How Dare They Call The Social Gospel a Heresy?

THE PCUSA PROPHET SAYS

How Dare They Call The Social Gospel a Heresy?

Rev. Dr. Paul Samson

Those who went to seminary during the "Social Gospel" period of Protestant intellectual excess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Gospel saw the emerging concepts of the Social Gospel showing up in our denomination in the 1958 Statement – PC(USA), p. 537. Most of us believed that we were supporting the good causes of our time. Racial equality was the leading cause of the day. The Social Gospel seemed like a good idea back then, and was embraced with enthusiasm by liberal seminaries and main line clergy.

Since I was theologically and socially liberal, I began my career as a clergyman by seeking a Doctor of Ministry degree which required a “social gospel” project. I continued to serve in these kinds of projects for the next twenty years. I specialized in “urban ministry;” feeding the poor, working for justice, jail and prison ministries, pastoral psychotherapy, community organizing, campus chaplaincy, etc. Eventually, I was asked to teach an “Urban Ministries” curriculum at a noted seminary.   A student came to me for counseling.  After several therapy sessions the student said to me, "I came to a clergyman for counseling because I wanted to know about God.  So far you haven't mentioned God".  I was convicted of putting secular values above the Gospel. 

While I was teaching I began to survey my career and examine what had been accomplished.   I realized that for many years I had been fighting evil in the hope of establishing good. When I looked around I realized that there was just as much evil in the world as when I had begun my career, maybe more!

My results for a 20 year struggle were a big fat zero, perhaps even a negative impact on the people I had so enthusiastically wanted to help.

Unfortunately my denomination, PC(USA) had been experiencing the same dynamics. Did PC(USA) advance the Kingdom of Heaven by following the social gospel? Could PC(USA) point to any significant accomplishments? No! The negative effects of the social gospel on Presbyterians in general were even more pronounced than in my personal experience. PC(USA) now has less than half the members it had in the middle 1980s. The denomination is filled with strife and court cases involving churches who want to leave PC(USA) as a matter of conscience. Decisions made by the General Assembly were not the result of the will of elected representatives but were rather the result of the goals of secular activists, while the leadership of PC(USA) was complicit in that outcome.

So, just about the time I rejected the social gospel and began making the foundation of my ministry the traditional gospel, PC(USA) doubled down and increased their commitment to a latter day heresy.

A recent sermon covered the story about the beheading of John the Baptist as reported in the 14^th Chapter of Matthew. Imagine how John’s brutal death at the hands of a Roman puppet king would have affected the small community of the emerging followers of Jesus. Jesus’ response was to continue advancing the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than reacting to the worldly events. Mark reports, in Chapter 6, verse 34, that after John's beheading Jesus “saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” Then he made sure they had something to eat.

Jesus knew to not react to the world, but that his mission was to first proactively advance the Kingdom of Heaven.

Had PC(USA) been around in those times we would have seen a much different response to the beheading of John the Baptist. The General Assembly would have issued a “strongly worded statement” disapproving of Roman rule of the Holy Land, and condemning Herod for the brutal murder of John. The PC(USA) feminists would have protested the exploitation of exotic dancers being used for political purposes. Many PC(USA) leaders would encourage and participate in protests against Herod, and in favor of John the Baptist. They would show up at these events soaking wet, to symbolically show their commitment to John the Baptist.

Is being opposed to tyranny a good thing? Yes. Is being opposed to brutal, unreasonable punishment a Christian obligation? Of course. Is pointing out the injustice of how exotic dancers are treated a good thing to do? Unquestionably. Is showing solidarity with others who are attempting to create a better world, a policy that deserves to be supported? Sure. 

Do any of these things advance the Kingdom of Heaven? No.

Keep in mind that it was not the feeding of the five thousand that advanced the Kingdom. It wasn't the hunger of the belly that gave rise to Jesus’ compassion. “He was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” Then he turned his attention to their physical hunger.

Now, I have no way of knowing if my speculation is correct. These fictional ancient Presbyterians may have found other ways to react to the world. But, it is a sure bet that none of the PC(USA) leadership would have been at the lakeside addressing the spiritual hunger of five thousand people by sharing the traditional gospel message.  They would have been at the temple busily protesting injustice.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt 6:33

Since I remain a liberal theologian I intend the next sentence symbolically.  Two generations of Presbyterians have been conned by Satan into “seeking all these things first” rather than “First seeking the Kingdom of God.”

