It seems like the "good guys" - meaning Confessional, faithful - are the ones who end up leaving denominations that become apostate by degrees. I don't think it's supposed to work that way. The "bad guys" - meaning theologically liberal, abandoning the faith - should be thrown out of the Church.

But too often I think the churches are content to "leave theology to the theologians" rather than contend for the faith once delivered. Leaving things to "the experts" has always led to disaster (education and law are good examples of this as well). I think that part of what we saw in the last General Assembly of the PCA was one rare example of the "laity" (so-called "Ruling elders") standing up against a liberalizing attempt by the clergy (so-called "Teaching elders") to make the PCA less confessional and more "missional" by using the language and customs of the surrounding culture and becoming more "inclusive."

That fight is by no means over. The proposals of the General Assembly must now be ratified by two thirds of the Presbyteries that make up the denomination, so that same battle is being waged 88 more times this year (the PCA has 88 presbyteries). I think that if the Ruling Elders' influence in their own presbyteries holds sway, rather than "defer to the experts," the "good guys" might actually win in the end. A rare thing indeed, since in far too many cases it goes the other way, and the "good guys" end up leaving behind everything they built and starting over.