Very few laymen are aware of the fact that over the last 15 years there has been a secret organization in our Church working quietly behind the scenes to gain control of the political machinery of our denomination. This group, composed mostly of ministers, called themselves the Fellowship of St. James.
This relatively small but determined group influences and seeks to control the various agencies of the courts of our Church. In recent years they have succeeded in electing enough men of their choosing to enable them to control many of the important committees of the various Church courts and to have effective majorities on the governing bodies of many of the boards, agencies, and other institutions of the church.
The Concerned Presbyterian Bulletin No. 1 (March, 1965) HT: Presbycast
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This sounds ‘familiar’ as in 2020 familiar
Is there some reason we (all Presbyterians) cannot simply act in full public visibility and above board? If there are problems with the makeup of committees why not instruct and raise up the body of the church so as to make right and proper theology and action the default again?
If the Legally Binding Constitution of the Denomination doesn’t guard against this, the only answer in terms of action is to get the Constitution sltered so that it does. This won’t be possible unless enough people vote for it; that is, if it’s possible at all.
That reference appeared in Sean Lucas’ For a Continuing Church, a book I read with great interest before the PCA GA that year (2015). I was baffled as to why he made no mention of the National Partnership as the parallels were and are so obvious.
I’m very sad to say but that’s exactly what many large churches do in presbytery. I saw it affect a discipline case in which the church brought in the full complement of delegates to disrupt and confuse things.