Pastors' Gathering at the Piper Conference

Below is a letter from Rev. Jack Gray (Sully, IA, CRC) reporting on a small gathering of pastors during the Desiring God Pastors' Conference in Minneapolis at the beginning of February.

Dear Brothers,

Most of us CRC pastors who attended the John Piper Pastors’ Conference were truly inspired and energized by the event. It was great to hear God’s word straight and clear without any nuance to what God says. It is great to be in a company where God’s word is held without reservation. No 'Did God say . . . ?', but 'This is what the Lord says...' In my view this is the defining issue among us in the CRCNA, what we do with the Bible.

Eleven us present at Piper’s Pastors’ Conference went to dinner together on Tuesday night and two ideas surfaced in our discussion.

First, we are aware of Reformed Churches and their leaders who do not like the drift they are seeing in their denominations. Perhaps this idea was spawned because of the next speakers coming to address the Michigan Returning Church movement from University RCA. “Why We’re Not Emergent” is a great topic presented by men, Kevin De Young and Ted Kluck, who likely share our vision for Reformed orthodoxy, though I do not know these men’s views personally. Should we open the Returning Church to RCA pastors and congregations who desire to see their denomination also return to a solid foundation of Biblical, Reformed thinking?

Second, many of us find great support in events like Piper’s Pastors’ Conference, R. C. Sproul’s Conferences, the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, and others like them. We are looking outside the CRCNA for guidance, direction, and support. We can all cite reasons for the drift in the CRCNA, but one of them in my judgment was the immersion of pastors and leadership persons from congregations who were paid to attend events at the Crystal Cathedral or Willow Creek. This shifted focus from our great gift to the body of Christ—solid, Biblically Reformed thought— to other priorities that now drive the CRCNA agenda. Could we find some benefactors who would support pastors and church leaders to attend the conferences and events that are so encouraging and uplifting to us? I discovered on the last day of the Piper Pastors’ Conference from one of their staff people that the reason many churches have several people there is that they consider all elders to be pastors. Could we arrange for some persons to finance pastors and their church leaders to attend conferences like these that stress our Biblically Reformed theology and faith? If we could, we might significantly influence the atmosphere of our congregations and eventually our denomination.

We wish you Michigan Returning Church men well in the upcoming event at Calvin Seminary and the Philadelphia Conference. I went to the Philadelphia Conference several times the years I served in New England, and then several us started a conference patterned after it that is still going. We need the camaraderie and mutual support to stand strong for our Reformed faith in the current church culture of our time.

For the preachers have a great day Sunday as you bring God’s word, which is after all, what we really are—preachers of God’s great word. For you who listen Sunday, keep praying and working for the church to return to its historic Biblical Reformed roots.

Yours, Jack