(NOTE: www.seventeen82.com is a platform to develop discussion and dialogue about the issues of the church. As the ARP Church gets ready to meet this week. We have opened this up to all our regular authors and well as any other who wished to write about the issue before the upcoming ARP Synod this week. - The Editors)
Synod Week Article #1: Another Alternative Option - Tom Shoger
I was asked to write this post which has to do with the upcoming meeting of the General Synod of the ARP Church, and specifically recommendation #5 of the Blue Ribbon Committee report. But before I state another alternative option, let me emphasize two things. First, this is not an “either, or” alternative recommendation, but rather a “both, and” option. The second thing is a Scriptural point from my devotion time yesterday morning from 1 Corinthians 14. Verse one reads “not to quarrel over opinions.” The church at Corinth was divided over opinions on various issues, and without going into the details, the Reformation Study Bible note includes these words;
“...While Paul does not regard these controversies as insoluble, he regards the unity of the church’s fellowship as more important than resolving them (cf. 12:5, 10, 16). The issues in view here did not belong to the gospel, ...Where essentials of the gospel were at stake, Paul’s response was very different (e.g., Gal. 1:6, 7; 3:1-5; Phil. 3:2, 18,19).”
So my second point is that while the issues the committee is reporting on are very important, they do not belong to the gospel. I pray that we would all keep these two points in mind.
The Blue Ribbon Committee was, among other things, charged with “offer[ing] alternative options” to Synod. I would like to propose “Another Alternative Option” to recommendation #5. Recommendation 5 asks “That a reallocation of at least $3,000,000 from the net assets of Synod boards and agencies to the ARP Retirement Trust Fund be approved, ...” While I have a number of issues with recommendation 5, like, 1) the legality of taking funds specifically solicited for one purpose and changing that purpose without the written consent of the original donors, or, 2) regardless of legality, ignoring the moral responsibility of a Christian church to the donors who gave specifically to a solicited use. But both of these issues pale by comparison with my biggest problem with this recommendation. That problem is that, in my opinion, it does not first and foremost give God an opportunity to work through God’s people for God’s glory.
I know we’d all agree that we serve a big God who is unlimited in knowledge and power and majesty. We would all readily agree that we serve a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, meaning He owns everything that He created. We would agree that God is unlimited in His resources and importantly in His mercy and grace to His people. And our catechism is clear about our primary purpose in existing; “Man’s primary purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” The only question in my mind then is how do our actions in everyday living reflect our belief in these truths? Or, stated more to the point here, how does the immediate authorizing of the reallocation of millions of dollars give God an opportunity to be uniquely glorified in this situation? Could we not first of all state a period of time for making the need known to the church, and allowing time to raise funds as God moves in the hearts of His people? To be sure we would need to honestly confess the failure of the Synod in years past to properly steward the retirement funds, but I believe such confession, along with the impending negative impact upon ministers in the years ahead, would be used by God to raise significant money for the retirement fund deficit.
So my Alternative Option is to first give God an opportunity to providentially act through His people to raise the needed money for the retirement fund through a Capital Campaign. Then after we see what God will choose to do, only then would we proceed to a second phase which would be to then look at reallocation of other Synod assets.