looking for ways to grow.

Make session a safe and honest place where we can minister to one another on a personal level, not just business.

Recapitulate and Capture Session

Thoughts/Ideas

• More opportunity to hear each other teach/preach and to interact about messages.
• Cultivate open vulnerability with each other.
• Define purpose of regional church to care for local congregations.
• Make good use of our statistics. Consider what our statistics tell us about our congregations and the regional church. Act/strategize on what we learn.
• How to grow in prayer for each other and the compassionate engagement with each other.
• Recognize pull toward business in presbytery away from shepherding each other.
• Examine ourselves in view of FOG14, especially regarding responsibility for evangelism.
• Willingness to learn from experts outside our circles.
• How to proactively nurture and define clearly how to care for men under care.
• Create a climate for presbyters to ask for/receive help for their ministries.
• Cultivate among members of congregations that we are a regional church.
• Purposeful mentoring and battling isolation.
• What is our call as a regional church in this time/place?
• Time and priorities.
• Regional church gathered for worship.
• Presbytery's role in training shepherds for pastoral ministries.
• Training ruling elders in shepherding.
• Qualifications of candidates for the ministry--balance of theology and shepherding.
• Interacting on questions from sessions.
• How to develop clusters of churches to minister together.
• Dream/plan for next presbytery division.
• Presbytery have more non-administrative time together.
• Church plants with teams of gifted people working together to plant the church.
• Targeting DC and Baltimore for church planting.
• Improve our communication with each other.
• How to use "presbytery" to edify each other and promote interpersonal sharing/accountability.
• Pulpit exchanges--perhaps on designated dates.
• Fostering involvement of ruling elders.

Strategizing: Steps and Issues that have Priority.

The following issues were given priority:

• Define purpose of regional church to care for local congregations.
• Suggestion: each session discuss ideal interaction with regional church and give information to visitation committee for collation on behalf of Presbytery
• Work on communication à cooperation.
• Sessions in local area meet together, or watch one of them meet in order to learn.
• Analyze statistics to learn about ourselves and act on what we learn.
• Recognize pull toward business in presbytery meetings and away from shepherding each other.
• FOG14.5 Evangelism.
• Nurturing men under care.
• Training ruling elders for shepherding.

Green, Harris, Miller, Sumpter to refine summary of discussion relating to strategies and send out.

4:44 Closed with prayer by Steve Green.