Am I a bad Presbyterian?

This week, my brand of Christianity, has our large denominational meeting in Detroit. We call this meeting General Assembly (GA). It has representatives from across the country and advisers from around the world gathering to make decisions on rules of government, policy, and theological stands. But, I find myself less enchanted with the meeting than in the past. I really don’t care about what happens. Here are a few of my reasons. Please, let me know if these are wrong.

My number one reason is little if nothing changes. Again this year, a debate will be held on sexuality and the ability of LGBT to hold office in our denomination and marriage. This debate has been going on for about as long as I have been alive. There is no middle ground for either side. It has come to all-or-nothing. It will continue to bring pain to the whole. I don’t have an answer for a middle ground. This topic is sided with a more recent action to suspended investment in companies selling machinery and supplies to Israel for the express purpose of pushing the Palestinians out of their homes and property. This also is a all-or-nothing debate. Those wishing to stop the expansion call for support and peace for the Palestinians. The other side is calling on the support of Israel. I can make connections with both sides of the debate. No one will really win in the end. The hardest part of the argument is that both sides are claiming this will help the expansion of God's Kingdom. After all the fighting (there is and will be much) no one wins. Christ is divided further; more finances, resources and energy will be wasted. All of this will mean we’ll revisit the issues in two years and debate among our local regions till the next assembly.

The policy's created and started at GA are all trickle down. As we face some of the worst economic factors in modern history, I am told the ideas of Trickle Down Economics do not work. Our government once had this type of policy during President Reagan's terms. We are told it does not work today. Why are we doing this in the church. Two very promising proposals of education action and missional church focus are being proposed to the assembly for a focus in the next few years. We want these ideals to trickle down to the local level. How? Many of our loyal and faithful members of the denomination are not aware that GA is meeting this week much less the issues being discussed. If these policies pass, how will they be enacted locally? How can we get funding to local congregations? If trickle down does not work in economics, why should we think it will work in churches?

In over ten years of ministry, I have been frustrated by events at the GA. Yet, for all the frustrations, I do not remember a time when I had to change any practice or ministry in my local congregations because of the decisions. I just saw the loss of resources to debate (nice word for fight) issues with no middle or compromising position. SO, in the end, I admit, I do not care. I will pray for the delegates and their travels. I hope and pray for the day when our assemblies become less bureaucratic. But this is the nature of an institution. Here is one idea, lets start a national orphanage for the children being housed on the military bases. Give the children some positive reinforcement for education and a better life. Just maybe, a taste of Christ's grace. This might just start a pandemic among the congregations.

But I am just a simple pastor who might be admitting to the world, I am a bad Presbyterian.