But, aren’t you a Baptist?

This one certainly requires some explanation. I am not saying that I have become a proponent of infant baptism, nor am I advocating that we divide with those who do not espouse Calvinism as the only correct soteriology.

What, then, is it about Presbyterianism that I’m advocating? I’m so glad you asked! There are two things I will focus on: a “high church” ecclesiology, and liturgical worship.

First, I’ll discuss what I like about Presbyterian ecclesiology. But before I get into that, I should say that, as a Southern Baptist, I am in submission to the Baptist Faith and Message. So, while what I say here may seem in contradiction to this document, I believe that there is a way to reconcile an Episcopalian or Presbyterian ecclesiology with local autonomous churches.

I could write ten books on this stuff, so I’ll be brief here and hope to extrapolate on this material as people ask questions. In Presbyterianism, every church is a part of something much bigger than itself. Now, I know that every church is, in a “spiritual” sense, also a part of something bigger – the Kingdom of God. And I also know that we could argue that every SBC church is a part of something bigger – the SBC. But that is not what I’m talking about. Every Presbyterian church (PCA) that I’ve every visited had a strong sense of being in communion with each other. It is something truly precious to know that they would all work together – there is no such thing as disunity among Presbyterian churches. Everything gets tied together with a hierarchical form of church government (bishop rule). Ordination matters in Presbyterian churches. It is not a joke. There are both written and oral exams that a candidate must pass before the presbytery lays their hands on someone. It is not a 30-45 minute meeting – it takes all weekend. More on this later.

Second, I’ll pen (type) some notes on liturgical worship. Let’s be clear and state what should be obvious – everyone follows a liturgy. The question is whether it is a good one. Think about your church. Doesn’t it generally follow the same schedule every week? Sure, a different sermon, and some different songs and prayers, but for the most part, week in, week out, its another verse of the same song. This is not bad! However, if you only get four verses of Scripture read every week, how are you ever going to hear the full council of God? Not even in a lifetime could you cover the whole Bible. I have lots of thoughts here, but I’ll save them for later.

I hope everyone out there isn’t freaking out as much now as they were when they first heard me use the term “Presbyterian” to describe myself.