Gathering X

I've been to several Gatherings, over the years. They are organised by the Presbyterian Coalition, an umbrella group designed to pull together the different Renewal groups within the Presbyterian Church. About ten years ago, when the ordination standards battles were really beginning to get under way, the Coalition was created in order to co-ordinate an orthodox response. Differences of emphasis or theology were set aside in order that conservative evangelicals, from five point Calvinists to charismatics, could come together to face a common threat. There has been a great deal accomplished over the years. Not only was the challenge to ordination standards defeated, but an increasing number of evangelicals have found themselves in positions of responsibility within the denomination. And, if some things have not gone as we would have wished, for example in the adoption of the PUP report, then we can at least argue that the outlook would have been very much worse without the Coalition. I'm grateful for all of the resources that have been produced over the years; for the tremendous amount of advocacy work that has been done; for the support given to churches and individuals that have fallen foul of the system; and, most of all, I'm grateful for the friends I have made across the denomination, with whom I share a commitment to the historic formulations of the Reformed faith. The Presbyterian Coalition has been a blessing in my life, and to many others.
Nevertheless, I have to say that I've been disappointed by the latest Gathering, which has just concluded, in Houston. First, I have to admit that I missed the last morning, initially because of an emergency hospital visit I had to make; then, because Tropical Storm Erin closed SH 288. With hundreds of other motorists, I found myself stranded by the flooding, then had the novel experience of driving the wrong way on a state highway! I hope not to have to do that again. So, my experience of the Gathering is incomplete. However, I don't imagine that there were more people there today than on the other two days. In fact, there were probably fewer. The Layman reported 97 in one session (www.layman.org/ article on Aug 16). In another, I counted less than 70. Is this really the best that the renewal partners can do? Why do we always need a cause to move us out of our indolence? Last year, in Atlanta, over 400 people showed up. Perhaps we could bribe one of the progressive groups to come out with something crazy every year, just to increase attendance at Coalition Gatherings?
More seriously, I was disappointed by the tone of the meeting. It was dominated by a few voices. They had good things to say, and the plan for the reformation of the church is a great piece of work, but there was no energy in the meeting. No fire. Listening to one plenary session, with a panel, I found myself thinking that this was more dreary than some of the debates I've listened to in Presbytery. That's saying something. The material was thoughtful, serious and well-presented, but it was also tired. Apart from a passionate plea for personal repentance, brought by Joshua Lee from the National Presbyterian Korean caucus (or whatever it's called), the event never seemed to get out of first gear. Is it time for a new thing? Do we need a new generation to begin to take ownership? Or are we simply all out of new wine?