Sons of Patriarchy The Anti-Denomination
Dec 23, 2024
Join former CREC minister Jeff Moss as he reveals the intricacies of the CREC's structure and culture. With over a decade of insider experience, he explains their mixed polity, the influence of Doug Wilson, and how the denomination navigates theological diversity. Jeff discusses its unique ordination practices, sacramental administration, and the unusual rise in membership during COVID due to a strong stance against lockdowns. Delve into the competitive visions within the CREC, where cultural activism and liturgical revival clash.
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CREC Founded As A Reactionary Communion
- The CREC was founded as a reaction to other Reformed bodies, prioritizing cultural engagement over strict theological uniformity.
- It emphasizes liturgy and cultural distinctives while allowing broad theological variance among member churches.
Wide Theological Latitude, Tight Cultural Bonds
- The CREC tolerates wide differences on baptism, communion, and church offices within the same denomination and even presbytery.
- In practice, shared cultural commitments like postmillennialism often hold the communion together more than confessional uniformity.
Wilson's Self-Ordination Story
- Douglas Wilson recounts assuming the office of elder after a pastor left and no officers objected, which he describes as a congregational ordination.
- Jeff Moss and others characterize that event as self-ordination since no formal laying on of hands or external ordination occurred.
