We are very reliably informed that a recent visitor to a PCA church circled all the names of the church’s officers in the printed worship bulletin and wrote, “Where are all the women?” on the page, which he or she duly folded and dropped in . . . Continue reading →
PCA
Sauls Leaves PCA, Becomes Egalitarian
You might have heard that one of the Presbyterian Church in America’s most notable ministers got in trouble, was suspended by his presbytery, went through a lengthy discipline process, eventually resigned his church, and two days later was restored as a member . . . Continue reading →
Hart On Slippery Slopes
Brad Isbell: As you know in times of ecclesial controversy and change the conservative, confessional, or traditionalist side is often accused of making slippery slope arguments. Sometimes these arguments are consciously made as in Jon Payne’s recent post at the Gospel Reformation Network, . . . Continue reading →
What Do Good Faith Exceptions Do To The PCA?
Good Faith Subscription (GFS), the practice of allowing a man to assent to most of the Westminster Standards in “good faith” while allowing him to state minor differences in parts, has been practiced in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) for almost . . . Continue reading →
Stealthy Psalters In The PCA?
Many PCA churches (more than half?) have a psalter and they don’t even know it. Of course, some churches have switched to the excellent, newer Trinity Psalter Hymnal or another good psalter, but if a church has the very common Trinity Hymnal they already have . . . Continue reading →
Marusich: People Won’t Say Publicly When It Matters What They Say Privately
A former teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), who was critical of the way the Central Indiana Presbytery handled allegations brought against Dan Herron, is now facing seven charges and possible excommunication. “The charges are a clear retaliation by [Teaching . . . Continue reading →
A New Decade: Irony Continues At GA 51 (Part 2)
The more doctrinal wing of the PCA was flexing some muscle in the first half of the week at the 2024 General Assembly, but would it continue through the week? And will that continue beyond this Assembly? Continue reading →
A New Decade: Irony Continues At GA 51 (Part 1)
As the PCA General Assembly convened on June 11th in the Greater Richmond Convention Center in downtown Richmond, VA, for the first time following its 50th birthday gala, ruling elder Steve Dowling from Southeast Alabama Presbytery was elected as Moderator. He led . . . Continue reading →
Thoughts On Overture 12 From PCA General Assembly (2023) And Ascension Presbytery’s Sending The Overture To The Civil Magistrate: Part Three
The first two parts of this series discussed the confessional considerations for why I protested the sending of Overture 12 to the magistrates. In this final part, I provide two further considerations: practical and historical. II. Practical Considerations At this point, I . . . Continue reading →
Thoughts On Overture 12 From PCA General Assembly (2023) And Ascension Presbytery’s Sending The Overture To The Civil Magistrate: Part Two
4. Synods and councils are restricted in ways that individual church members, and even church officers, are not restricted. Chapter 31 of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) does not restrict church members from handling or concluding matters that are not ecclesiastical. Continue reading →
Thoughts On Overture 12 From PCA General Assembly (2023) And Ascension Presbytery’s Sending The Overture To The Civil Magistrate: Part One
Recently, I sent a (brief, four-page) protest to our Presbytery in response to its recent action of instructing our clerk to forward to the magistrates Overture 12 (adjusted for our geography) regarding transgender procedures for minors. Continue reading →
Forty Years Earlier . . . The 1984 (12th) GA: Unity Frays
The PCA General Assembly convened again in a large convention ballroom at Baton Rouge’s Bellemont Hotel for its next Assembly. Meeting in the deep South and the furthest west to date, the 12th GA would continue hashing out areas of mission and expansion. . . . Continue reading →
An Overture To Assist The Accused
An overture to the 51st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America would expand the pool of representatives for those accused by church courts and bring the PCA’s practice more in line with that of her conservative presbyterian sister denominations. Church . . . Continue reading →
The PCA And The Directory For Public Worship
For 47 years, a “temporary statement” has introduced the Presbyterian Church in America’s Directory for the Worship of God. This note, affixed by the Third General Assembly, noted the unfinished work of revising the Directory of Public Worship stating: “The Directory for Worship is . . . Continue reading →
Fifty Years Ago . . . The 1974 PCA GA
The Charismatic movement was a controversial issue for the day, even among reformed and Presbyterian churches. Much of the past century, with its cooperation with broad evangelicalism, left some churches unprepared to speak to this issue. The PCA, in its first major . . . Continue reading →
The Second Commandment Is God’s Word
In recent decades, there has been a renewed appreciation for and embrace of a “Calvinistic” (i.e. Biblical) soteriology in which God is recognized as sovereign in all the affairs of men and even in salvation. Dr. T. David Gordon suggests this phenomenon . . . Continue reading →
Lessons From the Case of the “Jonesboro 7”
They wanted to see a gospel centered PCA congregation planted in their town, Jonesboro, Arkansas. It was harder than they thought it would be. In this instance, it was especially hard. Tucked within the thousands of pages of the 2023 General Assembly . . . Continue reading →
No Reformed Worship, No Reformed Church
Thesis: No confessional presbyterian church will long remain confessional or presbyterian if it loses Reformed worship. First, some definitions: Confessional: orthodox soteriology and doctrine (doctrine of God, Christology, covenant) according to the Reformed confessions Presbyterian: government by ordained male (per scripture) elders . . . Continue reading →
Chariots Of Hire
WE ARE RELIABLY INFORMED that this is “Super Bowl Week,” a promotional publicity-fest that is something like Advent for the USA’s greatest holy day. That this holy day falls on the first day of next week—the Lord’s Day if you are a confessional presbyterian—may . . . Continue reading →
The Last Man (As It Were) Standing?
It’s 2024 and NAPARC denominations stand almost alone on male-only pastors/preachers and lay leaders (elders). The SBC is far from solid on this issue (https://sbcamendment.org/) and most evangelicals are giving way by degrees. Decisive action from the SBC would help, but many . . . Continue reading →