In the 1960s and '70s there was considerable debate concerning the doctrine of the church in the United Kingdom. It was an agonizing and perplexing time, and recent events have reminded me of it.
For almost a century now a kind of Ecumenism has been in the air. Earnest attempts have been made towards bringing denominations together in full communion with each other, notwithstanding the interruptions and alienation caused by two world wars. Although this has not met with success (yet) it has served to highlight how deeply the dividedness of the visible church runs. It has also (but inadvertently) so publicized the presence of grievous error in the church that many who adhered to the truth about Christ and his work as laid down in apostolic scripture were obliged to examine their ecclesiastical allegiance. Upholding the principle of semper reformanda they either distanced themselves from involvement in the World Council of Churches, forming new associations, or they strove to recall their denominations to paths that had been forsaken. Sad to say, the degree of difficulty involved in doing this has been greatly increased because churches that call themselves "evangelical" minimize the importance of doctrinal truth and now groups are "emerging" from that diffuse and incoherent movement that are willing to embrace anything religious.
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Westminster Seminary California
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