Foundation for Reformed Theology  
Calvin
John Calvin
(1509-1564)
In this Email
On Essential Tenets: A Resolution
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Greetings! 

I am grateful for the generous responses to my recent series of emails on "the essential tenets of the Reformed faith," an infelicitous phrase appearing in the third ordination question of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

As a result, I am prepared to offer an alternative. Please see below a resolution to change the language of this question.

Let me ask every recipient of this email to consider offering this as a resolution in your own presbytery, with the hope that several presbyteries will send this to the next general assembly for its consideration.

If it would be helpful to you to review the previous emails, they are archived at these links:

On Essential Tenets, Part 1 of 3: An Inherent Problem

On Essential Tenets, Part 2 of 3: A Relational Problem

On Essential Tenets, Part 3 of 3: A Counter Proposal

On Essential Tenets: A Resolution

 

Whereas the wording of the third ordination question (Book of Order, W-4.4003c) is inherently problematic, in that the phrase "the essential tenets of the Reformed faith" contains a contradiction between: (a) that which is "essential," which is to say necessary, and therefore by definition un-reformable and un-Reformed; and (b) that which is "Reformed," which is to say always reformable into greater obedience to Scripture, and therefore by definition not necessary or essential; and

 

Whereas the wording of the third ordination question creates confusion as to whether a specification of said "essential tenets of the Reformed faith" would be: (a) distinct from and authoritative over The Book of Confessions; (b) one more document, on a par with the others, in The Book of Confessions; or (c) simply a subordinate list in the Book of Order; and

 

Whereas the wording of the third ordination question requires only a minimal profession of faith, affirming only the (unspecified!) "essentials" but not necessarily the rest, and whereas the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) would be better served by asking of its ordinands a maximum profession of faith, which would also require a working knowledge of The Book of Confessions on the part of each ordinand and each ordaining council;

 

Therefore be it resolved that the Presbytery of the James asks the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to submit to the presbyteries a proposal to strike the current language of the third ordination question (Book of Order, W-4.4003c):

 

Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?

 

and to insert the following in its place as new language for the third ordination question:

 

Do you acknowledge the confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as the official statement of its faith, and do you concur with them as expressing your own faith? Do you agree to abide by them as you exercise your office in the church?

  

Thank you for your attention to this. I believe this resolution provides an opportunity for the church to refocus it attention upon the historic faith of the church, as articulated in our confessions of faith, and this could and should be very good for the church. Please keep me posted on what you are able to do and how it goes.

Dr. James C. Goodloe IV Grace and Peace,

    Jim 
Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Executive Director
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