Yes, brothers, the world is watching, but so are those in your congregations. You have not been ordained to placate the goats. Jesus has called you to feed His sheep. I humbly and joyfully exhort you as your sister in Christ to lead them to safe pastures of truth and righteousness, not beside the wolf-laden forests of studied ambiguity. As ambassadors of Christ, do not nuance your way out of speaking clear truth. Do not rip the teeth out of every doctrinal statement with carefully shellacked rhetoric and polished delivery. Speaking honestly to our culture about biblical sexuality is not the same as hanging a “Do not enter” sign on your church. Trust the work of the Holy Spirit to bring all those who He has called through your church doors. Do not trust in the persuasive power of your own words. Do not spin Scripture or dilute biblical warnings to make Jesus seem more palatable. If many of Jesus’ followers left Him over His hard sayings, then many people will also leave you, or be unwilling to listen in the first place. You are not special. But for the few that remain, like Peter, we desperately cry out, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!” (John 6:68) Gentlemen, do not allow the words of life to die the death of a thousand qualifications.

To my brothers to whom these letters were written:

I am a nobody. I have never been published, earned a master’s degree, written any theological tome, or been interviewed on even the most obscure podcast. I am not employed in any exciting ministry capacity. My husband is relatively unknown. I am a stay-at-home mother to 3- and 5-year-old boys and a little girl who is due to arrive in July. I have a hard time keeping up with all the latest controversies and blog posts and overtures. I usually have enough time to read a little at night after I put the kids to bed and finish up the household chores, but I rarely have enough energy to respond intelligently. Usually, articles which concern me receive an eyeroll and a grunt before I pass out. Occasionally I share a few, but that is the extent of my online presence.

I say this because I am not the sort of person you regularly hear from. I am a young(ish) mom, balancing kids, potty training, and running back and forth between the sanctuary and the nursery. I normally do not have a lot of input. But I read both open letters, and pastor, I felt discouraged for you. You were dismissed as abrasive for questioning reasonable matters. You were made to feel as if you were part of fledgling minority, a member of the extreme right, lumped in with every cantankerous old relic imaginable. I tried to put myself in your shoes, and if I were in your position, I would look out at my congregation frequently and wonder if I really was the only one concerned about all these things: if my labor and work at a presbytery level really mattered, if anyone in my congregation cared about such matters or just absentmindedly went on with their lives? And so, I’m writing to you with a resounding: “Yes, we do care!” We may not have the time to be engaged publicly with every matter, but we share your concerns. We appreciate your faithful attendance and work in your local presbytery, and we know and value the importance of you and men like you who take the time to patiently inform us of the happenings within our denomination, in addition to the wise commentary you offer in the process. Thank you. Thank you so very much. Read more»

Sarah Morris | “ To My Fathers and Brothers: A Plea from Your Sister
A letter from a sister in the pew to the PCA shepherds as they deal with serious issues at General Assembly” | The Aquila Report | June 28, 2021

Resources

• How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia
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• Heidelmedia Resources
• The Ecumenical Creeds
• The Reformed Confessions
• Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008).
• Discovering The Reformed Confession
• Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
• GRN To Former Moderators: You Are Not Building Trust
• Confessional Concerns And Conflict In The PCA With Presbycast
• More Thoughts About The PCA: Liberal v Conservative Is The Wrong Paradigm
• How “The Letter” Reads To An Outsider
• The Confession Must Not Be A Lost Language For Reformed Pastors
• Schleiermacher In The Background: The PCA’s Struggle Over Confessional Identity
• Flashback To 2006: “Presbyterians And Presbyterians Together” As The Background To The Open Letter (Updated)
• Machen’s Response To The Open Letter
• Machen’s Other Opponents: The Moderates
• The Question Of The Hour In The PCA