The social gospel is a heresy because it causes Christians to react to the world first, rather than advancing the Kingdom of Heaven. Those worldly (secular) concerns are legitimate, but they are a distant second place to the traditional gospel.

SEE: 

THE OFFICIAL TEXT OF THE NOTIFICATION EMAIL - PCUSA - Advisory Referendum

AND: 

Sidetracking the Mission of the Church with the Social Gospel

AND:

The Ultimate Bankruptcy of the Social Gospel  http://crdaily.com/2010/02/07/the-ultimate-bankruptcy-of-the-social-gospel/

WHO IS PAUL SAMSON

Who’s joining the PCUSA exodus?

Much has happened since this article was published nearly a year ago.  The most recent General Assembly activities have accelerated to departure from PCUSA.  THE PURPOSE OF THOSE WHO SUPPORT THIS BLOG IS TO REFORM PCUSA AND STOP THE EXODUS.  

Who’s joining the exodus?

Departure of PC(USA) congregations to other denominations accelerates

SEPTEMBER 20, 2013

The Presbyterian Outlook

LESLIE SCANLON

LOUISVILLE

The exodus from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues, as congregations seeking a more conservative home leave for other denominations. Some are small congregations ― 20 or 30 members ― and some are among the largest and wealthiest churches in the PC(USA).

The departures, mostly for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, have been ongoing for some time now, but the cumulative impact is adding up. ECO reports that 60 congregations so far have formally joined its ranks, with more either in discernment or on the way.

The PC(USA) reported that in 2012, the denomination dismissed 110 congregations to other denominations, compared to 21 in 2011. Another 86 congregations were dissolved ― typically, too small to continue operating ― and overall, the PC(USA) lost more than 102,000 members in 2012, according to the denomination’s 2012 comparative statistics report.

That 5 percent membership loss constituted the denomination’s net numerical loss since the 1970s and largest loss, in percentage terms, in almost 50 years of ongoing membership declines. The PC(USA) now reports 1.84 million members, less than half of its peak membership of 4.25 million members in 1965 and down from 1.95 million members in 2011.

Some of the potential departures have been low on drama, particularly in presbyteries with gracious separation policies. Others have involved lawsuits over who owns the property ― such as the one Highland Park Presbyterian Church, with nearly 4,900 members, filed Sept. 10 in Dallas County District Court against Grace Presbytery.

The court filed a temporary restraining order, which for 13 days would prevent the PC(USA) from interfering with the congregation or the property. A key focus of the dispute is whether Texas courts are likely to rule that a local congregation owns its own property, or whether the courts would consider that the property is held “in trust” for the denomination.

Grace Presbytery posted a statement on its website that “we are shocked and saddened” that Highland Park chose to file the lawsuit. “There has been no conversation at the presbytery level to seek control of their property or establish a commission to work with the church during their period of discernment as to whether or not to seek dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA),” the statement continues.

Some other prominent congregations are currently in the discernment process ― meaning that departure may be imminent, although no formal decision has yet been made.

Among them are Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in San Francisco Presbytery, with more than 3,300 members, whose session voted June 11 to seek dismissal from the PC(USA) and to affiliate with ECO. Menlo Park’s pastor, John Ortberg, was a speaker at ECO’s national gathering in Orlando in January 2012.

Another considering leaving is St. Andrews Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif. In June, the 3,000-member congregation voted 923-120 to begin discussions with the Presbytery of Los Ranchos that could lead to St. Andrews’ departure to another denomination.

In June, Los Ranchos adopted a new “property policy and procedures,” which outlines how the presbytery will be in conversation with congregations considering leaving the PC(USA).

Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minn., with more than 5,300 members, voted 86 percent in a congregational strawpoll in December 2012 in favor of moving to ECO. In May 2013, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area appointed an administrative committee to work through the departure process with the congregation.

First Presbyterian Church of Houston, with more than 3,500 members, voted in January 2013 to enter into the discernment process that the Presbytery of New Covenant has established for congregations contemplating transferring to other denominations.

