As an aid to Commissioners to the 2014 General Assembly of the PCA regarding the Study Committee on Insider Movements, the authors of the 2014 Minority Report entitled, “Realities on the Ground, An Additional Perspective,” present the following FAQs. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America will be meeting June 17-20, 2014 in Houston, Texas.

Prelude

As an aid to Commissioners to the 2014 General Assembly of the PCA regarding the Study Committee on Insider Movements, the authors of the 2014 Minority Report entitled, “Realities on the Ground, An Additional Perspective,” present the following FAQs. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America will be meeting June 17-20, 2014 in Houston, Texas.

Question: Why did you submit a Minority Report to the 2014 General Assembly?
Answer: While the Committee Report (CR) provides vital theological foundations and helpful boundaries for doing mission (through the Affirmations and Denials) which we support, we believe it’s important for those doing mission among Muslims to receive information concerning certain on-the-ground realities, along with some associated biblical considerations.  We hope and pray that the additional perspective in this 37 page report will provide practical help to PCA churches, assisting them in their broad sowing of the message of God’s saving power through his Son and the building of his church throughout Muslim nations, “…that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (Psalm 67:2, NIV).

Question: What is the relationship between MR 2014 and the Minority Report submitted during the General Assembly of 2013?
Answer: MR 2014 has new authorship and thus we consider it as a total replacement for Minority Report 2013.

Question: What is the significance of MR 2014’s recommendations to the 2014 General Assembly?
Answer: Our recommendations mirror those of the CR with the exception that we separately recommend that the 2014 General Assembly, “make available and recommend for study” both the CR and MR 2014 to its presbyteries, churches and missions committees. Treating the papers separately allows commissioners to discuss and vote for each paper on its own merit. A General Assembly action to “make available and recommend for study” does not imply agreement with every word or idea expressed in a paper. We are not requesting, “adoption” of these reports, but that the Assembly send the papers to presbyteries, churches and missions committees for study.

Question: Tell us some of your convictions on matters related to Insider Movement missiology.

• We hold to the Scriptures as our only authoritative guide to engaging in mission.
• We believe that both Scripture and our confession encourage believers to apply scriptural principles to the realities of everyday life, wherever they live.
• We believe that Christ ordinarily intends that his people will follow him in the context of their family, birth community, and vocation.
• In recognition of the comprehensive claims of Christ on the lives of his people we hold that identity in Christ is wholly controlling in the life of the believer; we do not advocate or support voluntary,indefinite retention of Islamic religious identity by MBBs.
• We hold that disciplers of MBBs should not encourage a disciple to remain within Islamic religious institutions.
• We hold that every believer is a member of the church of Jesus Christ, and we believe in the central importance of every believer to be part of a local expression of church.
• We hold by faith that Muslims are people made in the image of God, and that through Christ alone, people from Muslim majority countries will be among those represented before the throne of God (Rev. 7:9-10).

(Note:  In Minority Report 2014, references are provided for the above points to specific Affirmations and Denials from the Majority Report.)

Question: What is the outline of the Minority Report?
Answer: After providing introductory context to this report, we describe five realities faced by believers living in Muslim societies and treat four considerations that undergird and inform our approach to mission in the midst of these realities. A list of questions for use by missions committees with their missions partners is also included. An outline of our major topics follows.

Part One: Realities on the Ground Facing Muslim Background Believers (MBBs)

• Reality #1: It is Important that MBBs Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.
• Reality #2: MBBs Can Live Biblically within Muslim Societies.
• Reality #3: National Churches within Muslim Societies Do Not Always Accept MBBs.
• Reality #4: Living within Muslim Societies Requires MBBs to be Vigilant to Avoid Syncretism.
• Reality #5: Growing in Christ within Muslim Societies Holds Significant Challenges for MBBs.

Part Two: Biblical Considerations for Facing Realities on the Ground.

• Consideration A: Every Culture has “Good” and Evil Aspects.
• Consideration B: We Must Not Add Requirements to the Gospel: Principles from the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15.
• Consideration C: We are Called to Live in the World But Not of the World:
  1 Corinthians 7:17-24 and its Context.
• Consideration D: We Must Not Participate with Demons in False Worship: A Warning from 1 Corinthians 10:19-20.

Nabeel T. Jabbour and Tom Seelinger are the authors of the Minority Report of the PCA Study Committee for Insider Movements.

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