8/20- My take on the Fellowship Conference

8/20 Overall Impressions

The Fellowship of Presbyterians has now become "The Fellowship Community."  There has been a friendly separation from the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO).  We still share the same theology and share in many mission ventures together.  Mission Accountability Groups and Pastor Accountability Groups are intertwined still between Fellowship affiliated churches and ECO churches (we can still learn from each other, still hold each other's feet to the fire for doing the Lord's work).  There was some administrative confusion.  Also, this will allow for more variety in meetings.  We could have a Fellowship meeting without ECO, for example.

Having been to both the PCUSA General Assembly (five times) and this Fellowship National Gathering, I would say I am so much more encouraged at the Fellowship gathering, and felt we had some great and practical teaching, good fellowship, some movement toward real accountability, and a sense the church was moving forward- instead of I have to go back and apologize for some debate.  There was very little debate, but lots of thought and a sense of pulling together to reach people for Christ, and do justice.  There were many more mission affinity groups at this gathering than at the PCUSA General Assembly.

Philippians 2:1-2 says, "If you have any encouragement from being united in Christ, if any comfort in his love, if any fellowship from the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by BEING LIKE-MINDED, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."  I felt I was with folk who shared the same beliefs and the same goals as our church.  There was a sense of moving forward in glorifying Christ.

We had General Assembly folk there.  The PCUSA 1001 Worshiping Communities folk were there.  Went to a seminar by Vera White.  Linda Valentine, the CEO for our PCUSA Presbyterian Mission Agency spoke to the Fellowship group.  She mentioned that she (the PMA) wanted to be there for us if we had questions or help doing missions.

I am especially grateful for the leadership of Paul Detterman, Jim Singleton, and Bill Teng who have helped pilot our ship into these waters.

In short, it was one of the best, most encouraging conferences I have been to.  There was little angst over what was going on in the PCUSA, but a lot of focus on doing the Lord's work.