Are Church Members Free Agents?

One of the biggest developments of the modern era of sports is the rise of the “free agent.” Under “free agency” an athlete is bound to a team only for a short period of time, at the end of which he becomes . . . Continue reading →

With Presbygirls On Abuse In The Church

Dr Clark joined the Presbygirls podcast (part of the Presbycast media empire) with Sarah Morris, Sean Morris, and Josh Squires this week to discuss how the church should and should not address abuse. Here is the video version: RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →

Polity Matters: How Reformed Churches Might Have Handled The Chandler Situation

Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of The Village Church, a megachurch of about 14,000 members in Flower Mound, TX, which is a northern suburb in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex (it is the top of the triangle of the three). After the . . . Continue reading →

A Word To The PCA: Fathers, Do Not Exasperate Your Brothers (2)

We may not bludgeon sincere men with cries of “Peace! Peace!” where there is no peace. We may not neglect the reasonable concerns of our brethren by naïvely asserting that everyone is trustworthy and in one accord merely by virtue of their ordination. Continue reading →

To Those Who Left

The obvious effects of Covid are easy to spot. Not only have millions died, but also many have long-term illness from the virus, and an unknown number of people are suffering from the various treatments. There are small children who do not . . . Continue reading →

Johnson To The PCA: “Merry Christmas. Here Is A Lump Of Coal For Your Stocking”

For several years now, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has been roiled by controversy over whether to admit to her ministry men who are same-sex attracted but celibate (i.e., the so-called “Side B” approach). The debate has centered around a the . . . Continue reading →

Good News For The Reformed Churches: Small Is In Again

Walnut Creek RCUS Kansas City

“According to the recently released Faith Communities Today study, half of the congregations in the United States have 65 people or fewer, while two-thirds of congregations have fewer than 100.” Continue reading →

How To Handle A Divisive Person In The Church

As society is presently ripped apart with divisions on every issue, the church is likewise bombarded with divisive people who are using the current cultural divide to mimic the culture and tear apart the body of Christ. Christians have to be acutely . . . Continue reading →

Are P&R Churches “Wholly Inadequate” To Investigate Abuse?

Julie Roys reports that, on May 14, 2021, the Central Indiana Presbytery (PCA) approved a committee report recommending that the Presbytery bring charges against a pastor (Teaching Elder).

A Follow Up Regarding Abuse In The Church: We Are Talking About Practice

Last week I wrote an introduction to spiritual abuse and how laity and officers should respond. A correspondent writes to ask what the laity are to do when when ruling elders and ministers refuse to address a situation. May a lay member . . . Continue reading →

It Happens In The Church

I grew up in the church. Some of my favorite memories come from the time I spent there — Sunday school, AWANA, VBS, youth group, and fellowship meals. For hours we would play hide-and-seek, run up and down hallways, and occasionally sneak . . . Continue reading →

A Beginner’s Guide To Addressing Spiritual Abuse In The Church

Recently I had an interesting exchange on social media regarding the extent of spiritual abuse by leaders in confessional Presbyterian and Reformed Churches. The charge is that spiritual abuse is a widespread problem in the confessional Presbyterian and Reformed world. I am . . . Continue reading →

Spiritual Abuse Is Real

When you talk to people who have been under abusive leadership, certain words often come up: authoritarian, manipulative, controlling, mean, cruel, vindictive, defensive, and unable to take criticism. Things don’t always start out this way. Often this sort of abusive behavior will . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 163: Taking Calls On Choosing A College, Warfield’s Eschatology, Jesus’ Return, When the Roman Catholic Church Began, Sacraments, Rubicon Moments, Evening Services, And Church Discipline

Heidelcast

It is a little overdue but it is finally here: our latest call-in episode in which we take Heidelcalls from Arizona on choosing a college, on B. B. Warfield’s eschatology (was he really postmillennial?), from Chicago on what must happen before Jesus . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 142: When Pastors Abuse

And What To Do About It

Heidelcast

I am interrupting the series on the doctrine of God (again), I Am that I Am, to talk about a recurring problem in the church: abuse of the sheep by the shepherd. Recently Julie Roys featured audio from a public conference by . . . Continue reading →