The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) has a reputation for being one of the most conservative denominations in the country. Though not large, it is widespread. Yet a proposed memorial is publicly undermining this reputation.
Memorials state the position of the CREC on issues on which a confessional statement has not yet been made. The proposed memorials would be binding and any church looking to join a CREC presbytery would have to state their exceptions to the Book of Memorials. The proposed memorials are up for their first reading this week.
These proposed memorials stand at odds with the tenor of the existing memorials. They are vague and condemning of things that aren’t even sins, like identity politics which is a morally neutral political strategy that could manifest itself as simple bloc voting, like a certain white Evangelical voting demographic. Anti-Semitism is also ill-defined, which is bad as the Bible is credibly anti-Semetic according to the Anti-Defamation League. The memorial “On Anti-Semitism” is predicated on a specific interpretation of Romans, which therefore goes beyond the purpose of the memorials.
The memorials will be presented for a first reading and discussed at this council, next week.
— Rick Davis (@TheRhetorRick) September 23, 2023
A vote on them would happen at the next council in 2026.
Above all, these proposals come off as a virtue signal that will not signal virtue but rather weakness should the CREC leadership adopt them.
