Small Presbyteries

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is entirely too big. Sure, as in years past, we removed approximately 60,000 more members from our rolls than we added in 2009. That’s the rough equivalent of a town the size of Bowling Green, Kentucky. We reel at that thought, because the people of Bowling Green are dear to us, too dear to lose.

Overall, the church has dropped from a high of 5 million members in the 1960’s to 2.1 million today. We’re here to look beyond reasons for this decline and suggest a way to stop the shrinkage, and, perhaps, reverse it. It fits under the back-door notion that the way for the church to grow larger is for it to get smaller. Here the words of the Baptist pertain: "[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

Our church is no longer the prominent religious franchise it was during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. We liked Ike, the officer and Presbyterian gentleman, but he passed away some time ago, as did the church we once were. When we say that the Presbyterian Church is too big, we mean too big for its britches. We strut around as if the world cares when we tell it what to do in this area of life and that one. The fact is that it doesn’t -- and won’t -- no matter the righteousness of our cause or how loudly we shout.

Showing a little humility about who we really are would be good for our collective soul. Maybe we reach that virtue by embracing our diminished size. Being small, powerless, and insignificant to the world puts us in good company. It’s the way of Jesus and of his early followers. It’s the way of the Hebrews in their reluctant march from slavery into freedom.

Permit me to set this idea in practical terms. Our Presbyteries are excessively large. We have belonged to three Presbyteries in our time, and each could be cut in half, into thirds, or even quartered. Allowing adjustments for varying population densities, here’s the New Rule:

Presbyteries should contain at least 6 churches and not more than 24.

Presbyteries sit at the center of the connectional church. The smaller the connecting points, the stronger the overall connection. There’s an electrical circuit analogy we could use about now, but we’ll spare you that. In our experience, the relational gap between the Presbytery and churches, especially smaller churches on the geographical fringe of the Presbytery, yawns widely. A small Presbytery could not afford to neglect one of its member churches, and neither could it afford to be neglected by one of its members. A Session would grow in responsibility not just for its own congregation, but also for the health of the Reformed church in its local area. The Smaller Presbytery is better positioned to become truly parochial, in the best, Wendell Berry sense of that term.

All of the Presbytery Executives and General Presbyters we have worked alongside have been stellar individuals. They have been real colleagues in ministry: lovers of God and the people of God, wise sources of counsel and support. However, we believe their days on the payroll of Middle Governing Bodies (what a terribly wooden phrase) are numbered, and I’m not speaking of those approaching retirement. These smaller presbyteries need but a part-time stated clerk, whose job would be to insure that the Presbytery’s business is conducted decently and in order.

Presbyteries as we envision them will be short on program and long on de-centralization. They will need minimal structure: a Committee on Ministry, a Committee on Preparation for the Ministry (we can imagine the COM and CPM combining in some cases), a Committee on Representation, and, perhaps, a Budget Committee. That’s about it.

Small group theory applies nicely here. Large groups gather in a sanctuary, an auditorium, and even a sports arena. We enjoy these settings. They can teach, refresh, and even inspire us. But personal growth is usually slight, because in large groups we observe more than act, and both risks and rewards are low.

If we want to grow spiritually, we do it best when we participate in a smaller group of people. In this group, personal trust and knowledge abound, and a creative tension is held between acceptance and accountability. The group members are honor-bound to love us, but they love us too much to let us get by with any flapdoodle. A spiritual challenge discussed with this group will be re-visited in subsequent gatherings, and the support received can send the soul soaring. Others may notice our growth in faith, hope, and love, and want to join our group. Thus it grows.

The same applies to Presbyteries. The more tightly churches are connected, the more those churches reflect the grace of God. Churches that are truly local and in close conversation with a few other neighboring churches, will grow, in mission, membership, and, Lord willing, in number of congregations.

Keep all that in motion for long enough, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) will get Bowling Green, Kentucky back and maybe similar communities in years to come. That’s the theory, anyway.

Next, we will cover small churches, described, as they will be, as the bane and blessing of the Presbyterian Church (USA). But the topic at hand is enough for the day. Get small, presbyteries, so that bigger you will be.

Those are our thoughts. What are yours?