I'd agree with most of what you wrote here. Also, as noted in the previous post, many graduates, especially women from seminaries to the left of CTS (like Western in Holland MI) will inordinately take staff positions in larger West Michigan churches and denominational positions. They will have influence through those platforms but they will have diminished power at the Classical level. At this moment that level of power is really where the fight is and the "progressives" in the denominations have simply lost due to demographics and the de-churching of the children of the progressives. These children see the relevant battleground in politics as their parents did but didn't have the legacy beliefs that their parents retained from previous generations. Hence the conservatives and moderates have the upper hand because the progressives simply have way too few classes to deliver votes at Synod.
On 1. While possibly true of the majority, I can certainly think of individual examples that have gone every direction (in leaning left, out leaning right; in leaning right, out leaning left; out of Seminary leaning left and moved right in their first church; in and out right, but moved left while in ministry).
On 3-4. There are also several several prominent conservative leaders in the CRC today who graduated from what you are classifying as left seminaries.
On 5. What pastors are the churches calling, and how are they doing in that call (as judged by longevity)? Many of the names you mentioned above (other than myself) are a decade plus into ministry in their present congregations. I'm guessing that the vast majority of their congregations are as conservative as they are. And, often, many of those left leaning pastors, and those from left leaning institutions, do not last too long in a call, as the congregation is more conservative then they are.
In conclusion, while the denomination seems to be trending conservative, I don't think there is any simple explanation as to why that is the case. To me, the best explanation is that it is an act of God, as He is reforming this denomination. But, a secondary explanation could also be that in the Post WW2 generation, we saw a swing leftward, away from the historical and confessional roots. But now, over the last 15-20 years, we are seeing the pendulum of the denomination returning, closer to its historic level.
Maybe a simpler idea is that a large chunk of people in the CRC are just following mainstream American evangelical trends more closely than they used to when the CRC had an identity quite different from evangelical trends (and maybe the difference from then to now goes back to Kent's posts about the changes in how the CRC hub and far off congregations communicate and share influence).
None of these feel true to me (especially not 5), except #3. They might be, but I'd be surprised.
As a current MDiv student at Calvin Seminary though, I can tell you that CTS has a lot of young conservative MDivs right now!
I'd agree with most of what you wrote here. Also, as noted in the previous post, many graduates, especially women from seminaries to the left of CTS (like Western in Holland MI) will inordinately take staff positions in larger West Michigan churches and denominational positions. They will have influence through those platforms but they will have diminished power at the Classical level. At this moment that level of power is really where the fight is and the "progressives" in the denominations have simply lost due to demographics and the de-churching of the children of the progressives. These children see the relevant battleground in politics as their parents did but didn't have the legacy beliefs that their parents retained from previous generations. Hence the conservatives and moderates have the upper hand because the progressives simply have way too few classes to deliver votes at Synod.
On 1. While possibly true of the majority, I can certainly think of individual examples that have gone every direction (in leaning left, out leaning right; in leaning right, out leaning left; out of Seminary leaning left and moved right in their first church; in and out right, but moved left while in ministry).
On 3-4. There are also several several prominent conservative leaders in the CRC today who graduated from what you are classifying as left seminaries.
On 5. What pastors are the churches calling, and how are they doing in that call (as judged by longevity)? Many of the names you mentioned above (other than myself) are a decade plus into ministry in their present congregations. I'm guessing that the vast majority of their congregations are as conservative as they are. And, often, many of those left leaning pastors, and those from left leaning institutions, do not last too long in a call, as the congregation is more conservative then they are.
In conclusion, while the denomination seems to be trending conservative, I don't think there is any simple explanation as to why that is the case. To me, the best explanation is that it is an act of God, as He is reforming this denomination. But, a secondary explanation could also be that in the Post WW2 generation, we saw a swing leftward, away from the historical and confessional roots. But now, over the last 15-20 years, we are seeing the pendulum of the denomination returning, closer to its historic level.
Maybe a simpler idea is that a large chunk of people in the CRC are just following mainstream American evangelical trends more closely than they used to when the CRC had an identity quite different from evangelical trends (and maybe the difference from then to now goes back to Kent's posts about the changes in how the CRC hub and far off congregations communicate and share influence).
As typical, very interesting thoughts here, Kent. Thanks for sharing.