I share this letter to brethren in the PCA with some trepidation. With Prov. 26:17 in mind it is arguably foolhardy to get involved in another denomination’s ecclesial debates — especially one on the other side of the Atlantic! However friends in . . . Continue reading →
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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 →
An Illuminating Analysis Of The PCA GA Vote On Overtures 23 And 37
PCA Ruling Elder Brad Isbell, co-host of the Presbycast podcast has published a brief but illuminating analysis of the vote, at the 2021 PCA General Assembly, on overtures 23 and 37. Continue reading
The Use Of Images Is An Indicator Of The Functional Authority Of The Standards In The PCA
When the Westminster Assembly (1643–52), which was composed of Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians, deliberated on the moral law of God, they agreed on with the church of all ages and times on the abiding validity of God’s moral law. In their Confession (19.5) . . . Continue reading →
PCA Ruling Elder Brad Isbell On The Future Of The Overtures And The PCA GA
PCA Overture 37 will fail to receive the requisite two-thirds vote of the presbyteries to bring it before the 2022 PCA General Assembly for final approval. And Overture 23 (which, like 37, concerns same-sex-attracted church officers) will pass or fail by a . . . Continue reading →
Two Of These Things Are Not Like The Others
As they used to say on Sesame Street, “one of these things is not like the others…”. That is the question raised by an article in byFaith, the official magazine of the PCA, which seeks to quiet the furor over the formerly secret network, The . . . Continue reading →
A Brief History Of Secret Organizations In And Around The PCA
Every Christian ought to heed Paul’s warnings to “have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths” (1 Timothy 4:7) and not to be found in “quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” (2 Corinthians 12:20). Thus, we must be especially . . . Continue reading →
Is It “Fundamentalist” To Forbid The Teaching Of Exceptions To The Standards?
David Cassidy says it is:
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Of Wickedness And Narratives
Narratives are funny things, but there’s a certain consistency to them from decade to decade, even from century to century. In the organizational world (including the visible church), those persons, departments, coalitions, or factions perceived as narrow, precise, and conservative are usually . . . Continue reading →
Reasons For Confessionalists In The PCA To Remain Optimistic
Despite The Defeat Of Overtures 23 And 37
Despite voices warning the PCA was slipping down a progressive slope, for the most part confessional churches (now referred to by the chic as “Neo-Fundamentalists”) and progressive congregations (are they the “Neo-Liberals” according to the new chic nomenclature?) got along well enough . . . Continue reading →
Brothers, The Time Is Now
In 1643, George Gillespie traveled to London as one of the eleven Scots chosen to participate in the Westminster Assembly. Initially tasked by Parliament to revise the 39 Articles of the Church of England, one of the most contentious topics of the . . . Continue reading →
Who Is Packing The Church Courts?
The terms, tropes, and tactics of secular politics certainly influence ecclesial politics, so it’s no surprise to hear one of the Presbyterian Church in America’s most prominent and influential pastors sounding very much like a pundit on a cable news show: Conspiracy! . . . Continue reading →
Payne’s Post Mortem: What The Defeat Of The Overtures Signals For The Future Of The PCA
The PCA Has Moved From Being Broad To Being Progressive
The Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments that many hoped would guard the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) from further infiltration of Revoice/Side B Gay doctrine were officially defeated. Yes, in case you haven’t heard, the amendments are now dead in the . . . Continue reading →
Shall The Radical Contextualizers Win?
Some elders in the PCA believe Johnsonism is essential to the future of the church. Others are willing to give it the benefit of the doubt for now, watching to see where it goes. These men were those who applauded Johnson’s revival-style testimony at the 2019 General Assembly in Dallas. Votes from those in this group likely defeated the proposed PCA constitutional amendments that might have clamped down on same-sex attracted officers. Continue reading →
PCA Standing Judicial Commission Rules 22–2 Against Revoice
With respect to the teachings addressed by Theological Judgment 3, CIM noted, “The use of terms such as ‘same-sex-attracted’ or ‘gay’ in the way Revoice 18 and many Side B people use them … indulges in needless and potentially dangerous speculation”; “If . . . Continue reading →
Latitudinarianism In The PCA Is A Big Gamble
Many of us were raised in broad evangelicalism. We left that for what we thought was an intentionally confessional denomination. We love confessionalism because it both guards our fidelity to Scripture and offers a firm foundation for unity. By definition, confessions of . . . Continue reading →
What Is The “Judgment Of Charity” And Is It Relevant To The PCA Controversy Over Side B/”Gay Christianity”?
Historically the term judgment of charity has been used in discussions of the infant offspring of believers, especially regarding their reception of baptism or of eternal life (in cases of premature death). The former sense is the only way in which Herman . . . Continue reading →
GRN Conference May 4–5, 2022 in Birmingham, AL: The Sufficiency Of The Gospel In A Secular Age
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Whither The PCA?
Jake Meador has published an essay arguing the “conversations”—a euphemism for debates that should be retired immediately—in the PCA surrounding same-sex attracted, celibate ministers (the so-called “Side B” approach to homosexuality) “should begin to move on to newer, better frames…”. He calls . . . Continue reading →
Female Preachers In The PCA?
Presbyterianism is pretty simple. As the name suggests, presbyters (elders) are essential to the church. Congregations elect qualified men to ensure that the means of grace (word, prayer, and sacraments) and discipline are maintained. These men—one or more of whom is an . . . Continue reading →