Well it's been a fun ride until recently, now I find myself in search of a new church. Up 'til now I have taken church membership just about as seriously as the covenant of marriage! But no longer. In it's founding documents, the PCA describes "membership" as stictly voluntary (perhaps owing to prior experience with the liberal PCUS), and advises that individuals and churches can leave the PCA whenever it seems good to them.

My PCA church has:

* Adopted an increasingly "Anglican / Orthodox" style of worship. This past Advent season the pastor even admitted to not knowing what the colored candles of the Advent Wreath represent (and it's hard to know really, since Googling it brings up several dozen possibilities), yet we light them anyway because it's a beautiful tradition.

* Ignored the very real threat posed by teachers of the Federal Vision by not "rocking the boat." Our delegation to the last General Assembly simply toured the beautiful city of Charlestown instead of participating in "that business stuff."

* Not dealt appropriately with a minister who has "covertly" led studies of N.T. Wright's theology (Anglican, FV) because he wasn't acting "in an official capacity" when doing so.

I have been a member of three Presbyterian churches. The first two were basically run by one family or one person in spite of the Presbyterian model. No "rules" were broken, but the intent of the Presbyterian form of government is to prevent this kind of thing. It obviously doesn't work as intended.

I'm not inclined to simply go to one of the other PCA churches in town. I'm rather disenchanted with the PCA entirely, and with Presbyterianism in general. The very specific and extremely detailed Westminster Confession of Faith is apparently not specific enough to prevent whole denominations that claim it as their doctrinal standard from going completely off the rails in both doctrine and practice.

I did manage to find a Reformed Baptist church locally, though, and am enjoying a friendly e-mail exchange with the pastor in which I bring all my "Presbyterian sensibilities" and compare them with Reformed Baptist ones. It has been cordial, helpful, and educational so far. I'm "almost persuaded" to become a Baptist! And I must admit to being much more open to their semi-congregational form of government as well.

Prayers for wisdom and purity of heart are needed and welcome!

~Robin