1/20/12- Is There a Difference Between the ECO and the Split Ps?

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 ¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

 ¹⁵ The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19)

(Elijah on Mt. Horeb- Greek Icon)

Thoughts: I have been listening, as many have about the differences between the Presbyterian denominations.  I wish we could almost have different people speak to these differences.  But since there is no conversation or debate, and people are trying to make educated choices, I thought I would give my point of view. 

Basics:
PCUSA- The main denomination- with about 11,000 churches. There are over 300 churches in SC with 72,000 members. 

OPC- Orthodox Presbyterian Church- Formed in 1920s. There are 2 churches in SC. 

BPC- Bible Presbyterian Church- split off the Orthodox in 1920s over millenialism and Carl McEntyre.
PCA- Split off in 1973 over reunion with the north and Women's Ordination. Since merged with the RPCES (mainly in the midwest- RPCS was a split with the BPC). 1,455 churches 306,000 members.There are about 95 churches in SC. 

EPC- Split off in 1981- 300 churches 115,000 members. Allows for women in ministry and charismatic gifts, but freedom over this.  There are 8 EPC churches in South Carolina (Hilton Head, Florence, Longs, Overbrook, Anderson, Dutch Fork, Clover- their presbytery goes from Virginia to SC). 

The OPC, BPC, PCA, EPC all have as their confession the Westminster standards (WCF, Larger and Shorter Catechisms). 

ECO- Evangelical Covenant Order- splitting off in 2012 over ordination of practicing homosexuals, loose sexual standards, lack of world mission and new church development.  Wanting less control of the denomination and more trust. It is affiliated with a group of evangelical churches who wish to remain in the PCUSA through the Fellowship of Presbyterians. Its confessions include 11 confessions that also are agreed to in the PCUSA (Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, Scots, 2nd Helvetic, Heidelberg, Westminster Confession and catechisms, Barmen Declaration, Confession of 1967, Brief Statement of Faith). They also have Essential Tenets that summarize their beliefs and help interpret the confessions, and a pastoral rule. In South Carolina there are roughly 90 churches who have shown interest in either affiliating with the Fellowship of Presbyterians or joining the ECO. 

It appears to me that for many they are making a decision to either 1) Remain in the PCUSA, 2) Go to the ECO, or 3) Go to the EPC.  It also appears to me that denominationalism is less important than it used to be (except for the extremes on either side- like the BPs and PCA).  The EPC and ECO have similarities- mainly they are more gracious and flexible, have their own property. 

So here are the differences as I see them between the EPC and ECO:
1) The EPC allows that you can say no to women's ordination.  There are some presbyteries in the EPC that do (Florida presbytery- so First Orlando when they join will have to go to Georgia presbytery to continue their women's ordination). 

2) The EPC only has the Westminster Standards- and the ECO has the Book of Confessions (see above).  However, they both have essential tenets that help interpret the confessions. 

3) The EPC recently asked that their chaplains not serve communion with the chaplains of the PCUSA.  This is probably and indication of one of the main differences.  To me it appears similar to the Donatist controversy  (where some said-around 380 AD- that if a minister had been unfaithful to Christ their baptism and communion were no longer valid.  Augustine wrote-- and the church agreed-- that baptism and communion do not depend on the purity or association of the minister but on the Lord who makes the sacrament holy).  But this also indicates the EPC's disdain for the PCUSA and those who are still inside it (Apparently- or practically joining the PCA in calling the PCUSA apostate). For me, this just seems ironic- one week you're an apostate member and the next because you change your institution you are not.  I am an Augustinian on this point- the church will always be somewhat unholy- there is no perfect or pure church.  When a church's ecclesiology is to be the pure church on earth, then there will be continual splits (as there were within a few years when the OPC, BPC, and RPCES split off each other in the 1920s).  What makes a church or a Christian holy (or unholy) is not the denominational affiliation- but the Lord.  

Again, for me, the church will always be somewhat unholy.  If we want to be biblical in our theology and ethics, then we also should be biblical about our ecclesiology.  Often the church was corrupt in the Bible (Elijah's day it almost died out).  But instead of advising the church to form a new nation or church, God advised the church to find those who were still faithful.  Certainly Jeremiah, who lived in a most corrupt time, did not seek to form a pure Israel.  Jesus, who lived in a really corrupt day, had his followers kicked out of the church- but their purpose was to reform Israel.  Paul did not advise the sexually permissive Corinthians to form a new church, but to make efforts to fight sexual immorality in their midst.  Thyatira had a corrupt leader- a "Jezebel"- but the faithful were not told to go out and form a 2nd church of Thyatira- but to "only hold onto what you have until I come" (Rev. 2:24,25). Luther and Calvin did not originally seek to form new churches but to reform the old- but were excommunicated.  If the Bible is truly the basis of our debates- there are far more calls to love one another, to keep the peace and unity than there are calls to split off when the church sins.  For me, the Fellowship of Presbyterians provides a differentiation from the unbiblical and lackadaisical stance the PCUSA, and has a way to keep (at least my) church together.  But for those who leave, the ECO provides a more biblical  way to not cast rocks at those who are trying to be faithful to the scriptures and where God calls them to serve.