Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mark@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mark Smotherman) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Fellowship and doctrinal agreement Message-ID: Date: 25 Jan 91 05:40:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Clemson University, Clemson, SC Lines: 47 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu >>[... Presbyterians -- although we have standards that officers >>pledge to be guided by in some general sense -- require nothing of >>members other than the pledge that they have Jesus Christ as their >>Lord and Savior. ...] > [... I don't know what standards the PCA, OPC, etc., have for > membership. Our PCA church requires that each prospective member come before the Session (i.e., board of elders) and have a credible profession of faith. This involves sharing his/her testimony of faith and answering questions, which, for our pastor, always include one of the Evangelism Explosion questions: "If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven?" + "Why?" "If you were to stand before God at death and he asked why he should let you into heaven, what would be your response?" This is true for anyone, even those who "want to move their letter". Membership, therefore, does not require acceptance of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), which represents what the denomination believes is a summary of what the Bible teaches. However, the PCA was founded in 1973 with the idea that officers (teaching elders, ruling elders, and deacons) would strictly subscribe to the WCF and Larger and Shorter Catechisms. It's a current issue among some in the denomination as to whether "strict subscription" is being followed or not. Under strict subscription, a sticky point comes with Sunday School teachers, small group leaders, music directors, etc. Should they be required to subscribe strictly or not? What our church has done in the past is to ask the candidates for these positions to read the WCF and state any points on which they disagree. These points are listed in the Session minutes along with the motions to accept the candidates, and the candidates are asked to avoid teaching on any areas of disagreement. > > I think the primary difference between PC(USA) and PCA is that the > PC(USA) does not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture and the PCA > does. Out of this come all the other differences, such as ordination > of women. > --clh] Agreed. -- Mark Smotherman, Comp. Sci. Dept., Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 INTERNET: mark@hubcap.clemson.edu UUCP: gatech!hubcap!mark