January 17, 2007

“New Wineskins Strategy Team Report released in preparation for Winter Convocation”
Press release

WICHITA, Kansas – At the summer 2006 Convocation, a strategy team was commissioned by the voting delegates of New Wineskins to develop action plans for New Wineskins Association congregations. Their report is now complete and is being released today in advance of the Winter Convocation. “We wanted to be sure that Sessions had time to review this document in preparation for gathering,” said Tom Edwards of the New Wineskins Association of Churches.

Next month the New Wineskins will hold a 32-hour meeting February 8–9, at the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando where this report, among other plans will be taken up. The report will be published in print format, but is now available free online at: http://www.newwineconvo.com/Strategy_Team_Report.pdf.

The 155-page report includes 125-pages of exhibits to help resource congregations for these challenging times. It also includes an executive summary and diagnostic analysis of what has brought the PCUSA to this place.

“We are far beyond the point of needing ‘mere renewal’ in the PCUSA. Our branch of Christ’s church has come into spiritual bondage – running after the gods of the age, rather than submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ alone,” stated Wineskins coordinator Tom Edwards.

“God wants all of us, and he will not rest until our allegiance and devotion is to him and his Lordship alone. The God of the universe, whose name is jealous wants all of us, not just part of us,“ said Edwards. “As the late Robert Boyd Munger used to tell his students, ‘Many people believe in a great God… but not for very much.’” Edwards noted: “We are believing for our great God to do a new thing in his Church here in America and throughout the world.”

“We are in the midst of a full-blown realignment of the Reformed faith in America; it is an exciting time to seek God’s will for a new thing,” said Edwards. He adds: “With the rapid acceleration of people around the world coming to faith, we are also seeing the rise of a ‘Global Confessing Church’ which is not ashamed of the gospel, nor ashamed to declare that Jess Christ alone is Lord of all.”

“Presbyterian realignment is not going to look the same as Anglican realignment, Methodist renewal or Roman Catholic revival,” said Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was keen to remind that “God is not in the habit of repeating himself.” Neither does God implement a cookie-cutter program to fix the messes we have made of his Church. God would jealously have our attention and affections for himself alone; so God does not rest in calling us to faithful obedience to his Lordship alone: in our own lives, in his Church and in the world. The New Wineskins work is an effort to make Jesus Christ the center of all that is done in the church.

What good is a church which no longer believes its primary purpose is to be salt and light in a thirsty and dark world? What good is a church seeking only safety, comfort and sinecure? What good is a church that no longer believes a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift ever offered by God to the world? “There are many forms of idolatry alive and at work within the PCUSA,” noted Edwards.

Registration for the Convocation may be made online, or mail in forms may be downloaded at: www.newwineconvo.com. The Convocation will begin with worship on Thursday 8 February at 1p. Dr. Sameh Maurice, co-pastor of the Kasr el-Dobara (Presbyterian) Evangelical Church of Cairo, Egypt and vice chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization will preach.

For further information, log on to: www.newwineconvo.com, or contact New Wineskins at 888/754-9693.