Paul's Passing Thoughts

The late Dr. John “Jack” Miller must be smiling right now. His Sonship Theology which was born of the Australian Forum’s centrality of the objective gospel and transmitted in Presbyterian circles via Westminster Seminary is well on its way to finishing off what’s left of the PCUSA. When Sonship Theology started taking on heavy flack in 1999, its handlers changed the name to “Gospel Transformation.” The doctrine left the Forum in two directions: Reformed Baptist circles via New Covenant Theology, and Presbyterian circles via Jack Miller’s Sonship Theology.

The doctrine was pretty much snuffed out in Reformed circles where fiery Baptist pulpit pounders called it out for what it is: antinomianism. But in Presbyterian circles, “antinomian” seemed “extreme” and even “harsh.” Well, now that the doctrine is getting ready to completely consume the PCUSA, at least everybody will still be friends.

The doctrine was a born sectarian beast. A biblical sect is a group that divides using false doctrine. The movement, now known primarily as New Calvinism, never started its own congregations, but instead started groups and organizations for the sole purpose of orchestrating hostile takeovers of existing congregations. That’s what sects do. Ernest Reisinger left the Presbyterian Church circa 1980 to start Founders Ministries for the sole purpose of taking over the SBC with COGOUS (the centrality of the objective gospel outside of us).

The Bible makes it clear that there is only one way to stop a gangrenous sect: confrontation and separation, but the leaders of our day thought they could take a softer approach; such as, forums where everybody could get together and have “discussions” about such “disagreements” that the church has “struggled with for centuries.” There isn’t truth verses deadly false doctrine, just “disagreements.” A good example of this is Jesus’ letter to the eighth church where he told them to get together and discuss “disagreements.”

And by the way, the doctrine is sanctification by justification with Gnosticism as its “practical application.” No big deal; let’s talk. The sectarian arm of New Calvinism that is polishing off  the PCUSA is the ECO, or Evangelical Covenant Order of the Presbyterian Church. They recently announced the following:

ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians says that 47 congregations are now in the process of leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA) and preparing to join the new denomination.

“This process is different in the context of each presbytery, but always involves careful discernment, discussion, prayer and several congregational meetings” according to an April 27 press release.

The release said that Trinity Presbyterian Church in Satellite Beach, Fla., with 877 members, was the first congregation to begin the process.

Some of the churches in the process of leaving the PCUSA and joining ECO that have either had their decisions publicized in newspaper articles or on public blogs include:

First Presbyterian Church, Colorado Springs, Colo., 4,108 members

First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, S.C., 3,508 members

Indian River Presbyterian Church, Fort Pierce, Fla., 631 members

First Presbyterian Church, Dunellen, N.J., 290 members

United Presbyterian Church, Canon City, Colo., 168 members

First Presbyterian Church, Miami Springs, Fla., 73 members

ECO’s release stated that “Other congregations will be voting in coming weeks. Yet another group of congregations is in the process of discernment with their sessions.  After each congregation votes there still needs to be a vote to approve release by their presbytery.”

And by the way, the organization only opened its doors in January of 2012. This exact scenario is taking place in the SBC and any kind of intestinal fortitude to stop it is nowhere in sight.

I am no prophet, but the future is easy to call on this one: new denominations will be forming to offer an alternative to New Calvinism which has all but completely taken over the church. Historically, this is how denominations happen.

paul