The Way That We Did It

I want to start explaining why Free Church folk should be excited about the revision of the Statement of Faith by writing about the way we did things. This is not to say that things were always done perfectly all along the way. But the overall process was the right way to do things.

The Spiritual Heritage Committee (SHC) of the EFCA was commissioned by the Board of Directors with drafting and redrafting the revision. The SHC was made up of the EFCA director of credentialing and biblical theology, five pastors, and the president of Trinity International University (the EFCA's college and seminary). These men are pastor-theologians. They are not squirreled away in ivory towers, but are on the front lines of ministry, serving as undershepherds of the flock of God. The revision was not a mere academic exercise, but rather an exercise in practical theology and pastoral care.

In addition, these men handled themselves with great integrity and displayed much love and self-restraint. They were criticized, sometimes rightly, sometimes unfairly. But they consistently responded with humility. I learned much from watching their work.

The process was handled transparently. Each draft was made widely available through mailings, emailings, and the EFCA website. The revision was discussed at national meetings, district meetings, and ministerials. It was written about, blogged about, and debated. It was handled patiently, with the first draft going public in December 2005, but the final vote taking place two and a half years later.

It was done with the right attitude. The debate at the June 2008 National Conference was characterized by a sweet spirit of love and patience, with a genuine desire for unity, but at the same time with an unflinching commitment to truth. In an age in which we see too many denominations being pulled apart by wavering on biblical truth, the EFCA moved in the opposite direction and grasped our biblical convictions with an even fiercer embrace.

The EFCA did it right. I came away from the National Conference rejoicing over being part of this denomination, and worshiping God for His faithfulness to us.