Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, addressed the graduating class of New York University in 2018, remarking, “‘I tolerate you’ actually means something like, ‘OK, I grudgingly admit that you have a right to exist, but just don’t get up in my face about it. Or date my sister.’ After all, there is not a religion in the world that asks you to tolerate thy neighbor, so let’s try for something like acceptance, friendship and, yes, even love.”
The prime minister’s comments are intriguing since the posture of many Canadians towards their southern neighbors is one of tolerance, not love. Canada’s mistrust of the United States has spilled into religious life where many Canadian sides of bi-national denominations have separated themselves. One denomination that has challenged this trend is the Presbyterian Church in America. With over 20 congregations north of the 49th parallel, the PCA is increasingly becoming an attractive faith community for Reformed Christians in Canada.
I recently professed my faith at New City Church in Hamilton, Ontario, which brought me into membership of the PCA after spending my entire life in the Christian Reformed Church. As I reflect upon my journey toward Presbyterianism, I want to share what drew me to this relatively new denomination in the landscape of Canadian religious life, and why I think the PCA is needed in Canada. I believe the PCA’s accountability, growth, and communion give it a unique accent in the language of Canadian Christianity.
Accountability
Having been raised in a Reformed tradition, when I started attending the PCA, I imagined membership would require merely transferring documents from one denomination to another. Instead, I discovered becoming Presbyterian involved me attending an after-church lunch, enrolling in a membership class, an interview with the elders, formal approval by the session, and a public profession of faith. And now that I am a member, the commitments include attending a small group, participating in a ministry, and contributing financially to the church.
While all these hoops may seem onerous, they are important tools for maintaining the purity and peace of the church. The idea of church polity is often seen as a boring subject. Yet, the “dullness” of the “Book of Church Order” has largely protected the PCA from scandals that have rocked Canadian evangelical churches where there is little formal accountability for leaders or members. In the PCA, everyone from the senior pastor to the newest member is subject to the rules of discipline outlined. A high level of expectations for church membership requires members to carefully consider if they are ready to enter into the full life of the church – its responsibilities, joys, and sufferings.
Growth
Growth seems to be in the DNA of my local church and the PCA at large. It feels like every Sunday there’s at least one baptism or profession of faith. In the past 10 years, the number of PCA churches in Southern Ontario has more than doubled, with New City being involved in the planting of four churches.
The growth of the PCA stands in direct opposition to the mainline church in Canada which is closing one church a week. Being part of the momentum of growth is an exciting experience, especially in the wake of so many Reformed churches going through bitter divisions. The denomination that I left was racked by internal conflict about core biblical doctrines. Being part of the PCA, where the historical teachings of the church are not in dispute, allows the church to focus on advancing the Great Commission and cultural mandate. Being Presbyterian is energizing since I don’t always need to be in a defensive position and instead can prioritize contributing to New City’s mission of bringing the whole gospel to the city until the city is whole.
Another area of joy that comes from being part of a growing denomination is seeing the people sitting in the pews reflect the context where New City has been planted. Many Canadian churches were founded by immigrant communities, and their makeup continues to reflect the communities who originally founded them. At New City Church, the membership reflects the breadth of people who make up the church of Christ. What draws people to New City is its theology and worship rather than its cultural heritage. Being able to worship and celebrate in diverse ways gives us a small taste of what adoring the King will be like in the new heavens and new earth.
Communion
Growing up in the Continental Reformed tradition, holy communion was a rare occurrence, usually celebrated quarterly. I cannot speak for all PCA congregations, but in the Presbytery of Eastern Canada, most congregations celebrate communion weekly. For me, not only is weekly communion biblical and historical, but it provides practical benefits to followers of Christ. I cannot fully articulate how receiving the Lord’s Supper has been a gift to my faith, but week after week, eating bread and drinking wine acts as an antidote to my doubt.
The PCA’s commitment to sacramental worship establishes it as distinct from broadly evangelical and mainline churches in Canada. At New City Church, all born-again, baptized Christians are invited to the table, regardless if they are members of the congregation or not. This act reminds us that the communion table is the Lord’s table, not the Presbyterian’s table. The PCA balances the need to be welcoming with the duty to guard the table by acknowledging the presence of unbelievers while encouraging them to refrain. Including both an invitation and a warning is a powerful action since it reminds us of the necessity of faith and the seriousness of the sacrament.
Conclusion
If the PCA is to fulfill our founders’ mission of spreading the gospel and nurturing God’s people throughout the world then it must inevitably include Canada. My prayer for the PCA is that the number of PCA congregations in the United States will one day be matched by the same number of faithful congregations in Canada, each one living out the call, as our vision states, to “glorify God by extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ over all individual lives through all areas of society and in all nations and cultures.”
I joined the PCA because I’m confident God has an ambitious plan for the denomination, and I am eager to contribute to the next 50 years of its history.
Aren Plante is a member of New City Church (PCA) in Hamilton, Ontario, and graduated from Redeemer University.