"His Barking Dog" Reduced to Depressed Stupor Over Tomorrow's "Painful Necessity" by PSW; After the Vote Will VF Finally Hear?

“When a member of a dysfunctional family pulls away, it gives the rest of the system a shock. The dysfunctional elements of the family will blame the one who is healthy enough to say enough is enough. But for others it is the opportunity to admit that things are not right. And that is the first step toward real reconciliation” (Dr. Art Jaggard)

Tomorrow the American Baptist Churches of the Pacific Southwest will assemble in the best baptistic fashion to vote. Their plebiscite will express the sense of hundreds of congregations as to whether belonging to the dysfunctional family called ABCUSA should be continued. The determination by the delegates will come after individual congregations met in dozens of church business sessions to discuss and to discern God’s will for their own futures.

Outcomes varied; some were unanimous such as mega church Pomona, electing to withdraw from the ABC; some were split, such as historic FBC Pasadena going two to one in favor of remaining with the ABCUSA.

Contrary to some blogs and message board postings, nobody has been celebrating, high-fiving, or taking this thing lightly. Most of us view withdrawal as a grievous necessity. For me, it feels like a death in the family, the hurt over a prodigal child, and a divorce (I’m guessing here) all rolled up into one excruciatingly painful loss.

Was there some other way? Could we have managed to make the statement to Valley Forge in a still definitive, yet less hurtful, manner? Arm chair analysts (me included) will debate the wisdom of the PSW board’s approach for years. But, at this point in our history, and yes, I still consider it “our” history, withdrawal would seem to be a tragic, yet necessary, action.

465 years ago TODAY, the magisterial reformer, John Calvin, wrote to the Queen of Navarre the words that became the motto for this blog: "A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent." (April 28, 1545).

Regardless of the final vote tomorrow, the churches of the Pacific Southwest, under the capable leadership of Dr. Dale V. Salico, are attempting to respond to an ongoing diminution of the Word of God at the hands of our leaders in Valley Forge. Some of them have been active in their denial of God’s truth; others such as Dr. Roy Medley have been merely complicit in tolerating what ought not be tolerated. Either way, enough is enough.

As Jaggard said: “When a member of a dysfunctional family pulls away, it gives the rest of the system a shock. The dysfunctional elements of the family will blame the one who is healthy enough to say enough is enough. But for others it is the opportunity to admit that things are not right. And that is the first step toward real reconciliation.”

[His Barking Dog yelps like a wounded pup today, barking with a soulful complaint of deep loss. Yet, it still is independent of the actions, policies, and persons in charge of the PSW and all other entities within it]