EPC leader prays with Pope
Allen Roes, the moderator-elect of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the USA, recently attended a prayer meeting hosted by Pope Benedict XVI in New York City. Despite the EPC’s claim to be both evangelical and presbyterian, Mr Roes was clearly impressed by Pope Benedict.
He writes, ‘What a great experience to represent the EPC at an ecumenical meeting of Christian leaders with Pope Benedict XVI! Held at St. Joseph Parish Church in downtown New York City, the theme of the prayer meeting was “Christ, our hope in unity”.
‘In his address, the Pope spoke of Christ as the only hope we have for unity in our world. In talking with other Christian leaders there, we agreed that Christ is our only hope. Although we are from different denominations and beliefs, we all are Christians and had no problem lifting up Christ for this reason’.
While we would agree that Christ is the only hope for sinners in a fallen world it is nevertheless sad to see the leadership of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church so open to the Church of Rome.
The denomination split from the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) in 1981 because of liberal elements in that church and professes to be ‘rooted deeply in the Protestant Reformation and especially the theological and pastoral work of John Calvin’.
