This past Saturday was the second annual Fellowship of Reformed Churches conference. Our theme this year was “Humble Orthodoxy: Speaking the Truth in Love.” We explored dual aspects which seem to face reformed believers on these issues. On the one hand, some, including Brian McClaren and others have sought to redefine humility as uncertainty, labeling theological precision as pride. On the other hand, many reformed believers have been guilty of theological pride and the “Doctrines of Grace” have often been presented with little grace.

I want to comment on the actual gathering and sermons some other time, along with posting the conference audio, but before I do, I want to offer a couple of personal thoughts. It’s interesting to me that people often have a difficult time with a gathering such as this with no agenda other than gathering like-minded believers for communication, cooperation and community in a day of worship. There are a great deal of like-minded churches who share ties in the weighty areas of soteriology that otherwise might never communicate, much less worship together. This is the aim of the conference. Yet it seems that people still suspect that there is always a hidden agenda, whether it be to convince people of reformed doctrine or to make a denominational political power grab.

I would love to see some cooperative elements come from the relationships built at this conference. Perhaps a PCA and a Baptist church can get together for a evangelism or community service, reminding us of the catholicity that ought to mark The Church. We are not asking people to downplay denominational distinctives, these are certainly important and we must strive for theological precision. Yet it still seems that people greet any call for unity, even one such as this, clearly draped under the banner of reformed doctrine, with suspicion.

We need to remember that this term “catholicity” and the term “The Holy Catholic Church,” have nothing to do with the current incarnation of the Roman Catholic Church. Instead, it takes the idea presented by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:27: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” and reminds us that the “true Church,” the “Body of Christ” extends beyond denominational borders and there will be both infant and believer’s baptists in the consummated kingdom. There will be charismatics and there will be Anglicans. We as individuals make up the local church and we as denominations make up the universal church. The true “Catholic” church extends beyond our personal theological convictions.

The term appears in both the Nicene and Apostle’s Creed and serves to remind us that the true church is greater than our personal theoligical “pet issues,” whatever those might be. Why is it then that so many have such a hard time extending the hand of fellowship to those beyond their denominational village? More often than not it’s because we’ve been raised with such rigid denominational borders that it’s common to at least implicitly believe that those in another denomination just might not be saved. If we don’t go that far in our thinking, certainly part of us believes that at least they will receive a lesser degree of glory.

Yet the very idea of orthodoxy is comprised of both essential and non-essential doctrines. For example, Jesus’ divinity may not be compromised. This is an essential doctrine about which there is no debate. Yet, even the non-essentials help to define the boundaries. For example, godly men have taught both infant (Paedo-) and believer’s (Credo) baptism and are considered orthodox, yet baptismal regeneration is outside the bounds of orthodoxy. The point is that there can be a variety of opinions within the bounds of orthodoxy.

The reality is that we often not only mock, but we undermine that which we don’t understand. Many proponents of believer’s baptism knock down straw-men arguments about baptizing infants without truly striving to understand the covenantal framework that supports the doctrine for many brothers and sisters. Many reformed believers do the same and knock down arguments that are not actually held by those they would consider “Arminian” (while Arminians do the same thing. For example, “Calvinists don’t evangelize). It’s easier to believe the stereotypes than it is to strive to understand differing theological opinions. It’s even harder to extend that hand of fellowship.

My point is that, while denominational distinctives and theological precision are important (please don’t understand me to be saying otherwise), the Body of Christ is bigger than most of our precise points. We must foster a love for the brothers that are still brothers, even if they are on the other side of the wall we’ve created. As long as they’re inside the walls that Christ has created, they are brothers and sisters and we’d be better served seeking points of unity and cooperation rather than exclusion. If, as we sing, “they will know we are Christians by our love,” shouldn’t this love extend beyond our particular denomination?

The Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

• Read The Church by Edmund Clowney