Odd priorities in the EFCA

The EFCA (Evangelical Church of America) was debating about changing their statement of faith. Number 11 of their prior statement read:

"We believe in the personal, premillenial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer."

The proposed changes were:

"We believe in the personal, bodily and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His holy angels when He will bring His kingdom to fulfillment and exercise His role as Judge of all. This coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, requires constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission."

Many pastors didn't appreciate the removal of the word "premillenial" from the statement.

One local EFCA church's head pastor was against the change. Yet, he was (apparantly) comfortable with the openness the EFCA has to BOTH Calvinism and Arminianism. His off-handed comment was "we just differ on Soteriology". He gave me a photocopy of "This We Believe Creeds in Conflict", spelling out the history of how the EFCA could have divided over "just Soteriology" (my sarcasim).

How is it the the message of SALVATION IN CHRIST and how it is accomplished could be of less importance than the contentin that there is a future, literal 1,000 reign?

The Premillenialists won and the EFCA still has "premillenial" in their statement of faith.