Rebranding the EPC

By Peter Larson

Not far from my home is a church that once had thousands of members. It was a vibrant center of worship and Biblical teaching. Then, they hired a new pastor who decided the church needed rebranding. He ended the traditional worship service. He gutted the church building to give it an industrial look. He eliminated the Sunday school classes. All this was done in the name of growth and attracting young families.

What happened instead was a train wreck. Instead of growth, the congregation was torn by conflict. In a few months, they lost 700 members. Nevertheless, the pastor doubled down on his vision until finally he was forced to resign. Years later, the church has not recovered from this misguided makeover.

Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, design, or concept is introduced in the effort to create a new identity in the minds of consumers. Usually, rebranding is what you do when the old brand has lost its luster and become a liability.

In recent years, the EPC has experienced a rebranding. The changes have been sudden and sweeping. The overall impression is that the EPC has changed course and is heading in a very different direction. Some of these changes have been contrary to our core values, polity and Biblical principles. As a result, we are experiencing conflict and discord. Some churches have already left the EPC and others will surely follow.
The EPC has changed — many of us sense this. In brief, here are some of the ways the EPC has been rebranded:

1. Focus on race and diversity: The Revelation 7:9 report, calling for greater diversity and multiculturalism in our churches, was immediately followed by the Pastoral Letter of Racial Lament and Hope. Major resources were devoted to these initiatives. Without a shred of evidence, we are asked to believe that the EPC is guilty of racism and discrimination. While this appears virtuous, it is really just virtue-signaling. To focus relentlessly on race and diversity is, in fact, anti-Gospel. The Gospel tells us that we are one in Christ, reconciled by his atoning death, that there is no longer any slave or free, Jew or Gentile, male or female (Galatians 3:28). When we focus on race and skin color, we deny the power and truth of the Gospel. Instead of celebrating our unity in Christ, we are focusing on our differences. At General Assembly we heard the words “equity” and “privilege” — terms borrowed directly from Black Lives Matter and its Marxist ideology. At a recent meeting of Midwest Presbytery, someone asked quite seriously if we should throw out the Westminster Confession because it was written by white males. When you fall down the woke rabbit hole, this is where you land. Why are we focusing obsessively on race? Who is leading this charge?
2. A Shift to Hierarchical Leadership: Historically, the Presbyterian tradition has emphasized grass-roots leadership, in which decision-making authority rests with elders. This is, of course, the Biblical model of church leadership. In the early church there was no Pope, no CEO, no directives or mandates issued by headquarters. In recent years, the EPC has shifted to a more corporate, hierarchical model of leadership. Major decisions are being made by the GA Stated Clerk and National Leadership Team. At one point, our GA stated clerk claimed the title CEO, a title that does not appear anywhere in our constitution. Rather than serving as an impartial line judge, he has assumed the role of advocate, seeking to influence outcomes and exert his will.
3. Weakening Biblical Standards of Sexuality: Currently, a homosexual pastor, Greg Johnson, is seeking to join the EPC. Although he claims to be celibate, he identifies as gay and has scheduled events at his church that promote and normalize the gay lifestyle. This pastor has already caused tremendous conflict and controversy in his former denomination, the PCA. Now, he is seeking admission to the EPC. In addition, speakers at a General Assembly training workshop advocated the use of preferred personal pronouns in ministering to so-called transgendered persons. They claim that using such pronouns will communicate grace and love. In reality, this is a denial of Biblical truth and biological fact. We cannot, in the name of love, be complicit in a lie. According to scripture, God created us male and female and gender is binary (Genesis 1:27). Alternative genders of LGBTQ are unbiblical and represent a rebellion against God and his created order.
4. Closing the Door to Complementarians: Historically, the EPC has been open to complementarians and egalitarians. Regarding women’s ordination, we have agreed to disagree. Now, this attitude of mutual forbearance seems to be changing. Increasingly, complementarians are feeling pressured and marginalized. When examined for ordination, there is the perception that complementarians are being unfairly challenged and questioned for their Biblical beliefs. At a recent meeting of presbytery moderators, the GA Stated Clerk reportedly said he would do everything in his power to advance the egalitarian view. If this is true, it is contrary to our founding principles.

These changes are not random or coincidental. They are part of an aggressive strategy to rebrand the EPC. In the name of growth and being “missional,” there has been a deliberate effort to transform the EPC into something different. In the process, we have forsaken some of the core principles that have guided the EPC for 43 years. As a result, our peace, unity, and purity have been seriously eroded. Fault lines have emerged and are deepening. Many of us sensed this at General Assembly — the realization that we are becoming a house divided.

Meanwhile, the EPC is not growing. According to annual reports, the EPC lost 21,127 members between 2018 and 2023, shrinking from 142,185 to 121,058 members, a decline of 15 percent in five years. If it wasn’t for new churches joining the denomination, the decline would be even greater. This is not surprising. Every mainline denomination that has embraced a liberal, progressive agenda has experienced a numerical freefall.

I love the EPC and am grateful to be part of this denomination. However, the EPC has changed to the point where it seems foreign to me. It’s like the old sci-fi movie, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” where an alien presence has quietly invaded and taken over. The rebranding is not complete, but it is well underway. At the recent GA meeting, a former moderator said to me privately, “It’s too bad that our current moderator is an old white guy from the South. That isn’t the image we need.” Sadly, it seems we are concerned more with image than we are with the Gospel.

What the EPC needs is not rebranding but reformation. What we need is not a new logo, but a return to our Reformed, Presbyterian faith and practice. Instead of conforming to the world and its false values, we must be transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, who calls guilty sinners to repent and believe. This message may not be attractive to the world, but it is the only message that will save us.