I have long sought to be both solidly Presbyterian and consistently ecumenical. I think of serving as Co-Moderator of the National Presbyterian Youth Ministry Council while choosing to attend St. Olaf College, a school quite connected to the Lutheran Church (ELCA). It looks like my service as a member of the Presbytery of the Northern Plains will continue this trend.

Last week, I attended my first presbytery meeting as a Minister Member at First Presbyterian Church in Bismarck. Overall, I did enjoy the meeting and especially appreciated getting to know many of my new colleagues in the Presbytery (and wish the meeting could have had more friendly/meet and greet opportunities). What became apparent very quickly, however, is that the presbytery is seeking to understand what, these days, makes it Presbyterian. To be honest, I left the meeting with even less of an answer than when I arrived.

These numbers won’t be quite right since they change all the time, but my presbytery directory says there are about 25 PC(USA) Ministers of Word and Sacrament serving congregations in the Presbytery. There are 16 “Others Serving Presbyterian Churches” which include pastors (and different types of “lay pastors”) from the ELCA, UMC, AG, ECNA, and more. And we boast 16 Presbyterian Commissioned Lay Pastors, Certified Lay Pastors, and Commissioned Lay Pastor Leaners.

As part of the presbytery meeting, we had some conversations and activities to help determine the Core Values of the presbytery. As you might imagine, in a group as diverse as this we struggled somewhat. For example, if you are and Assembly of God pastor and this is your first PC(USA) presbytery meeting, it’s a bit tricky to hone in on what should be the presbytery’s core values. Finding any core at all, in fact, must be done very carefully indeed.

I preached a few weeks ago at First Pres Hallock challenging hearers to examine what makes them presbyterian. After attending presbytery, I think the question is harder for than group than it is for our congregation. A start, certainly, is that the presbytery is willing to change to survive, to welcome new forms of church leadership by lay pastors and those of other denominations.

But in the back of my mind is a question that’s been nagging at for many months now, a question left over from my Creation, New Creation, and Ecology class at Columbia Seminary: What makes a sustainable church?

So I wonder, is the presbytery truly sustainable with such numbers, ministers, temporary members, and commissioners? If so, what are we hoping to sustain — a Presbyterian identity? thriving small churches? evangelism and education? the core gospel message (and the PC(USA) stuff can work itself out)? I don’t know.

Our next meeting isn’t until February, so I’ve got a while to think (we meet twice a year, I’m told). I look forward to further understanding how the Presbytery of the Northern Plains can sustain be a healthy witness to Christ.

image by: Christophe Libert