This year had an above average number of kerfuffles, which has seemingly set up the Assembly for more vigorous debate and discussion. Not a few have observed the extraordinary frequency of controversies from our General Assembly’s committees and coordinators.

This year’s Assembly has a large workload ahead of it to fix the ongoing issues in our agencies and permanent committees as well as restore the damaged relationships and broken trust within the denomination and with our NAPARC partners.

Because of the amount of business pending before the Assembly, this year’s preview will be in two parts.

In Part One, I’ll reflect on where we are as a denomination in light of the 2010 Strategic Plan, consider the self-inflicted controversies creating business for the Assembly, review the work of the Nominating Committee, which helps select men to serve on the committees and boards of the General Assembly, and look forward to the election of a Moderator.

Part Two will overview the Overtures and Review of Presbytery Records as well as some other pending matters at GA.

I. Reversing the Strategic Plan

When the PCA met in 2010, key items of debate included the Strategic Plan and a “Funding Plan.” The Funding Plan was defeated by the Presbyteries.¹ By contrast, the proponents of the Strategic Plan saw many successes. The goals of the Strategic Plan included:

• Creation of “Safe Spaces” to talk about innovation and listen to ideas “not native to our culture or tradition.”
• More “Seats at the Table” for younger people, women, and ethnic leaders.
• Participate in “God’s Global Mission” by withdrawing from communions with whom we are doctrinally aligned (e.g. NAPARC) and uniting instead with organizations that share “our ethos.”²

Until 2019, it seemed to many the objectives of the Strategic Plan were gradually being implemented.³

Despite the 2021 election of the Strategic Plan’s champion TE Bryan Chapell to be Stated Clerk, by 2024 the Assembly had taken a number of steps to reverse course.

• The Nashville Statement was commended by the General Assembly, strengthening the PCA’s witness to historic, biblical sexual ethics (2019).
• The Assembly began a dialogue to strengthen our constitutional requirements for the sexual ethics of officers (2021).
• The Assembly directed Mission to the World to remove “non-ordained” people from “line authority.” This was done despite MTW Coordinator TE Lloyd Kim’s objection to the Assembly setting such policy (2021).
• The Assembly voted to withdraw from the National Association of Evangelicals, despite being warned that to do so would be to fall into a ditch (2022).
• The Assembly voted to explore the possibility of aligning with the more doctrinally-sound International Conference of Reformed Churches (2023).
• The Assembly also began the process of bringing accountability to Metro New York Presbytery for failing to institute discipline when a pastor and session permitted a priestess to deliver a sermon in Lord’s Day worship (2023).
• The Assembly rejected proposals to give atheists a seat at the table in church courts (2023 and 2024).
• The Assembly ratified an amendment strengthening the Constitution’s prohibition on granting the titles Pastor, Elder, or Deacon to unordained people. This was accomplished over the desperate objections of elders on the floor who insisted their congregations should be allowed to continue violating the Constitution in this regard (2024).

Will the Assembly continue to progress in the path of purity and peace by strengthening our commitment to robustly Reformed confessionalism and our historic Presbyterian Polity?

II. The Year of (Needless) Controversies

For years the PCA has been plagued by an annual debacle of one sort or another. Since 2021 many of the controversies have involved committees of the denomination (e.g. Should the Stated Clerk pro tempore serve on SJC? Was the Stated Clerk a member of the National Partnership? Does the Stated Clerk believe only some pastors in the PCA are gospel centered? Should David French address the Assembly?).

This year, however, had an above average number of kerfuffles, which has seemingly set up the Assembly for more vigorous debate and discussion. Not a few have observed the extraordinary frequency of controversies from our General Assembly’s committees and coordinators.

A. Mission to North America (MNA)

MNA provoked consternation early this year due to guidance on its website for illegal aliens on how to evade detection by Law Enforcement. The coordinator and permanent committee swiftly issued a statement of apology and repentance, but nonetheless at least one Presbytery sent up an overture demanding greater accountability.

Weeks later, news broke the coordinator of MNA was keynoting a church-sponsored supper for “Black worshipers.” This raised questions about how to properly express the beauty of our unity and diversity in Christ. This controversy prompted the MNA Committee to once again issue a statement; this time asserting ministry leaders “will not participate in racially exclusive events” except when they are given permission to do so.

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