# Interfaith / InterReligion 'Ministry' Dilemma



## WarrenInSC (Dec 15, 2007)

Back in May, there was a thread discussing the issue of a PCA church evaluating an 'InterFaith' ministry:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f71/interfaith-ministry-21513/


It's known as 'Interfaith Hospitality Network" or "Family Promise".
Family Promise
It is an 'inter-faith' ministry to homeless families.

Subsequent to the end of that thread, I was able to contact the initiator of the thread to find out 'the end of the story', namely that his session had done what I view as the right thing, and rejected church involvement in it.

My interest was not academic, as I already knew (July '07) a 'sister' church in our PCA presbytery was trying to lead the organizing of just such a network in our county. I knew solicitation of our church to be involved would not be far behind. Sure enough, by late October I found out the diaconate was well on it's way to recommending to our session that we join up. At that point, I spoke with both the co-chairmen of our diaconate to express my concerns about it and provide them the research I had done, including the earlier thread noted above. True to their word, they noted my objections to a joint meeting of our session & diaconate when they were making their formal recommendation to join the network. That resulted in a request from the senior pastor to meet with me and the assistant pastor to discuss my concerns. At the end of Nov., we did meet for over an hour of spirited but friendly discussion where I was able to summarize and respond to them. Their responses to my objections were not what I consider to be persuasive at all. However, I just learned that the session has given approval to move ahead and join this network. 

My objections to the church, as a church, being involved are:

1) This constitutes what I call 'unequally yoked ministry'
Each week the homeless family being helped in moved from one religious group (church, synagogue, mosque, meeting house, etc.) to another to share responsibility for housing them for a week. We are in joint 'ministry' with other religions in the eyes of the ministry recipients.
These networks often issues 'press releases' noting the various groups involved, which will put a public face on our linkage in 'ministry' with these other faith groups, whatever they may be.

2) There is a specific prohibition against the faith groups involved doing any proselytizing (read evangelizing). We are forbidden from having any spiritual counseling or evaluation as a required part of our ministry to the homeless. If they happen to 'ask', that's ok - but nothing spiritual can be integral to the program.

3) Working in this network will, I believe, result in an inappropriate delegation (I really want to say abandonment) of officer responsibilities and authority to an outside board that can be expected to include non-Christians, much less unordained members of a wide variety of churches calling themselves Christian. 
The ministry recipients will not be vetted by our diaconate, and once a family is 'in the program', we will not have the option/power to 'revisit' their admission - all that will be decided by an outside board.

My dilemma is, what to do now - and for that I ask for your Godly wisdom. I have not shared my concerns about this with anyone else in our church up to this point, in an effort to avoid unnecessary division or disrespect of the session's leadership. The various options I can think of are:

A) Do nothing. Grin and bare it without further action.

B) Join in and help anyway as the leadership has made it's decision

C) Leave and join another church that exhibits better wisdom.

D) File a complaint with Presbytery (have no idea what their attitude will be).

E) Other?

I am inclined at this point to go with "D", but would like your input


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## Contra_Mundum (Dec 15, 2007)

Knowing presbyterian polity, you must (probably) file your first formal complaint against the session to the session. Then you may have to appeal their decision (depending on the Book of Church order) to the same session for a second look, and only then may you take your appeal formally to the presbytery.

It probably would not hurt to familiarize yourself with your church's bylaws, and your Presbytery's bylaws.

If you want something done faster at the Presbytery level, you would need another church (session) or minister to approach your church with _their_ concerns on the same issue. In other words,, you speak _informally_ to someone on that same presbytery-level, to bring FACTS (not your feelings) to their attention, and let them do what they will, and in their own timing. Do they feel the "tainted" by unbiblical or unrighteous associations?

My point is: if you mean to pursue this, you need to 1) do it "by the book" and 2) be prepared to go through a long, protracted process of court. There are no short-cuts. If such matters are not followed, a church _that may be in the wrong_ is nevertheless *justified* in saying, "If this was worth addressing, then it was worth addressing properly, and since it wasn't, we haven't been shown that we are doing wrong. Until then, we will assume that we have made good judgments."

This is why process is not unimportant. I pray you make a wise decision.


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## larryjf (Dec 15, 2007)

Warren,

It's good to hear from you again.

I would ditto the "doing it by the book" if you wish to pursue it further.

I did want to say that i don't think you should leave the church in any case. Church is a serious commitment, and not one to leave when we don't agree with decisions...unless they fall under 3 categories...

Right preaching of the Word/proper doctrine
Right administration of the sacraments
Right use of discipline

I would shy away from leaving church for any other reason.

However, if your conscience is convicted i would also recommend that you do not participate in the ministry.


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