The Merits of Strategic Withdrawal

 

There comes a time in any battle where the force that is losing ground and becoming increasingly stretched to the limit needs to initiate a planned, fighting withdrawal. The reasons for this are many:

1. Staying and fighting as you have done in the past will wear out the troops.
2. Sticking to a losing strategy gains you nothing.
3. New terrain and new defenses must be found.
4. The troops need time to rest and find new encouragement.
5. Regrouping gives new leaders a chance to rise up and take command.

When the initiative is lost and cannot be regained through the old methods of fighting, then the only choice left for those who do not want to lose the battle is to find another way to fight and give the troops something that will give them new energy for the struggle.

I have read enough military histories to know that fighting a losing battle in the same way that lost you the battle in the first place is a sure recipe for disaster. The way to ensure a full-scale rout of your force is to not see reality and deal with what you have before you, through inability, incompetence or delusion.

For examples of this, remember the French reactions to the German invasion in 1940, the Nationalist Chinese losses to Mao in 1949, and the Soviets in Afghanistan.

So, why use military examples for the church? Is it helpful in any way? I think it is.

We are the church militant, the church that is commissioned by our Savior to witness to the truth and we are under attack from the spiritual forces of secularism and accommodation to the Spirit of the Age. We are in a spiritual war, with far greater stakes than any physical conflict. (See Ephesians 6)

The passage of the amended PUP Report and the acceptance of the Trinity Paper are not full-scale losses for orthodox Presbyterians, they are simply a sign that we are losing the battle. Our lines have not broken yet, but we have lost ground and our troops are tired.

After pouring in millions of dollars and thousands of hours into this battle at the recent GA, we lost. The renewal movement is dying a slow and agonizing death. We gave the Progressives the best that we had, we threw in the most brilliant of our strategists and the most able of our forces and we lost. This does not bode well for the future, if we remain on this field of battle, fighting in the same ways that we always have.

So what do we do?

We initiate a strategic withdrawal. We find new ground to stand on, regroup our forces into new configurations, lift up new leaders and we recommit to winning the war. And yes, friends, this is a war.

To be utterly clear: I do not assert that we should do this by leaving the denomination!

Leaving would be a cessation of hostilities--an armistice or surrender. That would leave the orthodox guilty of being AWOL or at least of cowardice. The battle is not lost! We still can win this, but only by leaving behind the old and embracing reality and working within it for God's Good Purpose.

Here is the strategy that I think we need to adopt in this strategic withdrawal:

1. Give not one cent to Louisville or its corrupt institutions.

2. Send our money only to biblically faithful groups and institutions, some of which will be PC(USA) affiliated, others will not.

3. If necessary--depending on your local circumstances--starve your presbytery of the funds that they need to keep the Agenda going.

4. Don't fund groups, even in the renewal movement, who will not adjust their strategy for this new reality.

5. Call for the complete dissolution of all of our present denominational leaders.

6. Gather all orthodox groups together and sign one declaration of faith and purpose.

7. Organize in your presbytery to take back your presbytery for the Christian faith.

8. Tell your congregations that this shall not stand!

9. Be prepared to be persecuted for Christ, with joy and thanksgiving.

Of course, I do rely on each of you to help guide my thinking. Godly counsel would be appreciated. What say you?


Toby L. Brown
Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
Cuero, TX