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Wes said:

John,

This church sounds more like Alcoholics Anonymous rather than a Presbyterian church. However, at AA meetings there is generally quite a bit of smoking.

If you don't join this church what other options do you have?


Wes

Wes,

I know your comments are probably a mixture of joking and seriousness, and normally I could laugh along with you, but I guess this is one of those times where I just don't feel in a humorous mood. I have come to love this church dearly and to be confronted by this situation has been a difficult. I have always felt that the teaching (as best I could understand) at this church has been very faithful to Scripture. That's one of the reasons this situation has shocked me a bit. As much as I love this church, I just can't agree to their membership requirements as, in my mind, it's a very serious Biblical error. I've written to my pastor for clarification, and I'm really hoping that I misunderstood something in my converstation with my pastor last Sunday.

In the event that I understood correctly, I suppose I have several options none of which are that appealing to me. One is to continue to attend the church as a non-member. Two, the pastor mentioned something about a guest membership. Three, search for a new church.

To be honest, if I am to continue living in Japan for a long time, neither one or two seem proper to me. I really think that as a Christian I should join a a local expression of the body of Christ. If I am in such disagreement with the leadership of a church that I would be refused membership, it doesn't seem like a good situation to continue to attend for an extended period of time. The idea of a guest membership (whatever that is as I've never heard of it before) doesn't seem good to me either. Searching for a new church really seems to be the option that keeps popping in to my mind, but it's the one I least want to do as finding good churches in Japan is very difficult. Plus, being a foreigner here, I have felt that there is some suspicion (could be my imagination) by Japanese churches of foreign people when they first begin attending. It took me a long time to begin to feel comfortable at the church I'm at now and to get people to talk with me, and I don't relish (to be honest I somewhat dread it) going through that process again. It is probably the most likely option if what I thought I understood is actually correct. According to my pastor, the Reformed Church of Japan doesn't have the prohibition against drinking/smoking that the PCJ does, so I may look there. Anyway, I'm continue to pray about the situation and am confident that God will turn this situation for my good and his glory.

John