I believe the PCA churches in the Eastern Suburbs, New Covenant, Murrysville, First, Grace, Calvin, New Life, and Pitcairn, understand this. We are working to develop mercy ministries for the Eastern Suburbs depending on each congregations’ gifts and skills. Also New Cov and Pitcairn being close are working to establish a cooperative… similar to City’s endeavors. Understanding the church this way only fuels movements, coalitions, and catholicity. It gives the church a bigger vision, not just your district or municipality, but region.

I remember talking to Iain about multi-site, specifically the Harbor model, and he alluded to a fear that the Harbor guys would become a presbytery within a presbytery… similar to the New Life churches in Philadelphia. I appreciate Shawn’s comment.

I am sure there are instances within the PCA where two congregations in rural America share a pastor. We saw this in the RPCNA years ago with Oakdale in Illinois. It would be a similar idea. What is the problem of having a presbytery within a presbytery though? Is that not how presbyterianism is set up to be? Session, then Presbytery, then GA or Synod? But I cannot think of a specific instance where PCA churches adopt the Harbor model. There are churches that share Clowney’s understanding of the church (i am guessing New Life in Philly). Outside the PCA I think of someone like Piper

What makes a church a church is Jesus Christ. It seems to me that the size details are more of a pastoral question, left to specific circumstances.

My recollection is that the city of San Diego covers an area of a few hundred square miles. If a board of elders can shepherd people in ten different locations in an area potentially that wide, more power to them. Our pastor, Christian Adjemian, has this rule of thumb: if the elders can’t know a church well enough to pray for all the children by name, it’s time to plant a new church. To my mind, that makes a lot of sense.

In our Presbytery, we have the privelege of having Clair Davis, PCA TE, former church history professor at WTS-Philly. He was in the OPC and was part of forming and editing their Book of Order. In the OPC there is a designation for presbytery as “regional church.” This enables the church to use its presbyter and diaconal resources across the region. I tend to be a minimalist in structure but desire to be a maximalist for missional impact. Something like this approach would help us look further afield for “resources.”

I liked the point Doug Swagerty made in his breakout session on Central Services. Some people feared Harbor becoming a presbytery. He said that is not true, and Harbor’s structure actually reduces it’s “impact” at presbytery. It only gets to send delegates as one church, not 10. They are underrepresented in terms of numbers.

As a minimalist I see 2 churches in Scripture: catholic/universal and local. City church is the extension of unity of local churches perhaps working like synods. This becomes practical and would be helpful to prevent divisive and scandalous people from church hopping churches across town with impunity.