Being Reformed - A Desired Uncertain Future

The average age of a Presbyterian in the PC(USA) is over 60 years-old. We are one of the oldest denominations in the country. Our shelf life is at best 20 years. I don't say that as a scare tactic or to shock folks. It's stated with sadness because this is just the plain truth.

The PC(USA) faces two futures: a certain future and an uncertain future.

• a certain future: if the PC(USA) does nothing to change, it will die. This is absolutely certain. We cannot continue doing church in the same ways and hope that a bunch of young new Christians are going to just start showing up at our churches. That's just not going to happen. If the PC(USA) does not change, the PC(USA) will die.
• an uncertain future: if the PC(USA) truly re-claims its heritage to take on the ministry and the mission of Jesus Christ even at the cost of losing its very life in order to connect and share the good news of Jesus Christ in a post-Christian, post-denominational, post-modern world - perhaps, in laying down our denominational and institutional ways, we may just discover life and renewal in ways we never imagined. But the risk is that it may not look, feel, smell much like the PC(USA) as we know it today.

And there's nothing wrong with that. If we have come to a time when the PC(USA) as we've known it for the last 30+ years since re-union has served her purpose, then that's okay. Neither God nor the world needs the PC(USA) to be rigidly the PC(USA) as we've known her the last 30+ years in perpetuity. As the needs and the realities of the world change, so denominations change. And this kind of change is not a bad thing or a good thing. It is just what it is - the times have changed.

Isn't this what it means to be reformed and always reforming? Isn't this the essence of what it means to be reformed?

We need not be afraid of change. God is always at work. God will work in such a way as to receive the glory and honor even in a post-Christian, post-denominational, post-modern world. And the instrument God will use is the church of Jesus Christ.

It is my prayer and hope that the PC(USA) will so position herself in such a way God can use her to be an instrument of ministry and mission for the Kingdom of God in the imminent uncertain future.

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