Sunday, October 31 is Reformation Sunday on our liturgical calendars. It commemorates the time in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk, posted ninety-five theses, or topics for debate, on the door of the cathedral in Wittenberg, critical of unbiblical practices by the medieval Catholic Church. It is regarded as the start of the Protestant Reformation.
Two years later, a Swiss lay priest named Ulrich Zwingli launched a more radical criticism and reform of the church. This Swiss Reformation became the branch of Protestantism known as “Reformed.” It differs from the Lutheran and Anglican branches by a stricter adherence to biblical authority as the norm for theology and practice, and a rejection of priestly authority in favor of shared power by both ruling and teaching elders (“presbyters”).
The Reformed movement was deeply influenced by John Calvin, a second-generation reformer from France who was called (twice) to serve the French-speaking Protestant community in Geneva. Calvin, who was a lawyer and a teacher but not a priest, was a prolific writer and preacher. His theology was summarized in The Institutes of the Christian Religion, which was named one of the ten most influential works ever written by historians Will and Ariel Durant.
Geneva soon became the center of Reformed Christianity. Calvin’s influence extended down the Rhine to the Netherlands, and down the Danube to what is now the Czech Republic and Hungary. Many came to Geneva to learn from Calvin, including Scottish exile John Knox, who brought Reformed faith back to Scotland in the Scottish Revolution. Scottish, North Irish, English, French, German, Dutch, and Hungarian immigrants and exiles brought the Reformed faith to North America, resulting in a rich diversity of cultures and traditions.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shares a Reformed heritage with other contemporary denominations such as the United Church of Christ, the Reformed Church of America, the Christian Reformed Church, the Hungarian Reformed Church, and many more. Presbyterian missionary efforts brought Reformed faith across the world, most notably to Korea, where there are now more Presbyterians than in the United States. Korean immigrant congregations constitute the largest non-English speaking contingent of churches in the PC(USA).
I am sometimes asked why I am a Presbyterian. I am a Presbyterian by personal choice, having been raised in a secular home. I became a Christian at the age of 17 while a freshman at Occidental College, a historically Presbyterian-related school. As my faith matured and I began to sense a call to ministry, I looked for a denomination in which to grow and serve. I had great respect for the Presbyterian and Presbyterian-trained pastors I had met, so I went to the local pastor near the college and inquired about possibly becoming a Presbyterian.
I remember our conversation vividly. He sat across from me in his study behind a large, cherry or mahogany desk. He said, “If you are thinking of becoming a Presbyterian you might want to read this” – and he turned to the bookshelves behind him, pulled down a copy of the Book of Order, and handed it to me. I eagerly received it and read it that night, cover-to-cover. By the time I got through what was then called the Book of Discipline (now the Rules of Discipline), I was a Presbyterian!
The Presbyterian Church has much to commend it: a solid, biblical theology, vibrant congregations, a faith that seeks to transform society rather than withdraw from it, a commitment to education and the life of the mind. But what made me a Presbyterian more than anything else was its polity.
Presbyterian polity is based on Calvin’s understanding that we need each other to correct our individual tendencies towards sin and self-interest. This is best accomplished through prayerful assemblies of persons chosen from the church for their wisdom and spiritual maturity. Calvin believed that as power and authority increased in the church, representation and accountability also should increase, so that decisions are made with the full witness of the Spirit of Christ through the whole church, not an individual or subsection of the whole.
This Reformation Day, I will have the privilege of sharing my story with the good people of Marlette First and Second Presbyterian Churches. I invite you to join me, wherever you are, in giving thanks for this unique and wise contribution to the life and witness of Christ in the world.
Faithfully,
Dan Saperstein, Executive Presbyter
