Missouri Presbytery Asked to Investigate TE Jeff Meyers (updated)

Last week the internet lit up when news hit that a letter signed by 29 elders in the PCA was sent to the Missouri Presbytery requesting it investigate one of its ministers, Rev. Jeff Meyers.  I was one of those who signed the letter.  I want to take a minute to explain my decision. 

Federal Vision theology is a relatively new issue gaining prominence in the last ten years.  To date at least seven NAPARC (North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council) denominations have drafted statements condemning it.  During this time Rev. Meyers has been in the thick of the debate alleging that the Westminster Confession of Faith is hopelessly flawed necessitating major revisions. 

As far back as 1999 or 2000, when Rev. Burke Shade was investigated by the Illiana Presbytery, TE Meyers, was called to testify on his behalf.  He testified that TE Shade's views were "not outside mainstream reformed thought."  However, the Illiana Presbytery thought otherwise and on the eve of being deposed from office Rev. Shade fled church discipline by affiliating with another ecclesiastical body.  In 2007 when the PCA drafted a position paper condemning Federal Vision theology TE Meyers sent a thirty (30) page letter to every church in the denomination explaining why they should vote "no" to adopting the paper.  When the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA ruled earlier this year that Rev. Peter Leithart's views were outside the bounds of the Westminster Confession of Faith Rev. Meyers was one of the first to cry "Foul" and likened the commission's work to a witch hunt.  The time has come for Rev. Meyers to explain what is wrong with the Westminster Confession of Faith. 

To read the letter to the Missouri Presbytery click here

To read Rev. Meyers' response click here
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Related to this letter is a bit of a debate concerning Covenant Theological Seminary.  Some who signed this letter have recently been critical of the school which has led others to wonder if there is conspiracy* to attack the school and damage its reputation.  I am unaware of any such conspiracy.  Do a couple of blog posts (here and here) and a book review (here) constitute an attack on the school?  Hardly.  The authors are dealing with serious theological issues in their presbytery and those being questioned are pointing the fingers back at the seminary as the source of those teachings. Seems like good detective work to me.

* Postscript:  I chose this word based on the comments posted on some well-known blogs.  It seems that some might be trying to connect the dots to assert that those who signed the Jeff Meyers letter are automatically involved with the blog posts critical of CTS.  I, for one, knew nothing about the book review or the blog posts until they were posted on the internet.  DMS 4/7/10.