Other congregations, such as First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, Wash., and First Presbyterian Church, Fort Collins, Colo., First Presbyterian, Hollywood, Calif. have opted to stay ― with some of them joining the Fellowship of Presbyterians as a means of finding common ground with other evangelical and mission-focused PC(USA) Presbyterians.

“What is the problem we are trying to solve?” Fellowship president Jim Singleton asked in a September e-mail news update. “How can The Fellowship help stagnant congregations flourish?”

WHO IS PAUL SAMSON

THE OFFICIAL TEXT OF THE NOTIFICATION EMAIL - PCUSA - Advisory Referendum

Volunteers have used editorial discretion in distributing this nationwide call to action.  The official text is below.  

This has been sent to all synods, their presbyteries and congregations and thousands of individual members of PCUSA

MASS EXODUS

More than 2 million members have left PCUSA since the 1983 merger about seventy thousand a year.

 In keeping with the teaching of John Calvin and John Knox, we encourage people to REFORM our denomination, rather than resign from it.

We aim to reform and rescue PCUSA.  We also pray, like a member of the Westminster Assembly, who many years ago declared, "O God, we beseech Thee to guide us aright, for we are very determined."

Those who went to seminary during the "Social Gospel" period of Protestant intellectual excess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Gospel  saw the emerging concepts of the Social Gospel showing up in our denomination in the 1958 Statement – PC(USA), p. 537.  The Social Gospel seemed like a good idea at the time, and was accepted with enthusiasm. In retrospect we realized that:

1) We were tragically wrong!

2) All of Christianity has suffered!  

3) We had been deceived into thinking that fighting evil would establish good.

Now, we are learning to not react to the world but to proactively advance the Kingdom of Heaven.

82% of Presbyterians who have responded voted YES to this Advisory Referendum question:

 "Should PCUSA avoid divisive secular issues like gender politics and international conflict and focus on ministering to individuals and raising up disciples?"

Sample ballot here: 

http://savepcusa.blogspot.com/2014/07/pcusa-advisory-referendum.html

FOR THE REST OF THE STORY GO HERE http://savepcusa.blogspot.com/

TO COMMENT BY EMAIL savepcusa@gmail.com    

For decades the General Assembly decisions have been weighted heavily by the influence of the Social Gospel theology. More than 2 million members have left PCUSA since the 1983 merger; roughly seventy thousand a year.  The leadership of PCUSA is a failure. Their wrongheaded secular philosophies and lack of leadership inspired by scripture are destroying the church. The well-informed local church members see this clearly.  The “Social Gospel Heresy” is destroying the Presbyterian Church!  PCUSA is a detriment to Presbyterian churches across America. 

FOR A WELL WRITTEN REVIEW OF THE DYNAMICS BEHIND THE PCUSA DECLINE PLEASE SEE -  The End of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

How Dare They Call The Social Gospel a Heresy ?

http://savepcusa.blogspot.com/2014/08/how-dare-they-call-social-gospel-heresy.html

To illustrate the distance between this PCUSA leadership folly and the wisdom of the well-informed membership, I am suggesting that ALL congregations, presbyteries, and synods conduct an Advisory Referendum, and share the results with PCUSA.

~~~~

Furthermore, how many members would we lose if we told the congregations that their church property was subject to being confiscated if they decided, as a matter of conscience, to no longer be affiliated with PCUSA?  

i.e. Founded in 1926, Highland Park Presbyterian Church is a 6000 member church in Dallas Texas. Highland Park Presbyterian left PCUSA and joined Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians in October of 2013.  Now Highland Park Presbyterian is involved in a lawsuit with the Presbytery to determine who owns their church property.  

SEE -  Highland Park Presbyterian Church v. Presbytery of Grace, which is scheduled for trial in October 2014. 

 http://www.hppc.org/assets/1711/plaintiffs_origin_pet_appl_inj_relief_file_marked.pdf 

Other cases here: http://www.pcusa.org/news/2013/9/20/whos-joining-exodus/

What? Our local congregation does not even own the church our contributions funded!?! 

This is so morally outrageous that, if well known, we would lose much of our membership, even if the Social Gospel issues were never mentioned.  

Significant reform is necessary to save PCUSA!

*PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE MORE LEGAL INFORMATION IN THE FOOTNOTES OF THIS BLOG POST.

http://savepcusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/save-presbyterian-church-usa.

WHO IS PAUL SAMSON